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Wednesday, November 28, 2007

What constitutes "expressing discontent"?
Posted by Jill | 9:39 PM

I wonder if writing a blog like this one, or having a copy of Greg Palast's book Armed Madhouse or Edwards for President bumper stickers, or the program from Yearly Kos constitutes "expressing hate or discontent with the United States" in the eyes of the Department of Homeland Security?

Because that's one of the criteria that fire fighters in major cities are being trained to look for when they enter people's homes without a warrant, as they are allowed to do:

Firefighters in major cities are being trained to take on a new role as lookouts for terrorism, raising concerns of eroding their standing as American icons and infringing on privacy.

Unlike police, firefighters and emergency medical personnel don't need warrants to access hundreds of thousands of homes and buildings each year, putting them in a position to spot terrorist activity or planning.

But there are fears that they could lose the faith of a skeptical public by becoming the eyes of the government, looking for items such as building blueprints or bomb-making manuals or materials.

Mike German, a former FBI agent who is national security policy counsel to the American Civil Liberties Union, said the concept is dangerously close to the Bush administration's 2002 proposal to have workers with access to private homes -- such as postal carriers and telephone repair workers -- report suspicious behavior to the FBI.

"Americans universally abhorred that idea," German said.

About the training program

The Homeland Security Department is testing a program with the New York City fire department to share intelligence information so firefighters are better prepared when they respond to emergency calls. Homeland Security also trains the New York City fire service in how to identify material or behavior that may indicate terrorist activities. The government intends to expand the program to other metropolitan areas.

As part of the program, which started last December, Homeland Security gave secret clearances to nine New York fire chiefs, according to reports obtained by the Associated Press.

[snip]

When going to private residences, for example, they are told to be alert for a person who is hostile, uncooperative or expressing hate or discontent with the United States; unusual chemicals or other materials that seem out of place; ammunition, firearms or weapons boxes; surveillance equipment; still and video cameras; night-vision goggles; maps, photos, blueprints; police manuals, training manuals, flight manuals, and little or no furniture.


So what constitutes this "expression of discontent"? Opposition to Bush policies? Opposition to having firefighters go looking through your bookcase noting down that you also have a copy of Valerie Wilson's book Fair Game? If you are Muslim, does having a copy of the Koran count? Suppose you are a college student studying comparative religion. Does that count as "expressing discontent"?

Do you still think we're not headed towards a police state? Here are 10 of the 14 steps to fascism as outlined by Naomi Wolf. Shoe, fits, etc.

(UPDATE: Jesse Wendel explains why this is a really, really bad idea.

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