- Last year, I wrote here that if Uncle Sam gets its way,
we'd all be on no-fly lists, unless the government gives us permission
to leave - or re-enter - the United States.
-
- Now, the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) has
proposed a similar system for travel on commercial airlines WITHIN the
United States. Both systems will come into effect Feb. 19, 2008.
-
- Under the TSA's "Advance Passenger Information System
(APIS) initiative," you'll need to obtain permission from the U.S.
government to travel on ANY commercial airliner or ship that goes to
or from the United States. You won't receive your boarding pass until
you are cleared by APIS. You'll also need permission to travel through
the United States (e.g., if you're changing planes at a U.S. airport on
a trip between two foreign countries). It doesn't matter if you're a U.S.
citizen or permanent resident. Everyone will need permission to enter
- or leave - the United States.
-
- Then, on Aug. 23, 2007, the TSA issued proposed regulations
for its "Secure Flight" program.
-
- The TSA wants commercial airlines to submit passenger
information through a single DHS portal for both the Secure Flight and
APIS programs. This would result in one DHS system responsible for watch
list matching for all aviation passengers. Naturally, the entire process
- for both domestic and international travel - will occur in total secrecy.
If you're denied permission to travel, you won't be able to appeal the
decision to any court. Your only recourse will be through the TSA bureaucracy.
Essentially, you'll be reduced to pleading with the TSA to say something
like, "pretty please, give me a boarding pass."
-
- What this amounts to is essentially a reprise of the
infamous "internal passport" system in effect in the former
Soviet Union. In 1933, Soviet dictator Josef Stalin introduced "internal
passports" that prohibited Soviet citizens from leaving their place
of residence without permission. Over time, the internal passport became
the prime instrument of Soviet oppression over its citizens. It's bad
enough needing to ask Uncle Sam for permission to leave the United States,
and to reenter it. But an internal passport is a blueprint for totalitarianism.
-
- Mark Nestman, Privacy Expert & President
- The Nestmann Group www.nestmann.com
|
