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Документы, Гражданин — Why Now?
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Документы, Гражданин

Welcome to the New Trumped Amerika. Now let’s see if we can find a reason not to allow you to stay…

I would hate to come back to the US these days, as I did from Germany in the 1970s. My tourist passport was a bit dodgy, and my red ‘official duty” passport definitely belonged in the ‘Fiction’ section. They only came out if someone wouldn’t accept NATO orders and my military ID which wasn’t supposed to happen, but did. Many of my visas didn’t match, i.e. I would have an entry visa and no exit stamp, or vice versa. There were perfectly valid, and non-spook reasons for what was in that tourist passport, usually related to taking leave after arrival by military transport and having to use commercial transportation to return to my base. Almost all of my ‘documents’ raised questions’.

These days even if you are a natural born US citizen and share the name of your famous father, you are subjected to interrogation: Muhammad Ali Jr., detained at Florida airport, asked, ‘Are you Muslim?’.

You can be a well-known academic invited to participate in a conference and they will attempt to reject you: French historian Henry Rousso nearly deported from US.

Apparently even 70-year-old children’s authors are suspect: Australian author, Mem Fox, was detained at the Los Angeles airport. It would appear that her latest book advocating getting along with people is too subversive for US officials.

In his definitive work on Vichy France Rousso uses the phrase: passé qui ne passe pas (“past that doesn’t pass”). That is also an apt description of the American Civil War, or the Third Reich in Germany. While most people would like to forget these eras, it is the losers who keep resurrecting them. The one bright spot is that sooner or later the revisionists commit another Pickett’s Charge or Operation Barbarossa, because they refuse to learn the lessons of history…

3 comments

1 Kryten42 { 02.27.17 at 4:55 am }

I’m honestly exhausted m8. With the insanity here, the USA & the UK… I dunno! The common denominator really seems to be Murdoch & his NewsCorp empire. Seriously, I just can’t see any other explanation that makes even a little sense. A lot of people are blaming Putin for Trumper & co, but between Putin & Trumper stands Murdoch. And yes, many other wealthy narcissistic sociopaths are involved here, there & everywhere… But among them all stands Murdoch’s empire. *shrug*

Yeah, my Citizen (blue) passport & my Gov. (either red or the ugly grey-asparagus) passports were quite creative at times. All serving personnel of the ADF had a red passport. The asparagus passport required my (temporary) attachment to an Australian diplomatic mission in target country. Usually only required for certain situations such as the need to carry arms or sensitive material or items.

I rarely had any questions. My passports included an official stamp with the name & contact of the local Embassy senior official for any questions. So most usually never bothered. 🙂 I also sometimes carried an official waiver letter as a backup from some high official in-Country Gov. Dept. (such as my trip to USA sponsored by GD.) I wonder what would happen today? *shrug* (Rhetorical, as I wouldn’t be stupid enough to take an assignment in USA today, or UK for that matter, even with a Commonwealth (purple) passport!)

Passports were valid for 7 years, now 5. Exceptions are that retired (former) Gov. General’s, PM’s & Chief Justice of High/Federal/Family Courts & High Court Justices get a Diplomatic Passport for 10 years! A crazy but nice (for them) golden parachute! Nobody that isn’t serving should ever have a Diplomatic Passport, if for no other reason that once they are retired, they become a normal Citizen! Not to mention that they could be *couriering* anything without being subject to any checks. Other retired Ministers & Justices get an official (red) passport for 10 years as a bonus for their service (if any).

Here, for a laugh! The Print Media loooooove Trumper! But not for the reason he wants! 😆
Donald Trump’s Attacks On The New York Times Have Hilariously Backfired

And this (who knew the HBO TV show Veep would be so prescient?)
Trump Is Selina Meyer As White House Leaks Details Of Investigation Into Leaks

I needed a laugh! 😆 Thanks! 😉 😀

2 Kryten42 { 02.27.17 at 5:46 am }

Fair warning! Do NOT follow this link if you have a sensitive constitution or you just ate! It’s a horrible sight! But I am PMSL!!! Guaranteed to terrify a child into eating their greens & doing homework & chores! 😉 😆

Donald Trump is proving to be quite the muse for artists.

Comedians have an ever-growing wealth of material thanks to the US president; comic book illustrators are using his speeches for content and one creative soul built a wall around his Hollywood Walk of Fame star.

Well, Trump has inspired another incredible, if slightly NSFW creation.

Chuck Williams, a 56-year-old Wisconsin resident and former Walt Disney Company senior sculptor, has created the ‘Daddy’ of all dolls.

We present, the vinyl Donald Trump Troll:

This man raised over £250,000 ($338,608) to make a very NSFW Donald Trump doll

3 Bryan { 02.27.17 at 8:03 pm }

The security theater in the US is the most annoying in the world. No one else makes you take off your shoes or has restrictions on liquids, because those were failed attempts. SCROTUS keeps talking about foreign terrorists , but doesn’t admit that all of the recent attacks in the US have been by US citizens What’s his plan for dealing with crazy white guys from Kansas who decide to gun down Indian coders? He was supposed to have a plan for defeating ISIS in 30 days, but where is it? Why should people put up with more bullshit rules that do nothing to actually make people safer in the US.

Yes, the New York Times has seen a jump in subscriptions since they have been attacked by SCROTUS; he just can’t tell the difference between TV and reality. He never closed down his campaign so he can continue to accept ‘campaign contributions’.

I would love to give that doll to one of my neighbors, but he would build a shrine for it. 👿