Welcome to America Part II

[Peter]

Italian Guy Put in Jail By ICE For Visiting American Girlfriend

 

I previously posted about an Icelandic babe that we locked up and shackled some months ago, but I cannot find the post:

 

Icelandic Woman Locked Up and Shackled

 

It just goes to show you what happens when you put the government in charge of something.

 

I am just glad that we have won the war on terror and the government can concentrate on locking up Italian boyfriends and Scandinavian babes.

 

I know that a lot of you guys could care less about Europeans, but this kind of thing does not help the economy, i.e., tourist dollars. The last time I checked, tourism was way down.

 

I suppose W's master plan was to bring down the dollar to try to lure more foreign tourists.

[blzrul]

Italian Guy Put in Jail By ICE For Visiting American Girlfriend

 

I previously posted about an Icelandic babe that we locked up and shackled some months ago, but I cannot find the post:

 

Icelandic Woman Locked Up and Shackled

 

It just goes to show you what happens when you put the government in charge of something.

 

I am just glad that we have won the war on terror and the government can concentrate on locking up Italian boyfriends and Scandinavian babes.

 

I know that a lot of you guys could care less about Europeans, but this kind of thing does not help the economy, i.e., tourist dollars. The last time I checked, tourism was way down.

 

I suppose W's master plan was to bring down the dollar to try to lure more foreign tourists.

 

Surely you jest. According to the self-styled geniuses on this board, only people who are probably evil and want to hurt America are detained. Just like only criminals go to jail. Never innocent people.

[Alaska Darin]

Surely you jest. According to the self-styled geniuses on this board, only people who are probably evil and want to hurt America are detained. Just like only criminals go to jail. Never innocent people.

Which is somehow different than the liberal mantra of "turn everything over to the government - they'll make it better"?

[GG]

Or the ability to separate laws and regulations from a random numbskull who is charged with enforcing them. Wouldn't a more likely explanation be a stupid TSA agent who overstepped his bounds, rather than a blanket indictment of policy? Should all laws be abolished because there are overzealous cops & prosecutors?

[Sketch Soland]

Or the ability to separate laws and regulations from a random numbskull who is charged with enforcing them.

 

You can separate law from its enforcement?

 

Wouldn't a more likely explanation be a stupid TSA agent who overstepped his bounds, rather than a blanket indictment of policy?

 

Does that settle the matter for you, all wrapped up in a nice bow?

 

Should all laws be abolished because there are overzealous cops & prosecutors?

 

No, but neither should the "numbskull" explanation be the blanket excuse for any law's inadequacy or for an enforcement that results in violations of civil liberties.

[GG]

You can separate law from its enforcement?

 

Don't understand your point. To me, the OP's premise is saying that the law is what caused the detention of the Italian. If that were the case, then you'd have a lot more Italians thrown in jail at US borders, or throw in a lot more random Europeans. Something is probably missing from the story, like what caused the TSA/ICS agents to hold this guy back.

 

Not saying that the new border procedures haven't been more PITA than actually providing safety, because the agents are supposed to be politically correct while trying to proactively profile the population. But there's probably more to the story than what's in the press.

 

Does that settle the matter for you, all wrapped up in a nice bow?

 

Not without knowing more of the picture. Should all traffic laws be overturned because one angry cop uses his nightstick in the wrong manner?

 

No, but neither should the "numbskull" explanation be the blanket excuse for any law's inadequacy or for an enforcement that results in violations of civil liberties.

 

It's not a blanket excuse, but a likely explanation of an aberrant act. If the law was the problem, you'd have more cases like these, not a random incident.

[Alaska Darin]

It's not a blanket excuse, but a likely explanation of an aberrant act. If the law was the problem, you'd have more cases like these, not a random incident.

We don't know they're random. We know they're randomly reported.

[GG]

We don't know they're random. We know they're randomly reported.

 

There is partly that.

 

But, I'm also guessing that if there was an epidemic of these cases, there wouldn't be a shortage of press about them. There probably would be a regular DailyKos roundup of wayward Italians, Irish & Brits being held in secret detention spots across America.

[Philly McButterpants]

Italian Guy Put in Jail By ICE For Visiting American Girlfriend

 

I previously posted about an Icelandic babe that we locked up and shackled some months ago, but I cannot find the post:

 

Icelandic Woman Locked Up and Shackled

 

It just goes to show you what happens when you put the government in charge of something.

 

I am just glad that we have won the war on terror and the government can concentrate on locking up Italian boyfriends and Scandinavian babes.

