Comments on: How Long To Be Identified?

By: Iang

Iang — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 05:35:44 +0000

Just to add to my grumpy comment of last night … I recently lost an entire month and hundreds of euros in a similar story, and I’m not out of the woods yet.
Why? Ultimately, because Pres. Bush suspended Habeus Corpus, and various agencies, governments, and officers around the world did their bit to help him. The requirement to assist bounced around 3 countries until it hit me. The result was a bureacratic request for “more papers” that is literally intended to allow a government to avoid following the law that was imposed on them by the parliament and reinforced by the highest court.
Yoshi, you’re safe for now, if you have the right papers. The picture can be safely ignored, for now.

By: Iang

Iang — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 19:14:20 +0000

I am glad that Americans and Canadians are experiencing hell. The rest of the world has had to suffer these things, because the US Govt. forced it on an unwilling world. The only way to show the cost, it seems, is to make US voters suffer. I’m all for it, how can we do more?

By: Adam

Adam — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 14:45:29 +0000

Chris,
Something like 85% of the population of Canada lives within 50 miles of a border with the US. Since Canadians have long been able to visit with less paper, it seems rational that a lot of Canadians will want a passport to preserve their ability to travel. All? Clearly not.

By: PassportHolder

PassportHolder — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 13:23:55 +0000

I recently renewed mine at the local post office. Granted, you have to be in the US to do this. The entire process was maybe 30 minutes and I had a passport in 2 weeks.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 11:45:07 +0000

I renewed mine several months ago by mail. No hassles at all. Plus, no RFID. That was a very nice surprise. How come you had to do it in person?
Your math on the cost to the people of Canada is questionable. It is doubtful that every Canadian will have a foreseeable need/desire to visit the U.S.

By: Wes Injerd

Wes Injerd — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 22:28:27 +0000

Let’s study some background history, folks — there’s way lot more to the whole issue than you think you know.
http://home.comcast.net/~eo9066/Intro.html

By: yoshi

yoshi — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 20:27:33 +0000

This isn’t the census – its a guy who can’t plan waiting for a passport to travel outside the country. And while I agree in principle on the issue of the dangers of collecting and exchanging (frequently wrong) data – that wasn’t your point. You cited the cost of the program not the collection of the data.
Using a picture of japanese american’s being interned with this particular story is insensitive bordering on stupid.

By: Adam

Adam — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 20:11:10 +0000

Yoshi,
The rounding up of Japanese citizens was done with data collected for the Census, and its use was illegal. As governments around the world are collecting, storing, and distributing more and more data, some of it will be used against those from whom it’s collected.
I actually didn’t set out to find such an image. It came up on a search for “standing in line,” and I decided to use it.

By: yoshi

yoshi — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 20:06:07 +0000

How does waiting in line to update a passport to travel outside the country that would be needed anyways remotely related in any way to forcing Japanese Americans into internment camps during WWII?

By: "G. Washington"

"G. Washington" — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 18:17:35 +0000

Who wants to go to the USA these days? Not me!