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| Latin America |
| Update: Brazil to Strengthen Fingerprint Policy to protect itself from Violent American tourists |
| 2004-01-11 |
| The Brazilian government will issue an executive order strengthening a new policy of fingerprinting all U.S. visitors in response to anti-terror measures enforced by the United States, news reports said. I have one finger that I would like you to print. The new Brazilian measures have delayed U.S. travelers in airports for up to nine hours since Jan. 1. A judge ordered them after the United States announced it would begin fingerprinting travelers arriving from other countries, including Brazil. Brazil must be a hard sell for travel agents right now. Maybe they could have waited to crack down in their off-season. Itâs for the better; Brazil, Bolivia and Venezuala are not friendly places for Americans right now. U.S. Customs, using digital technology, on Monday began photographing and taking fingerprints of arriving foreigners. The only exceptions are visitors from 27 countries — mostly European nations — whose citizens are allowed into the United States for up to 90 days without visas. Hopefully, that will change before jihadis holding French passports blow us up. In the interim, I suggest we check all European luggage for the presence of a Speedo butt-floss style bathing suit. Brazil denies it is retaliating for the U.S. policy, but Judge Julier da Silvaâs order to begin fingerprinting contained tough rhetoric, calling the U.S. program "absolutely brutal, threatening to human rights, violating human dignity, xenophobic and worthy of the worst horrors committed by the Nazis." An obvious graduate of a North Korean correspondence course. Foreign Minister Celso Amorim on Saturday acknowledged that the United States is concerned about boosting security, but said it should not infringe on the rights of law-abiding travelers. "We are working for an integration of the Americas. It is natural then that there be no difficulties (for people)," Amorim said on TV Globo upon the end of a meeting with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and cabinet colleagues in Brasilia. U.S. diplomats were not available for comment. Give them Richard Boltonâs number. Donât let them call Colin Powell as aerobic stiches might pop some of his stitches. |
| Posted by:Super Hose |
| #11 Faisal, from the way I read Raptor's comment, it appears that he is pointing out that he who chases away customers with cash is a poorer man. Personally, if they wanted a DNA sample from me, I'd hawk a loogie into whatever recepticle they presented. On the other hand, I doubt that I would hop a plane to be hassled for nine straight hours. New Orleans has a nice enough Mardi Gras, where I don't have to hang out in a Soviet breadline. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-1-11 9:39:17 PM |
| #10 good to see you back faisal you fool,you keep me amused like a cyber space jester,do stick around for more abuse,its a hoot. |
| Posted by: Jon Shep U.K 2004-1-11 7:06:22 PM |
| #9 Raptor u need a world map. Twit. If they are fingerprinting anyone what's the fuss. It's THEIR country morons. |
| Posted by: Faisal 2004-1-11 5:51:34 PM |
| #8 My girlfriend is originally from Sao Paulo and I have a lot of friends there. I know a bit about Brazil and its politics. Basically, this âdecreeâ is part of their âretaliationâ policy. Itâs traditionally been the Brazilian governmentâs guideline to âdo unto others what has been done to themâ. For example, Canada and the US require Brazilian citizens to enter with a visa, so Brazil will do the same to them; whereas, this is not the case in Europe, so Europeans can enter and exit the country with ease. This fingerprinting thing is just an extension of their retaliation. Not that I agree with what they are doing â itâs really stupid and will be counterproductive in the short-run, so long as they keep it up â and I would prefer not go back under these new circumstances. Sadly, however, my girlfriend (and probably future wife) had to go back for a bit because of family issues and I have to go and meet her parents. I will most likely have to undergo this finger printing procedure, which is nothing more than discrimination. I don't trust the what the Brazilian government will do with my prints. As for the comments about anti-Americanism in Brazil, I disagree. Most, on the whole, actually admire America and Americans and many have dreams about living here and a lot would love to escape the crime that havocs many of the major cities. In many ways, Brazil is a very similar society to the US. The main problem is the corrupt âelitesâ â like this idiot judge -- who are Francophiles. So, they hate America by default and for ideological reasons. Luckily, this sentiment hasnât transferred to the main populace yet, whose main concerns are having a good time and putting food on the table. Maybe people down there do live paycheck to paycheck. Furthermore, important figures, like Rioâs mayor and I think the minister of tourism, have filed lawsuits, claiming that policy will damage the vital tourism industry, which is just starting to recover after a long slump. It certainly wonât help, and I hear many American tour companies are thinking twice about the tours there. Should be interesting when Lula and Bush meet over this. |
| Posted by: LJ 2004-1-11 5:38:07 PM |
| #7 absolutely brutal, threatening to human rights, violating human dignity, xenophobic and worthy of the worst horrors committed by the Nazis Let's see: Nazis round up Jews, kill 6 million. US has fingerprinting at airports. Yeah, those are the same. |
| Posted by: RMcLeod 2004-1-11 5:32:54 PM |
| #6 Nah, I pretty much either laughed at them or ignored them... both approaches just appeared to make them even angrier :) What's funny is Brazilians in the US that I've met think that Lula is a moron and the anti-americanism in Brazil is embarrasing. |
| Posted by: Damn_Proud_American 2004-1-11 5:05:15 PM |
| #5 Really? Did you ask them how they knew Bush was the Anti-Christ? |
| Posted by: Charles 2004-1-11 4:27:41 PM |
| #4 Yeah it is... luckily I went last year because I have no intention of going back to Brazil in a long, long time. Btw, the anti-american sentiment while I was there was palpable... I got harrased on several occasions by morons bitching to me about how Bush was the anti-christ and he was out to destroy the world... |
| Posted by: Damn_Proud_American 2004-1-11 4:21:15 PM |
| #3 Isn't Brazil where the hold Rio De Janero's Carnival? Might be a little slow this year. |
| Posted by: raptor 2004-1-11 3:27:20 PM |
| #2 LMAO... I love how the judge in brazil says our policy is "absolutely brutal, threatening to human rights, violating human dignity, xenophobic and worthy of the worst horrors committed by the Nazis." and then proceeds to implement the exact same policy towards americans in retaliation. a) he doesn't believe any of that hate filled spew he uttered or b) he thinks a little nazification of his own country is a good thing... |
| Posted by: Damn_Proud_American 2004-1-11 2:26:48 PM |
| #1 ah let em finger print to their hearts content,its not as if any sane person would want to visit that squalid dump anyway, Brazils good for trees to make paper and thats about it.Also that Julier Da Silva guy must live in some sort of alternitve universe where the nazi's worst crime was finger printing,what a deluded fool he must be. |
| Posted by: Jon Shep U.K 2004-1-11 12:59:17 PM |