MG>  MG>> The cards were announced in 2002 as part of new security
measures in
MG>  MG>> reaction to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the
United States.

MG>  MG>> "The department of Citizenship and Immigration
couldn't organize a
MG>  MG>> peanut stand. Clearly the system is not primed and ready
to go", said
MG>  MG>> Victor Wong, executive director of the Vancouver
Association of Chinese
MG>  MG>> Canadians. "You have to ask yourself what kind of
security device is
MG>  MG>> this?" Mr. Wong said. "We're concerned from a
human-rights perspective".

MG>  DP> And I'm concerned from a security persepective.  If you have this sort
MG>  DP> of requirement in place, the only one you'll know for sure if it works
MG>  DP> is if you start having to turn people away.  It's working; it's
MG>  DP> inconvenient; and it's the price you pay for being secure.

MG> IMO, it'll only have temporary effectiveness. It's only a matter of time until
MG> the PR cards are faked as well. When you have high levels of financial support
MG> being funneled to terrorist groups, then they can find high tech solutions to
MG> high tech security measures.

Would that include fingerprinting and retina scans?

MG> End result? The border remains as porous as it was before, we
collectively gain
MG> a false sense of security, and our civil liberties are infringed
upon. All that
MG> just plays into the hands of the terrorists.

I suppose, in the sense that Microsoft's operating system (and wide 
spread usage) has played well into the hands of hackers and virus creators. 
Still gotta try and get some control though, at the end of the day.  We 
could still end up with another 9/11, but at least we wouldn't suffer 
the guilt from knowing that we did nothing.  You're right that it plays 
into the terrorists' hands but I am hard-pressed to discover an 
alternative.

MG> Our resources as a nation would be put to far better use in tracking
down those
MG> who pour money into terrorist groups, and cutting off the money flow. Also, no

Are we prepared to invade places like Syria and Saudi Arabia?  I hope 
so, because that's what it would take.

MG> one ever looks at the root cause of terrorism; which is mainly driven by
MG> economic poverty and desperation. Terrorists prey on these people because they
MG> are easily swayed. Since they have little to live for, they are often willing
MG> to die for a cause.

That's a huge order.  It means forcing democracy on some of these 
places, with the attendant carrot of capitalism.  BTW, I'm glad you put it in 
those terms.  I've heard others say that the root cause of terrorism is 
that we keep putting Muslims down.  We don't - and the only way we 
would sway the ringleaders would be if we all converted to Islam.  Even then 
it would be touch and go.  Sunni side up anyone?

MG> Make some real efforts to improve life for these people, and you
will take away
MG> the largest resource presently available to terrorist groups.

I'm partly convinced you're right because that's how it would play out 
in our own society.  However, religious fervour is a different kind of 
fish, don't you think? The rules and thought patterns that we enjoy here 
don't find a parallel over there.  How much money is ObL worth?

shades{at}shadesworld.net
http://shadesworld.net 

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 þ MM 1.1 þ Famous last words: What happens if you touch these two wires tog