Your papers, please?!

[Baggins]

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/04/27/proposed-u-s-passport-questionnaire-asks-about-baptism-circumsision/

I came across this the other day, and have to say I find this disconcerting and disturbing on many levels... This seems to be an extreme intrusion on privacy rights... Historically when countries required this level of background checks  never ended well... This has often been the tool of many totalitarian regimes...leading to discrimination and in worse cases death.

[wilco64256]

I can see why they'd be interested in any information that may help to verify someone's birthdate but that's really pushing the line on church vs state stuff in my opinion.

In other news, Superman is no longer a US citizen:

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/04/28/superman-renounces-citizenship-00th-issue/

[Baggins]

Asking questions based on religious practices is just as bad as asking about race or sexual preferences...

Superman has often been a tool for political propaganda...unfortunately.

Did you know during WW2 superman extolled such progressive virtues of the putting Japanese-Americans in internment camps, showing how great and humane the camps were, keeping them safe and fed, and even stopping escape attempts from those nefarious 'Japs'... He helped round them up even...

DC doesn't reprint those issues for obvious reasons. Although it probably would be good if they were so we remember, and avoid making mistakes like that again... It's a teachable source, in the same way the Mein Kampf is still published to this day... Censorship is bad... We need to learn from our mistakes...

[KatieHal]

WTF?!?!

[Baggins]

That pretty much sums up my feeling as well...



"These are the times that try men's souls."

[Enchantermon]

Wow...Superfail.

[Baggins]

You have heard about the plans for national ID card with RFiD chip and universal Internet ID (only allowed a single user name for all Internet accounts managed by the government)?

These are all ways the gov is trying to gain control of people's lives...

[kindofdoon]

Now that is seriously dystopian...I can only hope to be dead before it's a problem.

[Baggins]

I'll burn my ID card and go off the grid. ...and join the resistance...

[KatieHal]

I don't understand the political goings-on lately. It's like half the politicians (and people?) in the country suddenly decided that the entire civil rights movement was a terrible idea and they're fighting tooth and nail to drag the country kicking and screaming back in time. Civil rights, women's rights, citizen's rights, worker's rights, you name it, it's being threatened all of a sudden and in astounding force.

[dark-daventry]

Is it just me, or are we moving to a Minority Report type society?

I don't understand the political goings-on lately. It's like half the politicians (and people?) in the country suddenly decided that the entire civil rights movement was a terrible idea and they're fighting tooth and nail to drag the country kicking and screaming back in time. Civil rights, women's rights, citizen's rights, worker's rights, you name it, it's being threatened all of a sudden and in astounding force.

It seems to me like the separation of church and state has pretty much dissolved. I have no qualms with religion (within reason; I do have some issues with those that think being gay is a choice and other issues), but I don't think it should play a part in politics at all. Leave your religious beliefs at home when you're into politics. Whether that's the reason for these insane bills, I'm not positive. It's just how it looks to me. And, I hate to stereotype, but it seems like it's all republicans proposing this stuff. All the more reason why I should move to Canada!

[Baggins]

The problem exists on both sides... Both extremes have the potential of leading to totalitarianism.

The passport stuff, RFiD an Internet control largely coming from the current administration, executive branch, and cabinet members regulation through FCC, etc. Obama's appointee Cass Sunstein is one of the largest promoters. But certainly some on the right would certainly love this kind of power for themselves, as well.

Unions do have a purpose, but some have become corrupt and caused problems for non-union workers and their rights. The bosses Do not always have their members best interests in mind, with bosses getting extra perks, leaving the lesser members out. Many have turned into big businesse, exploiting companies, until they are driven into bankruptcy or out of the country.

On the other end big business may be corrupt as well, and not have their workers best interests in mind (this is seriously not always the case).   Yet some gov policies are driving business out of the country and destroying jobs. Innovation is being snuffed.

There needs to be a balance, between both extremes...

Both sides suffer with forms of institionalized racism, and discrimination, and social engineering.


No I think we need to be very careful in putting too much trust into either side. And be very careful about giving up our liberties to any government.

