DHS Watchdog OKs ‘Suspicionless’ Seizure of Electronic Devices Along Border

[clevermanka]

The Department of Homeland Security’s civil rights watchdog has concluded that travelers along the nation’s borders may have their electronics seized and the contents of those devices examined for any reason whatsoever - all in the name of national security.The DHS, which secures the nation’s border, in 2009 announced that it would conduct a “Civil

Comments

[underlankers]

This is one area of Obama's policies I find deeply troubling. Yes, Bush did it too, but are we to take an incompetent cokehead with a rich daddy as our example, to paraphrase that one British PM? The last twelve years have revealed a deeply disturbing authoritarian trend bipartisan in nature that requires some serious politicking to be halting. The best rule of thumb for power we entrust to politicians is if we want Michelle Bachmann and Rand Paul to be able to use it.

[alexvdl]

How come every time I hear about the Department of Homeland Security it's because they're doing fucked up shit like stockpiling ammunition, armored vehicles, and weapons or unreasonably searching and seizing electronic devices?

That doesn't do much to make my homeland feel more secure.

[serendipity_15]

...why are they stockpiling ammunition, armored vehicles or weapons?

The only other people I hear of who do that are those are certain that the UN is going to invade the US or something.

[alexvdl]

That's a good question. DHS says it's because they go through so much ammunition training Law Enforcement Professionals. However if you do the math, they've currently got a 100 year supply for that. Or, enough ammo to fight a fullscale war for 30 years.

As for the MRAPs... I have no clue. Last time I checked there wasn't a huge problem with IEDs in America.

EDIT: Here's an article on it http://www.whptv.com/news/local/story/While-ammunition-is-hard-to-find-Department-of/__1tKhra5EaP41rnjsTh-Q.cspx

My favorite line is the following "According to the National Rifle Association, the ammunition buy-up should not be cause for concern."

[maladaptive]

But but but TERRORISTS. They hate our freedoms, so the government has to take those freedoms away so the terrorists won't attack us.

[tilmon]

I first read about the 100 mile Constitution-free zone just a few days ago. When you consider how much of the American population lives in that zone, you realize that Americans have essentially been stripped by fiat of Constitutional protection.

[clevermanka]

And when you realize that practically NOBODY is reporting on this, it's even worse.

[apostle_of_eris]

If you're interested in security (personal OR national!) you might want to follow Bruce Schneier's blog.

[clevermanka]

Oh, god. Do I want to know? *clicks link* *wince*

[tcpip]

Wait, that icon... it's from Fringe, a small-press, short-run indie comic from around 1990?