01-09-2004, 08:58 PM
There are quite a few people of Arabic and Middle Eastern descent in the US. One result of an obviously racist exclusionary policy would be to push that population towards (further) the radicals. What we don't need is a large group of US citizens sheltering and providing succor to terrorists and terrorist groups.
Not to mention that they include some of our finest surgeons, scientists, professors, etc., so we probably don't want to chase them out of the country with racist politics.
One other note on Brazil that hasn't been mentioned in the press. Because of the PATRIOT act, my company is required to screen all the names of the people and companies that we do business with against a database supplied by the justice department of known "bad guys". About half that list is from South and Central America and is related to narcotics trafficing. I am guessing that the Bush administration is taking advantage of the "threat of terrorism" to do double duty on the travel restrictions to also make it harder for narcotics trafficing. So, why doesn't Tom Ridge just come out and say that?
Indeed. My gut reaction when I read the start of this thread was "I wonder if the Brazilian judge's harsh reaction is related to the drug trade." Probably not, but it would make a lot of sense.
Not to mention that they include some of our finest surgeons, scientists, professors, etc., so we probably don't want to chase them out of the country with racist politics.
One other note on Brazil that hasn't been mentioned in the press. Because of the PATRIOT act, my company is required to screen all the names of the people and companies that we do business with against a database supplied by the justice department of known "bad guys". About half that list is from South and Central America and is related to narcotics trafficing. I am guessing that the Bush administration is taking advantage of the "threat of terrorism" to do double duty on the travel restrictions to also make it harder for narcotics trafficing. So, why doesn't Tom Ridge just come out and say that?
Indeed. My gut reaction when I read the start of this thread was "I wonder if the Brazilian judge's harsh reaction is related to the drug trade." Probably not, but it would make a lot of sense.