Re: good question -- fingerprinting in Japan

[David Farber <dfarber () cs cmu edu>]

[ Time to reseat:

Als sie die Kommunisten geholt haben, habe ich geschwiegen.
- denn ich war ja kein Kommunist.
Als sie die Sozialisten und Gewerkschafter geholt haben, habe ich  
geschwiegen.
- denn ich war ja keins von beiden.
Als sie die Juden geholt haben, habe ich geschwiegen.
- denn ich war ja kein Jude.
Als sie mich geholt haben, hat es niemanden mehr gegeben, der  
protestieren konnte.

First they came for the Communists,
- but I was not a communist so I did not speak out.
Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists,
- but I was neither, so I did not speak out.
Then they came for the Jews,
- but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out.
And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.

djf]


Begin forwarded message:

From: Klaas Wierenga <klaas () wierenga net>
Date: November 22, 2007 3:16:47 PM EST
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: [IP] Re:  fingerprinting in Japan

Dear Dave,

> From: Gary Johnston <garyj () fuse net>
> Date: November 22, 2007 10:27:45 AM EST
> To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
> Subject: Re: [IP] fingerprinting in Japan
>
>
> Thanks for the heads up. I am cancelling my trip to Japan until which
> time they see fit to restore civil liberties.

I'm slightly surprised with the strong reactions on this article.
Passengers coming to the US (including those that are part of the Visa
waiver program, as someone pointed out before) have had to go through
this fingerprinting and picture taking process for a number of years
now, not to mention all personal details that are being send by the
flight companies. I'm not saying that there is nothing to desire with
respect to human rights in Japan, on the contrary, but couldn't the same
be said for the US (Guantanamo Bay and Abu Graib come to mind)?
If all those that point their fingers at other countries would use the
same zealousness towards their own government, chances are that
something really changes. Surely the IP-readers can not mean that there
are two standards for civil liberties, one for Americans and one for the
rest of the world....

Klaas


-------------------------------------------
Archives: http://v2.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now
RSS Feed: http://v2.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/
Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com