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LifestreamBBC NEWS: US fingerprints ‘allied’ visitors
The move will affect visitors from 27 countries - including the UK, Japan and Australia - whose nationals are able to visit the US without a visa.
The change in the US-Visit programme is due to take effect by 30 September.
COUNTRIES AFFECTED: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK.
The question on everyone’s mind is of course if this has got any measureable effect or if it just is another nuisance for honest people. And ultimately a big public relations debacle for the US.
The foremost reason why this stinks is that it gives Big Brother yet another tool for keeping track of people. I do not believe for a second that this security detail has been put in place just to deter and spot terrorists. And also, the madness will most likely spread across the world, making travelling anywhere about as fun as getting rectal examination.
I am confident that in the end, this extra layer of control will be used to track down government dissidents and low grade criminals. I.e. you or me on a bad day. I mean, come on, if they catch one “terrorist” (I am getting really tired of the word by now) every year, they will still have 364 days to go after other people who may or may not have been officially marked by the US government.
I do not subscribe to the idea that just because something is “illegal”, it should be disciplined. The judicial system is something that is in a constant state of flux, very much like languages and cultures. So for starters, if this system should be allowed to operate, there should at least be a minimal sentence to justify detention, written into the charter.
But even given all the safeguards in the world, you cannot remedy the fact that the US seems to be high on defunct intelligence reports. I can for example recall the situation a while back when three individuals, native to Somalia, got boggled down when some wayward US agency stamped them as terrorists. So please, spare me the excuses. I do not trust the “good intentions” of the US more than I would a stab in the back.
Once again, it’s time to stop blaming everything on 9/11 and start living. This is anno 2004. We do not buy into the lies anymore. For the record I think this course of action is monumentally bad. But very much in line with history and pretty much expected.
