Now that an American pilot has his the Huston IRS (Internal Revenue Service) building in Huston - Texas, the Department of Homeland Security is tightening the procedures against American travellers coming into the United States. Well, they increased such measures against Lebanese passengers when a Kenyan failed to blow up the airplane he was on, so the cause-effect logic holds in that case. Oh, and because Joe Stack (The name of the pilot) is an American, this does not make it a terrorist act... Hmmm, would it be so if he was called, like, Tarek Stack?.... Next time I will be picked "at random" to be pulled aside in the airport for checking, I will claim that ALL American passengers would be pulled aside as well.. ."at random" of course....
Friday, February 19, 2010
Homeland security tightens measures against incoming Amercian passengers....
Now that an American pilot has his the Huston IRS (Internal Revenue Service) building in Huston - Texas, the Department of Homeland Security is tightening the procedures against American travellers coming into the United States. Well, they increased such measures against Lebanese passengers when a Kenyan failed to blow up the airplane he was on, so the cause-effect logic holds in that case. Oh, and because Joe Stack (The name of the pilot) is an American, this does not make it a terrorist act... Hmmm, would it be so if he was called, like, Tarek Stack?.... Next time I will be picked "at random" to be pulled aside in the airport for checking, I will claim that ALL American passengers would be pulled aside as well.. ."at random" of course....
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I think they should tighten security procedures against holders of American passports. In fact I think they should tighten security procedures against all travelers coming through customs in the US. Last time I took a flight from Europe to Los Angeles about half the plane was full of German tourists (must have been a tour group I guess, because the flight was out of Heathrow in London) and the other half was Americans, most of whom were Arab if my eyeballs and ears are any indication. The line for for Americans was moving so slowly I tried to go through the German line (they were completely done in about 15 minutes, and the American line had barely moved) and the rat bastards told me to get back in line with the Americans. There's just something totally wrong when foreigners can get through American customs faster than Americans can.
About the American pilot... I'm not sure I'd call him a terrorist. I haven't seen any indication he was part of an ideological movement, or that he even associated himself with such a movement. I would agree that it shows just how feeble our so-called security measures really are, just as the failed underwear bomber did.
slamming a plane into a federal building is terrorism.
people are stupid!
slamming a plane into a federal building is terrorism.
Angie, I'm pretty picky about how I apply the word "terrorism". Otherwise I'd be calling any act of violence against the innocent terrorism, and that would diminish the meaning of the word all the way to irrelevancy.
So, anyway... my main criteria is it has to be an attack against the innocent made for ideological reasons, and with the intent of coercing people into making concessions they don't want to make. If somebody can prove to my satisfaction that this guy was involved with some anti-government group here in the US, that would qualify him as a terrorist in my book.
Craig, I agree with you concerning checking everyone who goes into the US, and well, if your "Americans" looked Arab to you or of Scandinavian origins or of Irish descent or come straight from Little China either ALL of them get checked or no one does.
I get repeatedly checked to the point of embarassment just because of my passport, and I am not sure if you caught the irony of the title of the post, but still, and here I am talking about Joe Stacks... What is Joe was Tarek as I said, wouldn't this make it an immediate terrorist act? Besides, have you react the Patriot Act Craig? The definition of terrorist is so loose it could be... YOU! (Just for criticizing the Heathrow American checking line or the boarding pass double check or whatever have you).... As a last remark, when the unabomber was first described (And we all know he ended up being Timothy McVeigh, a pure anglo-saxon) he was an Arab wearing a Keffiah!.... So there!
...and well, if your "Americans" looked Arab to you or of Scandinavian origins or of Irish descent or come straight from Little China either ALL of them get checked or no one does.
I agree with you about that, Tarek. It took about 2 hours to get through that line and I have no idea how many people they pulled aside for further screening but I figure they spent about 15 minutes average on each on each person at the booth. I'm an Anglo guy and I look pretty much like a an Anglo guy, and I doubt it took more than 10 seconds for the guy to smile at me and stamp my passport. They shouldn't be hassling people like that just because they are Arab. Nor should they be waving me - or the Germans tourists - through just because we obviously don't fit the profile.
What is Joe was Tarek as I said, wouldn't this make it an immediate terrorist act?
I think that would have been the first assumption, anyway.
Besides, have you react the Patriot Act Craig? The definition of terrorist is so loose it could be... YOU! (Just for criticizing the Heathrow American checking line or the boarding pass double check or whatever have you)....
I've had my own understanding for what "terrorism" is since the 1980s, and I don't much care if it matches anyone else's or not. It works for me, and that's what matters. Definition-by-committee is bound to be too ambiguous to be of much value.
As a last remark, when the unabomber was first described (And we all know he ended up being Timothy McVeigh, a pure anglo-saxon) he was an Arab wearing a Keffiah!.... So there!
The unabomber was a different guy from the 1980s who sent mail bombs, wasn't he? I agree they were both terrorists, though :)
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