OT: Towards a police state..

A bill that nobody is paying any attention to is sailing through Congress: Senate Bill 1813. It passed the Senate by 74 to 22, and is expected to sail through the House as well. It's an act "[t]o reauthorize Federal-aid highway and highway safety construction programs, and for other purposes."

It's the "and for other purposes" part of the title that has me worried

-- specifically, Section 40304: "Revocation or denial of passport in case of certain unpaid taxes."

This section would give the IRS the power to keep a U.S. citizen from traveling --

-- and it's another example of executive power run amok. It's another example of how the United States is turning into a police state.

We turned down this road five decades ago. Where you been?

My only question is, where the Hell are all these patriotic militias that have been spouting "don't tread on me" for 30 yrs, yet haven't lifted a hand. I didn't see a one of them in the Occupy protests. No doubt too busy polishing their shiny new guns and throwing rallies and BBQs. As long as the govt keeps throwing the fringe element in prison and not the tax payers, property owners, and new car buyers, nothing is gonna change.

nb

Without invoking the court system or any other due process. Guilty until proven innocent if the IRS claims you owe them a relatively modest amound ($50K or more, which is a trivial amount of tax for anyone doing any kind of business).

It could be a cheap way of getting (alleged) tax deadbeats back into their clutches.. revoke the passport and inform the authorities wherever they are- the host country will then most likely deport the person at their expense (minus whatever they can seize from the person) since he or she is now an undocumented alien. Much easier than extradition (which isn't even possible for tax matters from some places).

There are a number of other grounds under which a passport can be revoked (child support being one). The first ones are always the nose of the camel under the tent.. and the hardest to criticize (think of the childern).

BTW, a passport (US and many other countries) remains at all times the property of the issuing government.

Also, not having a passport does not directly prevent you from travelling (yet), as there is no outgoing customs from the US (or Canada). Just that few other places (and probably no carriers) will admit or transport you without a passport or, alternatively, a really compelling story. So, a challenge on constitutional grounds might not succeed, because the gov't isn't doing anything but taking back its own property.

I agree that government has run amok. Surely, there are clauses hidden in most laws that could be interpreted to do something you'd rather not have done. Individually, there innocuous. Taken together, laws can be scary. I don't think you'll ever do anything about that.

If you can identify a better place to live, I'd like to hear about it. Maybe we could share a moving van.

But, it this case, wouldn't it just be easier to pay your taxes?

So? Pay your taxes before you leave. After you leave, declare expatriation. That's my plan.

I got almost all my money back this year... 81 pages of forms and worksheets, result: 0 taxes for AZ and NY... 4.64% effective tax rate for Federal :-D ...Jim Thompson

I own the DVD. OK, not the German version. BTW, it is a Steven King story written under a pen name. Check the credits for cameo appearances.

It is more relevant today than when it was released. Just substitute the "Running Man" show with reality TV. Keep the masses stupid. Feed them Fox New and dumb ass reality TV.

If the teabaggers could block Democracy Now or Maddow, they would.

Are you on dial up? It seems you find this stuff at least a week or two after the news is released. No offense meant.

This story was covered on Democracy Now. Also on the No Agenda Podcast. I'm sure Alex Jones ranted about it.

Ah, "always wrong" is back. Were you able to bleach out the shit stain off your thumb due to leaving it in your ass all the time? Then again, nobody would ever shake your filthy hand.

Remember Mark Rich? You didn't like it when he (through his wife) bribed Clinton for a pardon, so why not prevent him from fleeing in the first place?

the police state.

the voting booth for.

So us bumbling apes continue to flip twinkie burger politic shapes at each other: "democratic" (all 99 flavors), "republican" (same 99 flavors), "communistic" (all 14 flavors), "socialist" (all 13 flavors), "dictatorship" (from zero proof to 201 proof), "change-ism" (all obama flavors - cannot count them), etc. Since there is obviously a limited basic set, and we insist on ignoring lessons from the past, we wind up flipping the same politic twinkies, but in meaningless variants. And being apes, we are too dumb to learn - and worse - too dumb to think of something a bit more stable (meaning DIFFERENT)...

The average citizen would be shocked at the number of alphabet organizations that can pack heat. Even the campus cops these days are strapped.

I gather you look at yourself in the mirror and then write these comments about other people. It must be so sad to be you.

I'm exactly the kind of gun owner this country needs.