Every day the dumb flows like water.
Nobel Peace Prize winner and international symbol of freedom Nelson Mandela is flagged on U.S. terrorist watch lists and needs special permission to visit the USA. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice calls the situation “embarrassing,” and some members of Congress vow to fix it.
The requirement applies to former South African leader Mandela and other members of South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC), the once-banned anti-Apartheid organization. In the 1970s and ’80s, the ANC was officially designated a terrorist group by the country’s ruling white minority. Other countries, including the United States, followed suit.
Because of this, Rice told a Senate committee recently, her department has to issue waivers for ANC members to travel to the USA.
This just proves that the white folks in power are scarred shitless by smart, well-spoken black men with a slightly liberal bent.
It wouldn’t surprise me if Senator Barack Hussein Obama’s name is on the terror list, too.
Who’s missing from the terror list??
Answer: the right wing pro-life fanatics who bomb clinics.
But remember, we’re the ones out of touch.
And air marshals are not being allowed to board planes because they’re showing up on no fly lists.
Of course, idiots like Frank Lautenberg and others of his ilk think it’s a-ok to apply the same lists to those who want to purchase firearms.
Any chance we can find people that have some consistency with their policy objectives?
Of course Mandela’s a terrorist. President Cheney said so.
I love how we have to keep issuing waivers because there’s no way to actually remove someone from the list.
You know, Oliver, I’m not one to defend the Bush Cabal, but your headline is misleading; it sounds like the current admin went out of its way to designate Mandela a terrorist. The text below your headline states that he’s been designated as such for over twenty years now, which is shameful, but isn’t entirely the fault of King George the Emptyheaded.
I’m amazed at how hard it seems to be to remove him from the watch-list, however. This should be a no-brainer, and should require all of ten seconds. Highlight, cut, save.
Whadda know: common ground with Spider!
Headline should more aptly read “Unelected Career Beaurocrats Designate Nelson Mandela a Terrorist”
It happens, man. Then we wake up.
=)
Or: TSA A Bunch of Idiots!
We finally found out what would embarrass Secretary Rice! Who knew it was possible?
anotherbozo:
I don’t think anybody could have anticipated that.
It truly is refreshing to see a few people starting to understand….
OW, I have been reading your content of and on for the past few years. Mostly for entertainment, but once and awhile for some insight. Oh, and I appreciate your taste in some of the fairer sex. And your football team… well, GO STEELERS!
So I have to ask, really, how is it you can post something like this that shows just how out of touch any bureaucracy is, and how once something is done at the federal level it’s almost impossible to change it, and given this has been going on for over 20 years, at all levels of our fed gov [see $600 hammers, DMV, AMTRAK, POST OFFICE, INDIAN AFFAIRS, IRS, EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, WAR ON DRUGS, POVERTY, FDA, FAA, FCC, Etc... etc ] where substantive change is killed, status quo is accepted as good reguardless of changes in technology, etc, normal people are ground up in the gears, imminent domain expands, and most politicians, government workers and officials are REWARDED for expanding the size and scope of their department regardless of the RESULTS, you can stand there and be accepting of anything Obama, or for that matter Hillary, or for that matter McCann says.
Oh… and let me know the last time a government department was closed for under-performing. Please.
I ask just because I truly am wondering how you can carry the two conflicting truths [“expanding government = better for all” and “stupid government = watch list never goes away” ] around in your head at the same time.
Thank you,
Bigol
I have seen Mandela described as a terrorist before, actually. By an American. Specifically, A. Wyatt Mann, Tom Metzger’s cartoonist.
Mandela designated a terrorist 20 years ago = Current administration’s fault
Heck of a job there, Ollie!
Every day the dumb flows like water.
More and more, it seem to pool around your writing Oliver.
Dave, Mandela was NOT on the no-fly list before 9-11. In fact, there were about two dozen names on the list then.
Now there are about a half million.
Including toddlers.
Dave, Mandela was NOT on the no-fly list before 9-11. In fact, there were about two dozen names on the list then.
Now there are about a half million.
Well obviously Bush called TSA and personally had Mandela (and as many grandmothers and toddlers as possible) put on the list. There’s no way that it could be something as simple as an inept bureaucracy grabbing names from who know what watch lists were around and dumping them on the no fly list when everyone was screaming post 9/11 for the government to “DO SOMETHING!”.
What bigol said.
And Oliver, your schtick gets a bit old after awhile… every single inept thing that is done by a government department or bureaucrat gets blamed on “the Bush administration”. We all know there’s plenty of stupid shit that can be laid personally at his feet without having to try to pin EVERYTHING on him. It just looks ridiculous.
Do you think the government will magically cease doing stupid things once President Obama takes office? I guarantee it won’t. So will you then be pointing out on a regular basis all the stupid stuff that the “Obama administration” has done?
I didn’t think so.
Well obviously Bush called TSA and personally had Mandela (and as many grandmothers and toddlers as possible) put on the list.
