Is the US heading for 1984 ??

[honeybee]

Sky marshals, grounded flights and personalized checks and escorts?

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[Something Else]

Its amazing how this sort of activity intensified when certain information threatening possible pending terroristic activity was uncovered!

[honeybee]

Originally posted by Something Else
Ahh, at least in India, they're a regular Clockwork Orange!

Means??

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[DeadEyes]

In the past European Airports tightened up security while their American counterparts successfully lobbied for laxer security. Now the Americans are playing catchup.
If you need people on planes with guns your checks are obviously flawed.
What I found kind of funny was the grounding of a BA plane becuase people on the plane had the same name as those on the terrorist list. Look at a phone book how many people have the same name, you'll be grounding all flights at that rate.

[mendhak]

I've also heard that pilots will be equipped with pistols now. Is this correct?

[OrdinaryGuy]

Originally posted by mendhak
I've also heard that pilots will be equipped with pistols now. Is this correct?

They already are in the US.

I did find grounding the BA flight pretty silly. I mean the UK has pretty tough security checks. If a plane is going to be hijacked, its going to be from a country like Pakistan. But once again, I don't disagree with what they are doing. I wouldn't ever want to see a repeat of 9/11

[honeybee]

The grounding of the flight, and the statements made by the UK minister Alistair someone are pretty much indications the US isn't far away from 1984. When you say the people should expect such delays and such security checks for years to come, obviously something far more has gone wrong in your policies, the way you have run your own country and the way you have tried to run other countries.

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[MasterBlaster]

Originally posted by honeybee
The grounding of the flight, and the statements made by the UK minister Alistair someone are pretty much indications the US isn't far away from 1984. .

No kidding! The other day I saw a kid at the mall sporting a mullet and a Van Halen T-shirt. I REFUSE TO GO BACK! THE 80'S SUCKED! DIE DEF LEPPARD, DIE!

[Xanith]

Originally posted by DeadEyes
In the past European Airports tightened up security while their American counterparts successfully lobbied for laxer security. Now the Americans are playing catchup.
If you need people on planes with guns your checks are obviously flawed.
What I found kind of funny was the grounding of a BA plane becuase people on the plane had the same name as those on the terrorist list. Look at a phone book how many people have the same name, you'll be grounding all flights at that rate.

If you take a look at the whole situation you will not find it “kind of funny”. There was considerable evidence about terrorist attacks coming from the UK, France, and Mexico, even down to flight numbers. Now given this information I see nothing wrong with grounding these flights if people on those flight’s had names matching those of known terrorists.

I can just imagine if such flights were let go and something did happen. I suppose you would be making a post to the effect of “How could they let this flight go knowing there were imminent terrorist attacks, knowing even the flight numbers, and knew that known terrorists were on these flights!?” It’s the old damned if you do or damned if you don’t scenario. Either way you are going to get criticized. I would rather err on side of caution and be criticized, rather than taking the chance and letting the flight go and have something bad happen.

As for people on flights with guns even you must understand that security checks can never be 100% effective especially at airports because people cannot be expected to wait 4 hours while they are strip-searched and x-rayed and baggage gone through with a fine tooth comb. Therefore the agents on flights with guns are just another layer of protection. Again I see nothing wrong with this.

X

[DeadEyes]

Considerable evidence of attacks? we've seen before what the neo cons consider evidence and the British Government for that matter.
All these threats and evidence always seem to be there and warnings issued constantly. Maybe they're real or maybe as Goebbels said if you want a people to do what you want tell them they are under attack.
On the news British pilots seem to think it's payback for refusing to have armed police on their planes, plus this helps American carriers who are not being delayed (perhaps a tad paranoid) but in the long run it's only going to be bad for America tourist won't come (too much hassle) and business won't come (time is money).

At the end of the day it is up to each nation to look after it's citizens, and it's up to each citizen to make sure the government aren't screwing them. To me it looks as if the government are using threats and fear to do what it wants.

[run_GMoney]

And what exactly is the government doing that's "1984-ish"??? Making us show up at the airport early?? Oooohhhh noooooooo Big Brother is taking over the airport security checkpoints by more thoroughly checking our luggage. To me, that clearly means the government is trying to run our every day lives. Yes, yes the connection is made. My only complaint about the grounding of that flight is that honeybee wasn't on it. If threats and fear will make people more tolerable to better searches on airlines then feel free to threaten and instill fear.

[DeadEyes]

War without end thats very 1984. Power to enter and search your house without your knowledge. Powers to demand from your library what books your reading again without your knowledge. Accessing bank details credit card details medical records of people travelling to America. The setting aside of haebus corpus, removal of right to legal council.

[Cander]

Know why 1984 was written in the first place? Because Orwell envisioned it the world like that based on government actions at the time of writing. Did 1984 ever happen? No, it didnt. Its the same thing everytime the government sneezes, "Uh oh...1984 is coming!"

That book has been a plague since 1949.

Fact is this has all happened before. And it will happen again, and doesnt mean 1984 is coming. Remmber the communist inquisition in the 50's anyone?

And for those little US bashers, try checking out your country's history or present. Im sure you can find equitable or possible worse actions on the part of your government.

[mendhak]

Since history usually repeats itself, this is probably another temporary phase. Economy's down, mad cows are infecting Michael Jackson molesters with the flu, blah blah blah.

But again, the economy will rise up. Money will flow. And all will be forgotten.

And mendhak will become a world famous prophecizer.

"Amen" will be changed to "Amendhak"

AMENDHAK!

[Shaggy Hiker]

And mendhak will become a world famous prophecizer.

"Amen" will be changed to "Amendhak"

AMENDHAK!

There is a minute chance of any particular event occuring.....except this one.

*Shaggy breathes a sigh of relief...and reaches for a sandwich*

[mendhak]

Originally posted by Shaggy Hiker
There is a minute chance of any particular event occuring.....except this one.

*Shaggy breathes a sigh of relief...and reaches for a sandwich*

Non-Believer! Blasphemer! MAY the Frog Army of the Apocalypse burn you to the ground.

"Amendhak"

[yrwyddfa]

Bloody yanks.

Don't know why I said it, but hey it winds up Xanith

[honeybee]

Just think of the terror alerts. Every few days they are changing colours, maybe faster than chameleons.

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[nishantp]

Jay Leno was making fun of that the other day. The only people who actually know what the hell they mean are the terrorists. Most people take note of them, but dont change anything in their lives anyways.

[honeybee]

Originally posted by nishantp
Jay Leno was making fun of that the other day. The only people who actually know what the hell they mean are the terrorists. Most people take note of them, but dont change anything in their lives anyways.

It is simply ridiculous to live under fear for so many days/years. That is why I am surprised when some UK minister said people had to be prepared for long security checks and flight delays because of the terrorist threat not just for now but for many years to come. It simply means the government has screwed up the people's lives. The best option for such people would be to shut their doors and windows and turn their nations into some kind of islands. The US is doing precisely that under the name of security checks. Nobody wants to go into the reasons of why the US should feel threatened by the terrorists.

I won't be surprised if the US turns into a tourists' hell very soon because of what the US government is doing. And I am sure that the biggest reason for this situation is their foreign policy.

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[OberCanober]

Well if were going back to 1984 the Bears better win the Super Bowl in 85.

[james14]

so honeybee what do you think the goverment should be doing?

right now, i bet you would be doing the same thing- checking baggage at the airports, patting down on anyone entering the airport, etc... i dont see why you would object since i feel safer that the goverment has taken airport security two levels higher in order to prevent another 9/11.

also jay leno sucks, conan o'brien's the man