The Largest Surveillance Program in US History

[luisao]

From yesterday's Chicago Tribune (by the excellent corporate accountability group, ReclaimDemocracy.org) on the proposed Computer-Assisted Airline Passenger Screening Program (CAPPS 2), which requires that every passenger submit information to be compiled and analyzed by government databases:

This promise the government to procure these records at will from the contracted companies (which may retain and sell those records). At a minimum, the government would be creating dossiers of our lifetime travel histories. And though the information the TSA says it will collect initially may seem inoffensive, the registered traveler program would coerce people to "volunteer" much more information in order to avoid second-class treatment and even longer airport lines.

Critics also are alarmed by TSA officials' admission of plans to employ CAPPS II well beyond airports and for broader law enforcement purposes like catching common criminals -- contradicting earlier promises to focus only on aviation security.

The authors go on to make several other compelling arguments against the frightening CAPPS 2 and expose some of the corporate causes behind our weakened security. Full article: <http://reclaimdemocracy.org/civil_rights/capps_2_illusion_safety.html>

[madrchsod]

1. i want all my info in a data base

that has no security ,using microsoft software,and will be based in india or china. of course the american public will go along with this plan,"what`s the harm?,it`s going to protect me, isn`t it?"

[drthais]

2. see below

[DustMolecule]

3. Saw this Dwight Eisenhower quote today for the first time...

...I think it fits in quite nicely with this particular subject.

"If all that Americans want is security they can go to prison. They'll have enough to eat, a bed and a roof over their heads. But if an American wants to preserve his dignity and his equality as a human being, he must not bow his neck to any dictatorial government."
-- Dwight Eisenhower 12/8/49

Hi rchsod :hi:

[luisao]

4. Quote source?

Hi,
I love the bumper sticker and the quote. "Rchsod," if you read this and know the source of the Eisenhower quote, I'd love to know.

Thanks, Luisa

[DustMolecule]

5. Well, w/o going thru tooooooo much trouble, I found these links

http://oaks.nvg.org/lg2ra3.html

http://members.tripod.com/bcq/dwight_eisenhower.html

I'm sure if you are interested you can find even more.

[bikerboy]

6. The Largest Surveillance Program in US History - Great Article

Great piece. For me, the crux was this: And does any TSA official honestly believe that terrorists can't obtain a false identification -- available on any college campus or over the Internet? According to federal investigators, at least two of the 9/11 hijackers' passports "were clearly doctored." It's hard not to suspect they'll announce the obvious later: the system is easily gamed, and Americans must therefore submit to a national ID card connected with a database of fingerprints or retina scans.