4 ms·

This is horrible, and the abuses of police and security personal in the US are egregious. In addition, US foreign policy as of late (late being the the last 150

by jqm 12y ago

This is horrible, and the abuses of police and security personal in the US are egregious. In addition, US foreign policy as of late (late being the the last 150 years or so) is also pretty lame. That said, I often suspect there is more to stories like this than is being told. More than the book and flashcards. A suspicious look. Furtive eye movement in the TSA line. A "look" that might be interpreted as capable of violence. And lastly, pissing someone with a gun and a badge off with an insolent attitude. None of which makes what happened right of course. But maybe there is more to the story.

jpindar 12y ago
"He did not know how long she had been looking at him, but perhaps for as much as five minutes, and it was possible that his features had not been perfectly under control. It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen. The smallest thing could give you away. A nervous tic, an unconscious look of anxiety, a habit of muttering to yourself--anything that carried with it the suggestion of abnormality, of having something to hide. In any case, to wear an improper expression on your face (to look incredulous when a victory was announced, for example) was itself a punishable offence. There was even a word for it in Newspeak: FACECRIME, it was called."
- jqm 12y ago
  Yep. I think that's exactly the kind of thing they look for. What I didn't realize was better stated above. 80 cards handed to TSA agent 10 of which contained "alarming" words in Arabic. I thought there was more to the story. Not justifying this arrest but really.... what does a reasonable person expect from cops and security agencies? Almost seems like deliberate antagonism rather than being innocently caught up.... but who knows.

4 ms·

This is horrible, and the abuses of police and security personal in the US are egregious. In addition, US foreign policy as of late (late being the the last 150

by jqm 12y ago

jpindar 12y ago
"He did not know how long she had been looking at him, but perhaps for as much as five minutes, and it was possible that his features had not been perfectly under control. It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen. The smallest thing could give you away. A nervous tic, an unconscious look of anxiety, a habit of muttering to yourself--anything that carried with it the suggestion of abnormality, of having something to hide. In any case, to wear an improper expression on your face (to look incredulous when a victory was announced, for example) was itself a punishable offence. There was even a word for it in Newspeak: FACECRIME, it was called."
- jqm 12y ago
  Yep. I think that's exactly the kind of thing they look for. What I didn't realize was better stated above. 80 cards handed to TSA agent 10 of which contained "alarming" words in Arabic. I thought there was more to the story. Not justifying this arrest but really.... what does a reasonable person expect from cops and security agencies? Almost seems like deliberate antagonism rather than being innocently caught up.... but who knows.