I see. We’re going with the “he-didn’t-do-it-personally-so-it’s-not-his-fault” standard of accountability. That would make Mr. Bush accountable for pretty much nothing.
Now you’re getting it Quake.
I see. We’re going with the “he-didn’t-do-it-personally-so-it’s-not-his-fault” standard of accountability. That would make Mr. Bush accountable for pretty much nothing.
No. But should we go with the “everything-done-by-any-government agency-or-employee-is-the-fault-of-the-administration-currently-in-office” approach that people here like to follow, which makes Bush accountable for EVERYTHING?
How about we meet somewhere in the middle? Blame the administration for policies they enact, people they appoint, things that they allow to happen even after it’s brought to their attention, etc.
Otherwise, like I noted above, I think it’s only fair that people (and it certainly won’t be Oliver) be prepared to point out every time that the government does something stupid or wrong during the next administration and blame it on squarely on President Barack or Hillary. Can we count on you, Quaker?
“No. But should we go with the “everything-done-by-any-government agency-or-employee-is-the-fault-of-the-administration-currently-in-office” approach that people here like to follow, which makes Bush accountable for EVERYTHING?”
How about when the current government has a policy that adds 500,000 people to the no-fly list we can to point out when this causes problems? Who do we blame then? Is Bush responsible for that?
This is not the fault of an over-zealous bureaucrat, this is a direct result of this administrations policies to label everyone a terrorist regardless of the facts. This is a direct result a labeling everyone a terrorist and attacking anyone who dares question that policy.
But should we go with the “everything-done-by-any-government agency-or-employee-is-the-fault-of-the-administration-currently-in-office” approach that people here like to follow, which makes Bush accountable for EVERYTHING?
What was that sign on Harry Truman’s desk again? I can’t seem to remember. I do think it is unfair to blame Bush for everything. Much more realistic to go with Darth Cheney.
this is a direct result of this administrations policies to label everyone a terrorist regardless of the facts.
Whoa. I had no idea there was such a policy in place. Got any links or cites, so I can learn more about this awful sounding policy?
This is a direct result a labeling everyone a terrorist and attacking anyone who dares question that policy.
Well, since you’re questioning that policy, can you share with us how you were attacked for your crime? Or maybe list how some other people were attacked for questioning this policy? Thanks!
sad…
ask a good question and all I hear are crickets.
Oh… and blame Bush for everything without facts.
B
I read over your thing, there, bigol. I didn’t really see a question there.
been traveling, just got back.
not sure if anyone will read this seeing as it is so late.
Duros62, the question(s) are:
So I have to ask, really, how is it you can post something like this that shows just how out of touch any bureaucracy is, …snip… and be accepting of anything Obama, or for that matter Hillary, or for that matter McCann says.
“Oh… and let me know the last time a government department was closed for under-performing. Please.”
I should have used a “?” at the end of each question. My bad.
The real question i have for anyone is just what exactly do you expect to receive from expanding the role of government? And when will it be large enough for you to say stop!?
B
So I have to ask, really, how is it you can post something like this that shows just how out of touch any bureaucracy is, …snip… and be accepting of anything Obama, or for that matter Hillary, or for that matter McCa[i]n says.
Never said I was. But there is no correlation between the two.
Most bureaucracies are out of touch. That is the nature of a bureaucracy. What helps is vigilant oversight, something we haven’t had for (obviously) quite a while.
and let me know the last time a government department was closed for under-performing. Please.
This one?
They are all talking about the expansion of government programs. The article is about a non-functional program.
The article you pointed to is about a CIA task force. The personnel were all reassigned. The CIA is still in business. Even though they are also failing and should be closed and intelligence gathering be rethought.
I was talking about a full blown bureaucracy. In the private sector when a business fails to perform, new technology comes in, bad leadership, etc, it will close. go out of business…
And yet with our government failing programs continue to expand. They are not effected by anything other then politics. In fact most of the heads of these departments, etc are REWARDED for expanding their areas of control with more budgets, greater responsibility.
Is this a good thing? Department of Ed, Ag, DOD, Energy, we all have issues with these huge departments and how they operate. We all see the waste and failure [and some success to be fair]… Not to mention all the thousands of smaller departments and programs. Administration on Developmental Disabilities? Immigration? The war on drugs? I can buy a pound of whatever for less the i could 10 years ago. Real success there.
So what I am seeing now is nothing more then rapid expansion, to the detriment of both states and individuals rights, in the long run.
Also I am seeing is nothing but sniping at each party along lines that don’t make much sense; if there is a D or R next to your name. Not along questioning what is the role of the federal government and how much do we as a people want it in our lives?
And what is the long term effect on society when you remove responsibility for outcomes from individuals?
Having spent a fair amount of time in Europe, some of the trends from the long lasting social experiment seems to turning more negative for society as a whole – great for some individuals! But for the future… ?
B