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Chris Christie Proposes Tracking Immigrants the Way FedEx Tracks Packages

PolygamousRanchKid submits the news that New Jersey governor (and Republican presidential candidate) Chris Christie said yesterday that he would, if elected president, create a system to track foreign visitors the way FedEx tracks packages. The NYT writes: Mr. Christie, who is far back in the pack of candidates for the Republican presidential nomination, said at a campaign event in New Hampshire that he would ask the chief executive of FedEx, Frederick W. Smith, to devise the tracking system."At any moment, FedEx can tell you where that package is. It's on the truck. It's at the station. It's on the airplane," Mr. Christie told the crowd in Laconia, N.H. "Yet we let people come to this country with visas, and the minute they come in, we lose track of them." He added: "We need to have a system that tracks you from the moment you come in." Adds the submitter: "I'm sure foreign tourist will be amused when getting a bar code sticker slapped on their arm."

9 of 576 comments (clear)

  1. Yeah, nah. by YukariHirai · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'm somewhat interested in visiting the US, but this kind of bullshit would absolutely kill any desire to go there.

    1. Re:Yeah, nah. by YukariHirai · · Score: 3, Informative

      It took this? Not our general policy of running around the world tampering with governments, murdering people, and blowing up cities for profit?

      Those did kill it most of the way, and the "somewhat interested" is conditional on some pretty unlikely things, such as someone else footing the bill for the trip.

    2. Re:Yeah, nah. by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 4, Informative

      I can see it now. Ivy league university hires world class researcher, who has to get tagged with an RFID as if they were cattle to be allowed to work in the US.

      And where specifically did you read that people will be tagged with an RFID? They could simply carry an ID card. A perfectly reasonable requirement. They could check in once in a while. Another perfectly reasonable requirement.

      Many here are making up unreasonable scenarios then arguing how stupid they are.

    3. Re: Yeah, nah. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Yes, many.
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_United_States_military_operations

    4. Re:Yeah, nah. by chipschap · · Score: 4, Informative

      Oh well then, just drop in to your nearest police station or FBI department every morning during your stay to say howdy. Nothing wrong with that.

      The equivalent took place in former communist countries. I remember visiting the DDR (East Germany) and having to turn in my passport every night. Get a little perspective here, please.

  2. Wrong people to strip by realxmp · · Score: 5, Informative

    They still would come because they have nothing to lose, most of them have net assets of close to zero. The first generation tends to live hand to mouth. The people who make the money are the American factory owners and farmers who employ them. These are the people you would need to asset strip to stop employment of immigrants but if we think politicians are going to go after these people (their biggest donors) we are naive. Incidentally if the U.S. did manage to deport all 11 million of them it would cause a massive economic implosion due to a drop in demand for basic goods. It would likely also cause a closure of US factories and increase the offshoring of US industry.

  3. I raise you, Mr. Freedom and Small Government by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 3, Informative

    Both the Republicans and Democrats know the only way to stave off Social Security money scarcity is to inhale large numbers of younger workers (this, by the way, is the exact problem Ponzi schemes have, and why they were made illegal, and why it's a legitimate comparison -- they always run out of new investors to pay back previous ones. They just don't have the legal power to force everyone to invest, delaying, but not stopping, the inevitable. No "investor" gets back as much as they put in...in either.)

    The Republicans are just pissed The Donald has made a stink of it, and now they have to respond with idiocies like this, the more outrageous the better, apparently. Seriously.

    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  4. This is Stupid by whistlingtony · · Score: 4, Informative

    Here are the top ten leading causes of death in the USA.

    1. Heart disease
    2. Cancer (malignant neoplasms)
    3. Chronic lower respiratory disease
    4. Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases)
    5. Accidents (unintentional injuries)
    6. Alzheimer's disease
    7. Diabetes (diabetes mellitus)
    8. Influenza and pneumonia
    9. Kidney disease (nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis)
    10. Suicide (intentional self-harm).

    I looked. Homicide is 15th. Death By Terrorism isn't on this list. Overdose from drugs bought from drug dealing immigrants isn't either. Just once I wish we'd wage a war on Cancer or Drunk Driving, ya know?

    Also, because it has to be said.... Maybe we can put their tracking bar code on some kind of armband? This shit is !@#$ing stupid and dangerously close to Nazi levels of moron. We have a serious politician blaming the Jews Immigrants and willing to label them. Oh. Come. On!

    The Republican party invited in the stupid and completely has lost it's !@#$ing mind.

  5. Re:The above is informative ? by Jack+Griffin · · Score: 3, Informative

    An easier way would be to name the wars NOT involving Muslims.

    Same goes for Americans doesn't it?