Because 9/11...
...changed everything.
One of the things that most galls me about the current maladministration is its assumption that the American public is actually anxious to throw away every last shred of personal liberty in exchange for 'national security.' The present government attitude was signified nicely several years ago when then-White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said with a straight face that "people need to watch what they say...watch what they do."
Here is the latest manifestation of BushCo's attack on freedom:
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Tuesday that Americans need to ease their concerns about turning over personal information to the government — especially if they want to fly safe from terrorism.
"Would you rather give up your address and date of birth to a secure database and not be pulled aside and questioned," he said, "or would you rather not give it up and have an increased likelihood that you're going to be called out of line and someone's going to do a secondary search of your bag and they're going to ask you a lot of personal questions in the full view of everybody else?"
How's that for a rather open threat to the would-be traveler? Give us what we want or we'll humiliate you in front of family, friends, and complete strangers.
The ACLU's response to such blatant disregard for the most basic of individual rights strikes at the foolishness of the government's demand for more and more personal information in the name of security:
American Civil Liberties Union legislative counsel Tim Sparapani said collecting more information from passengers is a waste of time and money.
"The public does not get any advanced security by giving up more information," Sparapani said. Would-be hijackers can easily foil background checks, he said, by either keeping a clean criminal record or by stealing someone's identity. Money would be better spent on machines that detect plastic explosives on passengers or in bags, he said."
I suppose what galls me as much as the threat to my personal freedom is the pernicious and cynical attitude of the government towards all of us that we are too stupid and too cowardly to even put up a fight when it comes to this issue.
I call bullshit.
One of the things that most galls me about the current maladministration is its assumption that the American public is actually anxious to throw away every last shred of personal liberty in exchange for 'national security.' The present government attitude was signified nicely several years ago when then-White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said with a straight face that "people need to watch what they say...watch what they do."
Here is the latest manifestation of BushCo's attack on freedom:
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Tuesday that Americans need to ease their concerns about turning over personal information to the government — especially if they want to fly safe from terrorism.
"Would you rather give up your address and date of birth to a secure database and not be pulled aside and questioned," he said, "or would you rather not give it up and have an increased likelihood that you're going to be called out of line and someone's going to do a secondary search of your bag and they're going to ask you a lot of personal questions in the full view of everybody else?"
How's that for a rather open threat to the would-be traveler? Give us what we want or we'll humiliate you in front of family, friends, and complete strangers.
The ACLU's response to such blatant disregard for the most basic of individual rights strikes at the foolishness of the government's demand for more and more personal information in the name of security:
American Civil Liberties Union legislative counsel Tim Sparapani said collecting more information from passengers is a waste of time and money.
"The public does not get any advanced security by giving up more information," Sparapani said. Would-be hijackers can easily foil background checks, he said, by either keeping a clean criminal record or by stealing someone's identity. Money would be better spent on machines that detect plastic explosives on passengers or in bags, he said."
I suppose what galls me as much as the threat to my personal freedom is the pernicious and cynical attitude of the government towards all of us that we are too stupid and too cowardly to even put up a fight when it comes to this issue.
I call bullshit.
posted by Diane at 4:42 AM
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