"Papers, please."

Earlier this week, we wrote about the latest defense by Homeland Security of their laptop search policies that (they claim) give them broad coverage to search laptops within 100 miles of the border... 
The 100 mile "buffer zone" part of that story gets most of the attention, but it isn't a new thing. They've been claiming that for a while. It's just that this is yet another attempt by them to give themselves additional support for those kinds of searches. In our comments, someone pointed us to a useful (and horrifying) map that the ACLU put together highlighting just how much of our country is within 100 miles of border/coastline, creating the Constitution-Free Zone Map -- which happens to cover about 2/3 of all American citizens.
Flyover country is looking mighty attractive all of a sudden.

Yo, New Yawk?  How do you media moguls and big-business banker types feel about the DHS saying they can waltz in and examine or seize your hardware, because... well, because you exist, and you might be trying to hide something?

Maybe they think you might have handled some transactions related to drug trafficking or money laundering.  Maybe they think that one of your customers or investors may have ties to a terrorist  organization.  Maybe they don't think anything at all, but just decide that they need the practice, or that you've been a bit too critical - or just not vocally supportive - of certain DHS policies.

Heck, maybe they don't really have any reason at all.  Except that their buddies in the IRS, or the Treasury, or the BATF, or the FDIC put a bug in their ear, and whispered some magic words like "possible terrorist connections" or "human trafficking" or "money laundering".  Because while those agencies  might not be able to just bust in and rummage through your data at a whim, well, what do you know?  The DHS can, and there's nothing you can do about it, peon.

A little bit scary, isn't it?

Yeah.  Now you're getting an inkling of the how we "right-wing nutjobs" and "bitter clingers" feel about our oh-so-wonderful federal government.

Welcome to our world.



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