German Author And NSA Critic Says He Was Barred Entry Into The US
from the because-fuck-you-that's-why dept
German author Ilija Trojanov, an outspoken critic of the NSA's surveillance efforts, is claiming that he was just barred from entering the US. He was in Brazil, and was intending to head to Denver for a conference, but discovered some problems at the airport:
"The airline worker had hardly entered my name when she paused, stood up and disappeared without explanation behind a door," he wrote.The US is already unfortunately infamous for just how difficult we make it for foreigners to visit the US (not to mention letting our own citizens back into the country). There could be many reasons why Trojanov was barred from flying, but this kind of thing is happening all too frequently, and certainly suggests a level of ridiculous pettiness on behalf of the US government, rather than any legitimate security reasons for barring some people from flying or entering the country.
"A few moments later she returned with clearly a high ranking person who told me in rapid Portuguese and then almost as quickly in English that because of "Border Crossing Security" she was duty bound to inform American authorities immediately about my arrival at the airport.”
Three-quarters of an hour before his flight was due to leave Trojanov was told he would not be allowed to travel.
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Filed Under: ilija trojanov, no fly, nsa, nsa surveillance, us
Reader Comments
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Can we just...
Maybe we could use the money that goes towards fake security for stuff like food stamps or maybe getting our roads fixed or maybe, just maybe, getting internet on par with google fiber everywhere in the country.
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Re: Can we just...
More than likely, if he arrived in the U.S. from Brazil, he'd be stuck in Customs until he left again.
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Re: Can we just...
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Re: Re: Can we just...
Otherwise, when you hold elections, the same people will be voted back in because they belong to a particular party or group, not because they're actually good at governance.
Seriously, that creepy lockstep echo chamber thing has got to go. Then, and only then, will you get change.
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Re: Can we just...
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Re: Re: Can we just...
They still do yours? Aw, they haven't wanted to do mine since the time I groaned and asked them to do that with their fingers again. ;D
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He is not missing much
I'm surprised they did not let him come and then lock his journalist ass up in Gitmo.
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The airlines aren't going to refund your ticket, or allow you to catch another flight. You'd just be standing there SOL with your all your luggage around you.
At that point, you better have a lot of cash or credit cards on you to get yourself home.
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Reasons
You're being too generous. They barred him simply because they could.
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Re:
Only in countries like North korea does this kind of thing happen. If americans don't open their eyes, they will be living in a dictatorship pretty soon, this is how it starts...
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Re: United States is a fascist country. Prove me wrong.
There's your proof...
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Re: Re: United States is a fascist country. Prove me wrong.
See the preamble to the Constitution for details of what it is supposed to mean to be American. Giving people a better deal is not the same as confiscating all wealth and sharing it out in equal portions. Why does it have to be an all-or-nothing proposition, and how does enforcing your viewpoint benefit you? Are you being paid for it, or something?
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Re: Re: United States is a fascist country. Prove me wrong.
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One day
Just another example of the massive risk to the long term US economy that stuff like this poses. Forget the government shutdown, the collapse of the US tourist industry as foreign visitors abandon the US for other countries that want to let them visit would be far far worse.
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Re: One day
Similarly yes, the US seems less and less attractive all the time to visit. I'm wondering if I'll ever bother again.
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Re: One day
Imagine if, for example, someone was filming cops on duty arresting someone and then when the cops walk up and attempt to take away the camera/phone, every single bystander in sight immediately surrounds the offices and intimidate them back. That's the key, that people are willing to respond to abuses immediately with a sort of hive-mindset, no matter where they are, in order to come to the aid of their fellow Americans. Protect one another!
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Of course they bar NSA critics...
The anti-war people will be the third batch on "The List". Because, you know, they do things publically, so they're easy to infiltrate.
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Actions speak louder than words.
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...rather than any legitimate security reasons...
If your favourite security model is "security by obscurity" - and from what we've seen in last months I strongly suspect it's the ONLY security model US government even knows - then preventing people to speak about it openly is actually a pretty legitimate security reason...
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