 

I know that a lot of you guys could care less about Europeans, but this kind of thing does not help the economy, i.e., tourist dollars. The last time I checked, tourism was way down.

 

I suppose W's master plan was to bring down the dollar to try to lure more foreign tourists.

 

Isn't European tourism in the USA up because of the Euro's value against the dollar? Disney reported higher than expected revenues due to the increased number of european tourists at their US Parks . . . Better check again, dude

[blzrul]

There is partly that.

 

But, I'm also guessing that if there was an epidemic of these cases, there wouldn't be a shortage of press about them. There probably would be a regular DailyKos roundup of wayward Italians, Irish & Brits being held in secret detention spots across America.

That's the assumption that Europeans made whilst Hilter was rounding up Jews...surely if something really bad was going on, the world would know, right?

 

Clearly the situations and their magnitude are nowhere near equal; however the premise that "if something was wrong we'd know about it" is at best wishful thinking at at worst extremely naive. Putting blind faith in a government's infallibilty and credibility is a big mistake. I have no illusions about the government's being anything but short-sighted and incompetent.

[Sketch Soland]

That's the assumption that Europeans made whilst Hilter was rounding up Jews...surely if something really bad was going on, the world would know, right?

 

Clearly the situations and their magnitude are nowhere near equal; however the premise that "if something was wrong we'd know about it" is at best wishful thinking at at worst extremely naive. Putting blind faith in a government's infallibilty and credibility is a big mistake. I have no illusions about the government's being anything but short-sighted and incompetent.

 

 

Then why are you a democrat?

[GG]

That's the assumption that Europeans made whilst Hilter was rounding up Jews...surely if something really bad was going on, the world would know, right?

 

Clearly the situations and their magnitude are nowhere near equal; however the premise that "if something was wrong we'd know about it" is at best wishful thinking at at worst extremely naive. Putting blind faith in a government's infallibilty and credibility is a big mistake. I have no illusions about the government's being anything but short-sighted and incompetent.

 

I wonder if you could have picked an analogy that wasn't from another galaxy?

 

Who in the world mentioned anything about government's infallibility? If anything, I specifically pointed out that it was probably some numskull who took the law to the extreme. Not the government, but one power hungry moron who thought he'd be a hero. It may be a shocker, but when incompetents carry out a job, the results are predictable no matter what they do and who they work for.

 

Come to think of it, if you were on that job, it's probably something you would do.

 

Did I thank God for my daily affirmation yet?

[Typical TBD Guy]

That's the assumption that Europeans made whilst Hilter was rounding up Jews...surely if something really bad was going on, the world would know, right?

 

Clearly the situations and their magnitude are nowhere near equal; however the premise that "if something was wrong we'd know about it" is at best wishful thinking at at worst extremely naive. Putting blind faith in a government's infallibilty and credibility is a big mistake. I have no illusions about the government's being anything but short-sighted and incompetent.

 

Oh, delicious irony. I can't wait for Alaska Darin's response to this!

[blzrul]

Oh, delicious irony. I can't wait for Alaska Darin's response to this!

I hope you enjoy it. I won't see it since I block him.

[blzrul]

I wonder if you could have picked an analogy that wasn't from another galaxy?

 

Who in the world mentioned anything about government's infallibility? If anything, I specifically pointed out that it was probably some numskull who took the law to the extreme. Not the government, but one power hungry moron who thought he'd be a hero. It may be a shocker, but when incompetents carry out a job, the results are predictable no matter what they do and who they work for.

 

Come to think of it, if you were on that job, it's probably something you would do.

 

Did I thank God for my daily affirmation yet?

My point was that sitting there saying "oh surely if there was a problem we'd know about it" is moronic.

[GG]

My point was that sitting there saying "oh surely if there was a problem we'd know about it" is moronic.

 

And that's why you picked a case where people knew there was a problem, but did nothing about it, to illustrate a case where people are oblivious about a problem.

 

And yes, if this was a bigger problem then I'm guessing that you would hear more about it, because of the vested interest of the Bush Bad crowd to scream Bush Bad at every instance. I cannot imagine a possibility that if these types of detentions were happening on a frequently regular basis, there wouldn't be a bigger news or diplomatic outcry.

 

You serial complainers are really precious. [waste of air]

[colin]

to me this points to how a very minimal set of rules and enforcement principals should be employed.

 

between the self serving politicians and the sub morons enforcing laws and regulations the trend towards uber government makes me feel as safe as an epileptic child with a box full of high explosives on a plane sitting beside me.