91–98 of 98 posts
After an event I was at was targeted to be blown up, ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Portland_car_bomb_plot ) I have changed my views on anti-terrorist teams at events and mass-gatherings. I do find it silly, however, that these teams are supposedly a devision of the "Transit Security Administration".
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You can go live in a country where there is no TSA. This is possible/easy only if: 1. You have enough knowledge, skill sets to get a job in the "dozen countries" 2. Or, have enough money to start a business 3. Don't have family commitments, kids etc 4. The U.S is still the best place to be, if you are in tech and few other sectors Also, it amounts to giving up. What if you relocate to a new country, and the same thin…
> The U.S is still the best place to be, if you are in tech and few other sectors Are there any other places that come close and that are more free or at least less corrupt? Can someone comment on tech salaries in Hong Kong, for example?
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When you read the actual indictments and court transcripts in cases like this, the would-be terrorists turn out to be nothing like the passive actor you hypothesize here, but rather display a fair degree of initiative; they have typically come to the FBI's attention because people around them are alarmed by their aspirations and report them to law enforcement. There are tough legal questions about where the borderlin…
Google for 'operation flex' if you want to see how the FBI uses your tax dollars to fight terrorism.
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I get that and I appreciate the additional info on radiation exposures (I had not seen the 2nd link you posted before). I was trying to imply that the argument of "it's not that bad" can quickly become moot considering that imaging companies have more powerful scanners standing by for purchase & use. It really becomes a question of how much is too much? And, for what benefit am I being dosed with an extra amount of r…
Yeah, I agree that it is a slippery slope. The difference between their two models right now is the difference between someone throwing dust at you, vs throwing grains of rice. Neither hurt...but it could quickly escalate to throwing pennies or bricks. And for basically no value-add, since it's the TSA. All in all, I think the TSA is awful and would love them gone. At the very least there should be regulation on the…
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> This isn't some web-app whose terms of service you don't like, it's a nation state. People throughout history took to the streets to win freedom/voting right/etc. Historically, it was much harder and more expensive to move your entire life to another country (and maintain your social and economic ties). People were vastly better off staying put. Today, that's simply not the case. I moved across an ocean to avoid pa…
> I moved across an ocean to avoid participating in the US economy in a positive way (insofar as that is practically possible being a denizen of the Internet) for under $1500 and all while maintaining my personal and professional connections to those still resident there. The education that gives you the skills that allow you entry to another country cost significantly more than $1,500. Don't you still need to file t…
And yes, but I get to claim the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. I pay zero US personal income tax.
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American illusion of freedom isn't something easy to grasp for people from "less free" countries who are, for instance, able to travel freely to Cuba. American expats who moved permanently abroad have to file their taxes with IRS forever. In any European state your last contact with the country's Revenue is for the last year you lived there (unless you still have income in this country). You don't have to file anythi…
I thought it's just 10 years, hardly forever. And comparing the USA to a single European nation is misleading.
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I thought it's just 10 years, hardly forever. And comparing the USA to a single European nation is misleading.
My understanding is, it is not just 10 years. Also, I am comparing the USA to most countries out there, not a single country.