Obama Continues Bush's Illegal Drone Surveillance

[Butchers Bill]

They probably play loud bad music, too. There's plenty of that.

Point taken.  I guess it could be considered torture if they were blasting say, Neil Diamond.

[Geowhizzer]

They probably play loud bad music, too. There's plenty of that.

Point taken.  I guess it could be considered torture if they were blasting say, Neil Diamond.

Barry Manilow.  That would bring up charges against the Geneva Convention.

[rjs246]

Abortions for some, secret systematic torture for others!

[General_Failure]

Yaaaaaay!

[Diomedes]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/11/30/traveler.screening.ap/index.html

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Without notifying the public, federal agents have assigned millions of international travelers, including Americans, computer-generated scores rating the risk they pose of being terrorists or criminals.

The travelers are not allowed to see or directly challenge these risk assessments. The government intends to keep the scores on file for 40 years.

The scores are assigned to people entering and leaving the United States after computers assess their travel records, including where they are from, how they paid for tickets, their motor vehicle records, past one-way travel, seating preference and what kind of meal they ordered.

The program's existence was quietly disclosed earlier in November when the government put an announcement detailing the Automated Targeting System, or ATS, for the first time in the Federal Register, a fine-print compendium of federal rules.

....

He also said the names of vehicle drivers and passengers are entered when they cross the border and Amtrak is voluntarily supplying passenger data for trains to and from Canada.

[Seabiscuit36]

Its what credit card companies do for credit risk.  its a proven system, i have nothing to worry about. 

[Diomedes]

Ha.

[Butchers Bill]

Its what credit card companies do for credit risk.  its a proven system, i have nothing to worry about. 

The problem is, its much easier to run an analysis and be able to say "ah-ha!  bad credit risk" than it is to say "ah-ha! we think you are a suicide bomber!".  This is a worthless system, and a clear invasion of privacy.

[Father Demon]

I have no problem with it.

[Diomedes]

re: It's okay with me.  I have nothing to hide.  Etc..

Of course not.  Your name hasn't popped.  And you don't care about those who have been trapped in the mess....they must've deserved it, eh?  You trust the government so well that this kind of database sounds like a good idea; the governement wouldn't possibly misuse this kind of system.  And you're so confident in their skills and organization that you think this kind of program will actually be effective at something other than funneling money to corporations who provide "security" while frustrating citizens.

The government which is usually characterized as wasteful, inept and corrupt is all of a sudden efficient, competent, and benevolent when it comes to "security?" 

Sheep.

It's a creeping death that say you don't mind; the freedom and liberty for which this country is rightly admired is being killed.  And you're fine with that.  Keeps you "safe."

Makes me sick.

Secrecy and democracy do not mix.  Nothing good is going to come of their unholy union.

[Diomedes]

its much easier to run an analysis and be able to say "ah-ha!  bad credit risk"

Not to mention that you can see your credit score and object/appeal if you find it to be incorrect.  It's a horrible pain in the ass to do so, and is designed to be difficult to people don't fight the system, but it's possible.

This idiotic, Nazi-like "security" plan is totally secret.  You can't see your profile or do shtein about it if you're on there by mistake.

[Sgt PSN]

I'm not sure what to make of that.  It doesn't seem to be an invasion of privacy or anything so no big deal.  At the same time, I can't say that I see/understand how this is going to be an effective tool either.  I'd say the odds of this system successfully identifying an individual or group as a legitimate security threat are about the same as hitting the lottery 2 days in a row. 

[Rome]

Its what credit card companies do for credit risk.  its a proven system, i have nothing to worry about. 

The problem is, its much easier to run an analysis and be able to say "ah-ha!  bad credit risk" than it is to say "ah-ha! we think you are a suicide bomber!".  This is a worthless system, and a clear invasion of privacy.

Hahaha.  Dio hacked Joel's account.

Well done, Dio!

[Quasimoto]

So if I enjoy middle eastern food am I a risk to the country? 

[Butchers Bill]

Hahaha.  Dio hacked Joel's account.

Well done, Dio!

Assuming you know someone because they post on a football message board makes you master of teh internets.