Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme • Hacker News Board

Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#241

Post by School-Cotton » Tue, Jun 24, 2025, 7:12 PM UTC

Alupis wrote: post #182

School-Cotton wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

East Germany was not a fascist state, it was an explicitly anti-fascist state. Horribly authoritarian, with wanton disregard for human rights, yes, but not "fascist".

It's yet more evidence almost 0% of the population actually understands what "fascism" really is...

Right. Fascism and Soviet Bloc-style communism are both "bad" in the sense that they have tended to produce authoritarian dictatorships that massively increase human misery. But other than that, they are not at all the same ideology.

Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#242

Post by kube-system » Tue, Jun 24, 2025, 7:12 PM UTC

freeone3000 wrote: post #240

kube-system wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

TSA removes locks with bolt cutters, they don't shoot them off.

… well, yes, but they are armed guards and they are searching your luggage. I feel that’s more relevant than the exact method of lock removal.

No, the TSA security officers who are inspecting passengers and their luggage do not have arrest powers and are not armed.

If you are doing something illegal, they call the police, and the police arrest you.

Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#243

Post by nemomarx » Tue, Jun 24, 2025, 7:12 PM UTC

lenerdenator wrote: post #141

Tade0 wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is unheard of anywhere in the developed world. Security at airports simply doesn't have this sort of power outside the US.

That's simply not true. Ask people who have tried going to Canada from the US how welcoming border guards can be at their ports of entry. Say the wrong thing or try to cross with the wrong thing (in my friend's case, it was a set of tools used to repair electronics) and they will try to jam you up and deny entry.

I've crossed into Canada multiple times and never had the guards comment on anything, personally? Was this a very recent thing and has there been a change in policy?

Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#244

Post by keybored » Tue, Jun 24, 2025, 7:12 PM UTC

qoez wrote: post #56

His name was "Mads Mikkelsen", like the actor? Either he gave a fake name or this story is made up.

“His name is John Smith? Big Fake warning bells!”

Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#245

Post by TremendousJudge » Tue, Jun 24, 2025, 7:13 PM UTC

JadeNB wrote: post #177

HillRat wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's been interesting watching who actually places rule of law and liberty above partisanship -- the Cheneys, tellingly, or Bill Kristol, or the Cato Institute -- and who has cheerfully befouled every declared principle they held in the name of untrammeled power. There are a number of law professors who talked a good game about common law liberty when the bad guy was the EPA, but signed on with Trump I and II the sec…

Yeah, going back and telling 2000 me and 2012 me that the Cheneys and Mitt Romney would become the conscience of the Republican party would have been interesting.

Who would you say was the conscience of the Republican party in 2012? What were they arguing for? Serious question, not American, follow their politics from afar.

Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#246

Post by Veen » Tue, Jun 24, 2025, 7:13 PM UTC

eviks wrote: post #66

United857 wrote: post #35

I’m no fan of the current administration but this is one person’s account so inherently 1 sided. I just flew in from Europe and most people were not searched. US border control don’t have time to systemically search the phones of all travelers. I’m guessing some other red flag triggered the questioning and phone search and denial (eg no return ticket or accommodation booked).

Why is it less credible than your inherently 0 sided guess?

Because people of all political persuasions tell lies for attention and to support their political agenda. It is sensible to withhold judgment until there is sufficient information to make a reasonable determination on the balance of probabilities. That may mean witholding your righteous indignation for a day or two, but that's a price worth paying.

Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#247

Post by Fluorescence » Tue, Jun 24, 2025, 7:13 PM UTC

lenerdenator wrote: post #141

Tade0 wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is unheard of anywhere in the developed world. Security at airports simply doesn't have this sort of power outside the US.

That's simply not true. Ask people who have tried going to Canada from the US how welcoming border guards can be at their ports of entry. Say the wrong thing or try to cross with the wrong thing (in my friend's case, it was a set of tools used to repair electronics) and they will try to jam you up and deny entry.

I've faced the repair tools things in Europe. No meanness besides taking most of them.

I managed to save a few by arguing how ineffective as weapons they would be and then watch as two security staff try their best to pinch each other with wire strippers.

Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#248

Post by School-Cotton » Tue, Jun 24, 2025, 7:13 PM UTC

tartoran wrote: post #239

School-Cotton wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

East Germany was not a fascist state, it was an explicitly anti-fascist state. Horribly authoritarian, with wanton disregard for human rights, yes, but not "fascist".

Yeah, they were a democracy:) German Democratic Republic (GDR). Same with NK: Democratic People's Republic of Korea

They were not a democracy despite what they had in the name. They were also not fascist, which has nothing to do with what was in their name. They were actually not fascist, in the sense that they didn't follow the ideology called "fascism".

Fascism is a specific ideology invented in Italy in the early 20th century; it does not just mean any authoritarian dictatorship.

Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#249

Post by tranchebald » Tue, Jun 24, 2025, 7:13 PM UTC

supertrope wrote: post #2

A teacher in school told me about the time they visited East Germany. Armed guards poked though his luggage. It's a slippery slope toward fascism.

The Stasi were communist. Maybe you want to say “authoritarian”?

Re: Man 'refused entry into US' as border control catch him with bald JD Vance meme

#250

Post by foobarian » Tue, Jun 24, 2025, 7:14 PM UTC

supertrope wrote: post #2

A teacher in school told me about the time they visited East Germany. Armed guards poked though his luggage. It's a slippery slope toward fascism.

It was a lot more invasive than that in those days. The border agents would rifle through our groceries and occasionally things like dried meats or booze would magically go missing. Other times they would be officially confiscated, or customs levied.