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He’s making a list, |
Citizens’ U.S. Border Crossings Tracked
The federal government has been using its system of border checkpoints to greatly expand a database on travelers entering the country by collecting information on all U.S. citizens crossing by land, compiling data that will be stored for 15 years and may be used in criminal and intelligence investigations.
Officials say the Border Crossing Information system, disclosed last month by the Department of Homeland Security in a Federal Register notice, is part of a broader effort to guard against terrorist threats. It also reflects the growing number of government systems containing personal information on Americans that can be shared for a broad range of law enforcement and intelligence purposes, some of which are exempt from some Privacy Act protections.
[…]
The disclosure of the database is among a series of notices, officials say, to make DHS’s data gathering more transparent. Critics say the moves exemplify efforts by the Bush administration in its final months to cement an unprecedented expansion of data gathering for national security and intelligence purposes.
So what? They’re only doing this to protect us, right? To make us safe?
The data could be used beyond determining whether a person may enter the United States. For instance, information may be shared with foreign agencies when relevant to their hiring or contracting decisions.
OK, maybe not so much.
Will they monitor illegals’ border crossings?
Information is nothing more than “the truth.” Whats wrong with “the truth?”
Yes==the slippery slope to who knows where. The slippery slope arises only when the American electorate refuses to be active in monitoring its government’s actions and lettings its elected officials know what is expected.
All the above said, the information collected will be used for good and bad purposes with the net effect being unknown.
But Mike raises an excellent point. Our government does seem to waste a lot of time, money, resources on “show” efforts that mostly interfere rather than actually achieve their stated goals. Another failure of the electorate to control its government.
Vote all incumbents out of office.
It’s like the gun argument: If we don’t track everybody, only terrorists will be tracked.
I have no problem with the government tracking who comes in or leave the country. It’s a sound policy if you ask me.
all well and good until a bit in this data gets flipped by accident and you are suddenly a terrorist…
yeah data integrity, i wonder how they are handling that..
and i bet the use windows computers too……..
Mike is right for once; focussing all of this effort on Americans when most of the perps are from outside the United States tells me that building a iron fist system is more important to them than actually protecting us.
After all, what incentive is there for them to stop a terror attack? They got nothing but endless extensions to their power and big wads of cash for all of their friends and cronies after they screwed the pooch last time. . .
Who is tracking the Mexicans ?
>> gquaglia said, on August 20th, 2008 at 6:36 am
>> I have no problem with the government tracking who comes in or leave the country. It’s a sound policy if you ask me.
My word you have blind faith in government bureaucracy.
Pray to God that you don’t have a name similar to a criminal. You’ll get put on a no-fly list and never get taken off, no matter how hard you try.
Oh no, I went to canada to visit family for the week. Get the red phone out!! Call in the air strike!! Get Dr Phil!! Ha if they are going to track EVERYONE it might be too much info for the tee-ess-eh? to count. From what I have seen those agents are nothing but DMV rejects.
Uncle Sam needs you!
Big brother is watching you!
It’s almost the same thing…almost is not the same…
“…personal information on Americans that can be shared for a broad range of law enforcement and intelligence purposes…”
The next time the cop who stops you for speeding asks why you left the country…
[If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear, right?]
I still remember the good old days. When all that most of us was concerned about, was some speeding ticket record hanging over our heads for ten years. After which the State involved would simply erased it, and rarely passed the record onto others. Now we’ve got this nation wide database, that’s apparently permanent. And you don’t even have to be tried and convicted of anything to have the record. It’s just automatic, for traveling out of State. The next generation federal database will be for people who dared to leave their house. Since that won’t be most of the elderly, they will be content with that, and vote Republican.