Wirehead Studios

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/01/05/fingerpri...gram/index.html (http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/01/05/fingerprint.program/index.html)

I do not much like a system like this, I wont go into details on why, but I would like some feedback on this.

The problem is that it is NOT everyone.  It is only South America, Africa, and Asia.  Canada, Mexico, and Europe are excluded, at least if the news tonight coverage tonight was accurate.  It seems to me such a system would only do some good if it were across the board.  Terrorists will find a way in where they will not be watched.  Even if implemented for all nations, I can see a dangerous precedent with this.  How long before they decide it's a good idea to just photograph and fingerprint everyone in the US too?  They've fought for national ID cards on and off for the last 10 years.  Cameras are showing up more and more places.  Lives are becoming less and less private, and with technology advancing faster and faster how long before a Big Brother scenario must be dealt with as a real possibility, and not just a paranoid novelization?  How much liberty will people be willing to sacrifice in the end for security's sake, and when will it be too late to say "enough"?

You get fingerprinted like the millions of others that enter the country, you still end up blowing something up

What is this? a way of being able to confirm that the terrorists came from Saudi Arabia? Post-Mortem Identification program...?

Just an excuse for the government to have a massive database on anyone who is a threat to the interest of the administration, not to the american people, this will not protect them one bit

were talking about finger printing not a cavity search.  Those who would enter the united states are subject to US law just as americans are when they travel and if they dont like it they can visit canada instead. ive been there it seemed nice.
 Further more id like to state that ill be going to germany next month and if the german goverment wants to finger print me i will comply without complaint being a guest in thier country.

I think the general idea is to finger print people coming into the country and then run their prints against a database of known or suspected terrorists.  They've been grabbing finger prints off documents and items found in Iraq and Al Qaida hide outs in Afghanistan.  If they can get matches on people coming into the country then they can pre-empt them before they can do any harm.  Add to that the fact that terrorists do not like to be ID'd and it adds a psychological deterrant factor.  At least, that's how it would work in an ideal situation.  This situation is not ideal since we're "all one big happy Western world" and nobody's checking the nations spoken of in my last post.  It reminds me of when Khan blew the crap out of the Enterprise because Capt. Kirk didn't have enough sense to raise the shields.

*me wonders if I'll have to leave the Controversial issue forum in order to stop agreeing with Phoenix*

In my opinion, it's just another step in the wrong direction.  Of course, in my opinion, so is anything enacted, put in place, legalized, illegalized, modified, altered, thought of, dreamed up, considered, discussed over coffee, or remotely considered by the HLS people.  But maybe I should keep that opinion to myself.  Oops, too late.

You are too kind!  Most of the time I tend to be at odds with people regarding things of a political nature.  It's refreshing  to see that I'm not entirely alone on this particular perch after all. ;)

*grins*  I know the feeling.  Then again, probably not as well as you do.  Living in Humboldt County can be a plus at times, depending on which side of the political fence you stand on.