"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."- Benjamin Franklin

I was at the National WW1 Museum the other day, I was surprised to learn how similar current world events and politics were just before WW1, between statism, marxism/socialism, and nationalism. One of the lecturers there pointed out that all it would take would be something similar to the Ferninand assasination to draw us into another world war...

As far as 'separation of church and state'. Constitutionally the government is not supposed to establish a state religion, but on other end of the spectrum its not supposed to impede the 'free exercise' of beliefs of individuals either. It's a tricky and fine line. Few people ever seem to discuss the the 'free exercise' clause, and its meaning.

[Big C from Cauney island]

If they really want proof of circumcision, I got no problem showing them.  Disrespect for disrespect.  Just one of you guys bail me out of airport jail.  I did have a friend locked in there one time because he was parked out front with no license. Though I bet there was more to it than that.

[Baggins]

So you are predicting this is the next stage of TSA 'pat downs'? Full cavity searches and signs of circumcision?

[dark-daventry]

they really want to check for circumcision? so if someone isn't circumcised, they're automatically considered a terrorist? come on; that's the biggest leap of logic I've ever seen in my life.

[wilco64256]

Let's not get too derailed here - the circumcision question is one of those to help verify someone's birth date.  Since it's typically done within a specific timeframe based on one's date of birth that could potentially help to prove that you were born on such-and-such date.

[dark-daventry]

Let's not get too derailed here - the circumcision question is one of those to help verify someone's birth date.  Since it's typically done within a specific timeframe based on one's date of birth that could potentially help to prove that you were born on such-and-such date.

I so knew that...

[Sir Perceval of Daventry]

The Republicans want to take this country back to the way it was in 1900...I follow politics pretty closely and the GOP wants to get rid of Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, Federal Aid to Education, the NEA, EPA, FDA, OSHA (which ensures safe working conditions for workers), amongst other agencies. One of the leading Republicans, Rand Paul, wants to repeal the Civil Rights Act of 1964 because it prohibits private businesses from discriminating against people.

[Deloria]

DC doesn't reprint those issues for obvious reasons. Although it probably would be good if they were so we remember, and avoid making mistakes like that again... It's a teachable source, in the same way the Mein Kampf is still published to this day... Censorship is bad... We need to learn from our mistakes...

Mein Kampf is actually on a list of banned books in several European countries.

I was at the National WW1 Museum the other day, I was surprised to learn how similar current world events and politics were just before WW1, between statism, marxism/socialism, and nationalism. One of the lecturers there pointed out that all it would take would be something similar to the Ferninand assasination to draw us into another world war...

WWI started because the political tensions between all European states almost necessitated the outbreak of a war. Franz Ferdinand's assassination was an excuse to start one and a very grave insult to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. There was constant fighting in Africa; Belgium and Germany kept GB from transporting their raw materials through the continent; France kept picking fights with German colonies because Germany had humiliated France in the Franco-Prussian War; France and GB had always traditionally been enemies; Russia was still feudal. All the European powers were fighting for space and for more colonies in Africa and Asia and there was so much political tension between all of them because of it. There were just waiting for an excuse to go at each other's throats and all of them were nationalists.

Aside from the odd problem with the state of the economy of Greece/Spain/Portugal/Italy/etc. and the EU having to bail them out, Europe is fine and harmonious. North Africa is a mess and has been since the Jasmine Revolution in January, but things will eventually calm down. New regimes come to power so often there that the only reason it's even worth mentioning is because it's happened to so many countries in such a short space of time. Libya is a problem, but it's also a problem that will soon end. It's not a world war and it couldn't become one.

[darthkiwi]

Mein Kampf is indeed banned in some places. And, of course, a bookshop doesn't have to carry it if it doesn't want to, which could be seen as censorship. It's not a huge issue because you can view it online and can probably find it somewhere if you look hard enough.

Also, bear in mind that seventy years ago the Germany army swept across Europe massacring hundreds of thousands of people. And now, Europe barely argues about whether they should bail a particular country out of their economic problems. I simply cannot see why one European country would even begin to consider invading another European country. So I don't think world war 3 is on its way.