Is it me or is it both funny and serious that the U.S. terrorism watch list recently contained 400,000 people?

Question

First, it's funny because there's no way the government can properly investigate that many people. Second, it's serious because the few people who are actually terrorists aren't being properly investigated.

What do you think?

Answer 1

Where did you get that figure from?

Answer 2

You're right its just you.

Answer 3

I think there is something seriously wrong with their system.  There are currently almost 1 million people on that list, and about 99% of them are law abiding citizens of the world.  When people find out that they are on the list, they have to spend thousands of dollars and countless hours obtaining a lawyer to get their name removed from the list.  In the meantime, they are unable to travel anywhere because of this seriously flawed system.

Answer 4

Oh yeah it's SOOOOOOOOOO funny because we all know YOU know better then our intelligence agencies,huh?

Answer 5

For air travel, it's absurd! I had to work on a watch list program for an airline, and I objected strongly. Many people are scrutinized and sometimes blocked from flying because their names match the watch list. That's wrong. You cannot investigate this number.

Many of these people on the watch list are prevented from taking positions of responsibility because of their political beliefs. The "intelligence" that the government gathers is often subjective and sometimes totally inaccurate. The United States is becoming more like the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe where there was a carefully organized spying operation. Today, it seems that the United States is less free and less democratic and perhaps subject to more intrusive spying than Eastern Europe is today.

We need change. Let's push the next president and the next congress to support the agenda offered by Mr. Ralph Nader.

End Soviet-style watch list and domestic spying.

Answer 6

It's funny. We can't even stop people from sneaking over the entire southern border. What good is a watch list?

Answer 7

Here is what I think:

Both Houses of Congress need to set up Committees that will hold open, public hearings on internal subversion and corruption within government, including links to, and financing of terrorists, and terrorist groups.  Since when did the American people become the subjects of investigation by our public servants?  It is we, the people, who need to monitor the activities of our public servants.

Why have we allowed them to usurp powers not authorized by the Constitution?  Why have we allowed them to abuse our civil rights?  Why are we so meek and subservient?

Answer 8

thats only for airtravel, eventually this list will be expanded down to the local level, and this is where things get scary.

any desenting voice will be expanded to the terrorism list, this will put most of your grandparents on the same level as the Insurgents in Iraq.