Airport Security Cost The US the 2016 Olympics

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Brock N. Meeks" <bnmeeks () verizon net>
> Date: October 4, 2009 14:35:34 EDT
> To: dave () farber net
> Subject: Re: [IP] Airport Security Cost The US the 2016 Olympics

> Oh man, this “blame U.S. Airport security” or “blame CSIS” or  
> blame DHS for the loss of the Olympics is complete bullshit.  (And a 
> s no less an aside, I hear no one even talking about what a rat f**k 
>  hosting the Olympics actually is in economic terms...)
>
> In 1989 I was stripped and cavity searched by the Pakistani’s as I w 
> as EXITING the sh*thole called Karachi International Airport and for 
>  no other reason than because I (stupidly) admitted that I was a for 
> eign correspondent reporting on the Afghan war.
>
> I have traveled to my share of dangerous and godforsaken places and  
> believe me, I will take whatever “attitude” and “standing in  
> line” I have to get back into the U.S. or depart from it compared to 
>  a dozen other places I’ve been. All this whining and moaning about  
> the nefarious U.S. Entry standards is a friggen joke.
>
> Try driving a car down the Pan American highway; try cross into El  
> Salvador from Guatemala by car if you really want to be made to feel  
> like a criminal... Of course, all the hassle and delay can be  
> sidestepped for a mere $500 U.S. --amazing what bribery will get you  
> in Latin American countries... Or East European countries, or  
> Caribbean countries or... You get my drift.
>
> Our security measures had nothing to do with this; Stewart Baker is  
> right... (I think Stew just had a heart attack upon hearing me say  
> that...) this was entirely political, a rigged friggen game.   
> Frankly, the Olympics, has long been a mere shadow of itself.   
> Cheating is rampant; bribery influencing judging is all too common,  
> performance enhancing drugs should be an Olympic sport unto itself.
>
> The IOC did us a favor in handing this debacle of a “sporting”  
> even to another country.  Let it be their headache.
>
>
> On 10/4/09 1:48 PM, "David Farber" <dave () farber net> wrote:
>
>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: mary hodder <mary () hodder org>
> Date: October 3, 2009 1:28:29 PM EDT
> To: dave () farber net, Carl Stork <carl () ciconiaco com>
> Subject: Re: [IP] Airport Security Cost The US the 2016 Olympics
>
> Ironically, in 1921 Brazil, in reaction to US passport and visa  
> restrictions, added some for for American citizens
> including the normal 2 month wait to get the $200 visa (can be one  
> week with more fees and proof of travel). That visa
> is good for 1 trip to 5 years, whatever the issuer arbitrarily  
> decides at the time of issuing the visa.
>
> Oh, and the $200 fee can only be paid by money order (which requires  
> standing in line at the post office).
>
> These same restrictions don't apply for Europeans  or the rest of  
> the world, but do apply to Canadians.
>
> So American's will suffer to enter Brazil for the Olympics but most  
> of the rest of the world will not. Considering
> everything we do to foreigners, it seems a completely fair trade.
>
> On Oct 3, 2009, at 10:02 AM, Dave Farber wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Carl Stork <carl () ciconiaco com>
> Date: October 3, 2009 12:31:38 EDT
> To: dave () farber net, 'ip' <ip () v2 listbox com>
> Subject: RE: [IP] Airport Security Cost The US the 2016 Olympics
>
>
> It wasn’t airport security. It is U.S. Customs & Immigration. It is  
> difficult, expensive and unpleasant to get a visa to come to the Uni 
> ted  States, and even for so-called visa-waiver countries to we are  
> adding administrative hurdles and proposing new fees. Then once you  
> travel to the U.S., the entry experience is unpleasant and disgracef 
> ul. I have friends in Europe who choose not to visit the U.S. any mo 
> re because they don’t want to deal with it. I am sure many IOC membe 
> rs have had the unpleasant experience of entering the U.S.
>
> A marketing campaign won’t fix this. Customs and Immigration  
> doesn’t seem accountable to anyone for the awful experience it provi 
> des, even to U.S. citizens and residents.
>
>
>
>
>
> From: David Farber [mailto:dave () farber net]
>  Sent: Friday, October 02, 2009 9:48 PM
>  To: ip
>  Subject: [IP] Airport Security Cost The US the 2016 Olympics
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
>
>
> From: Labmanager < <mailto:labmanager () gmail com> labmanager () gmail com>
>
>
> Date: October 2, 2009 9:50:16 PM EDT
>
>
> To: <mailto:dave () farber net> dave () farber net
>
>
> Subject: Airport Security Cost The US the 2016 Olympics
>
>
>   <http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/chicagos-loss-is-passport-control-to-blame/ 
> > http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/chicagos-loss-is-passport-control-to-blame/
>
> "Among the toughest questions posed to the Chicago bid team this  
> week in Copenhagen was one that raised the issue of what kind of  
> welcome foreigners would get from airport officials when they  
> arrived in this country to attend the Games. Syed Shahid Ali, an  
> I.O.C. member from Pakistan, in the question-and-answer session  
> following Chicago’s official presentation, pointed out that entering 
>  the United  States can be “a rather harrowing experience.”"
>
>
>
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