161–170 of 191 posts
Not terrorism or anything. Another example of security state mission creep. Download all your emails now.
This sort of thing has happened a number of times recently to people I know. I'm a musician and have lots friends who play in bands and book shows, so this hits close to home. Last month a band from Canada I was scheduled to play with was stopped at the border and told to turn around because they didn't have work visas. This group of four women in their late teens and early twenties -- day jobs at bars and restaurant…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just so we're clear, you're against strip searching anyone for anything, ever? So, if someone was smuggling in rare species or ivory or other contraband, the CBP should do what exactly?
If I may make an observation, you're making a reductio ad absurdum ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reductio_ad_absurdum ) argument.
While I agree that this person was probably treated very poorly, I also want to point out that they were traveling for work purposes. In the United States, non-US citizens entering the country for work purposes are generally required to get a visa. There are a few (and very few at that) business exceptions to this process, as listed here: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html He stated that he w…
I agree this guy screwed up. But the fact that you can't go three hours without seeing an obvious illegal alien in the US makes this whole thing hilarious. It's the Anarcho-Tyranny thing Sam Francis wrote about. Be a middle class, law abiding euro with some undotted i's and get instantly deported. Hop the southern border as an illiterate with criminal convictions and it's "no problemo" as an apparent matter of nation…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just so we're clear, you're against strip searching anyone for anything, ever? So, if someone was smuggling in rare species or ivory or other contraband, the CBP should do what exactly?
If I may make an observation, you're making a reductio ad absurdum ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reductio_ad_absurdum ) argument.
Apparently everyone agrees it's OK to search a smuggler. What level of proof should CBP agents need to decide this?
What other potential criminals should be searched? Someone that appears to be intending to reside or work in the US despite not obtaining a visa? Can they search their belongings to help determine their intent? Or should they just close down the visa waiver program entirely and force everyone to clear positively before coming to the US, so that border agents have an easier time?
Really the only plausible thing I find is that for things like strip searching, a supervisor should need to agree that the person poses a smuggling or other threat that a strip search is likely to prevent.
But either way, it's far more complicated than "this behaviour is always unacceptable".
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Please explain "surveillance dragnet" - I didn't see any evidence of that in the translated article. I saw some "I wonder how they found my stage name", but unless he's taken some large precautions, that doesn't seem too far-fetched for Google to handle...
He talked about them knowing about all his shows, stage name, and about facebook relationships. Translation is sketchy but he seems to be making a wider point that they knew about a bunch of stuff that would only be known by fairly broad and deep surveillance (as per the title of the article) and then applying a distorted interpretation.
Also known as performing a search on Facebook? Just saying, there's an easy alternative explanation.
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The TSA has nothing to do with this interrogation, as bad as they are; Customs and Border Patrol are the offenders, here. And this guy made a critical mistake: He announced his intent to "work" in the United States; i.e. he was going to play shows. This requires a Visa, even for nonprofit purposes, which is a silly law, but it is the law.
You don't think its weird to be strip searched, and kept from contacting worried parties, because you decided to play a non-profit show without a visa? Law or not, I don't think that makes sense.
They probably do have a law saying anyone who is denied entry is strip searched and not allowed to contact anyone.
This sort of thing has happened a number of times recently to people I know. I'm a musician and have lots friends who play in bands and book shows, so this hits close to home. Last month a band from Canada I was scheduled to play with was stopped at the border and told to turn around because they didn't have work visas. This group of four women in their late teens and early twenties -- day jobs at bars and restaurant…
I agree, but if I were making the case to the INS I would phrase it differently: feeding someone who came to town specially isn't remunerating them, it's covering their expenses. And covering someone's expenses doesn't take money away from Americans who need jobs — because the American who didn't get the unpaid gig because this foreigner got it instead, is now sitting at home and consequently doesn't have travel expenses that need covering.
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It's like saying about Rodney King, "well, our police are brutal, but after all he was speeding and resisting arrest." This kind of statement is a sophists trick, knowingly or not, to justify the unjustifiable. I don't care what this guy "did", he shouldn't have been treated this way. If he broke the rules and we need to deport him, fine. Then do it. Don't strip search him, threaten him, go through his personal effec…
While I agree on the overreaction, no, it's not just about paying for a work visa. It's determining eligibility and whatnot. He even admits that it's "very difficult" to get such a visa. Certainly you don't want to encourage people to attempt entry illegally (under false premises) with the fallback of paying for the visa. Going through his "personal effects" is one way to determine is someone is lying. Strip search s…
The process to even "prove" someone's a musician is ridiculous, and on top of that, you as much as need to prove that this "job" couldn't be done by an American. Music is not some commodity that can be provided by just anyone. You want a certain celebrity to headline, you don't just want some guy who happens to sound similar.
Since when is a touring musician stealing jobs? It's a process that's obnoxious and time-consuming even for someone who does it day in, day out. I can't imagine what a headache it must be for a hobby musician just trying to have fun.
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Right, but Abraham Lincoln did nothing wrong by going to the play and the author did something wrong (I don't mean in a moral sense, but in a sense of 'incorrect') by going to the United States without the proper visa.
Well that's a tortured analogy if I've ever seen one.