Why are people pleased? So the government has changed its mind and instead of requiring American citizens to have passports to travel to Mexico and Canadia, we will need only “passport cards”.Fatherland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff described what passport junior will look like: “We're talking about, essentially, the kind of driver’s licence or other simple card identification that almost all of us carry in our wallets day in and day out.”
Oh really? Something just like my driving licence? Then why the fuck do I need another one? Can you say “national ID card”?
The main reason for the “compromise” that I have seen thus far is cost. A passport currently costs $85 and is good for 10 years. I have no idea what the new hi-tech biometric super-surveillance big brother passports will cost, but we will be finding out soon enough. Apparently the cute little baby passport cards will be cheaper so we should all be satisfied, but, of course, they will cost something.
And I, for one, am not satisfied. We have always been able to go to Mexico and Canadia with nothing more than a driving licence, so why should we be forced to carry another card that is “essentially” another one of the same. I have already got enough shit in my wallet.
And guess what – a new kind of passport junior is not going to stop the bogeyman from striking again. This is just another case of the government trying to take two giant fascist steps forward and being forced back one of those fascist steps so they have a net gain of only one giant fascist step. Compromise, my arse – the people are allowing themselves to be fooled again.
7 comments:
Riggs -
Ok, lets use a little logic. If everyone just sat down and let the government do what ever the hell they want, what would happen? I think that it's pretty obvious, power breeds power, and when in a position of power most people generally want more of it. If it wasn't for people such as Max, getting the word out about whats going on, and complaining about it the nation I believe would definately go towards fascism, as this is EXACTLY what happened in pretty much every society that has had a dictator rise from it. People didn't question their government. And, if you are an American, I think not to be curious about the steps the government is taking is like being 3 quarters of the way dead.
Riggs,
That is such a typical comment from someone who actually lives in the United States.
Riggs, I have never been to Canadia and I have not been to Mexico since 1995, and I have a passport. So what? I am objecting to stupid legislation that has no purpose except to exercise more control over the population of North America.
I did not mention in my little rant that any kind of required documentation is going to reduce cross-border traffic and that, in turn, will hurt people’s businesses. I also have a problem with that.
Kid, thank you, you are right on the mark.
Asshole, you are right, there are other pressing issues, some of them larger, and I will get to some of those too. But sometimes it is the smaller issues that people ignore and let slip through. Yes, carrying a passport is a fine idea, but it should not be mandated, and people who would not otherwise need one should not have to shell out the $85.
And no, calling this “fascism” is not hyperbole. We have been through it before, that fascism comes in baby steps. Bush may not be a fascist on the scale of Hitler but he does exhibit fascist behaviour, which I will demonstrate comprehensively in a separate post within the next several days.
Hi, SS. I don’t want you to think I am ignoring you.
Please correct me if I'm wrong but: isn't the job of Fatherland Security to keep the bad guys out of the United States of America in order to protect Americans from another attack?
Why are Americans now being asked to get an identity card in order to travel to neighboring countries that we have all kinds of international agreements with and that we've always been allowed to travel to without passports? We already have social security identification, photo ids on driving licences and a photo identity card for non-drivers so that they may cash checks (my mother has one in NY state, and both my daughters had them in Texas). How many more methods of identification must we pay for? Is this just another sneaky way for the government to tax us to pay for their pork projects?
Asshole said: "Bush's policies are controversial..."
Max says: What the hell? Controversial?!! How about illegal, immoral, unethical and offensive?
Torture, for example, as all of the above, with the added bonus that it is not effective. As the UK Ambassador to Uzbekistan recorded in a complaint he sent to the British Home Office about US practices of torturing for information: "This material is useless - we are selling our souls for dross. It is in fact positively harmful."
There is more, Asshole, there is more. Unfortunately, I don't have the time right now.
It would appear that the audiotape released today was recorded last month.
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