Truckers recruited in war on terror

[Newsjock]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/27/truckers.terrorism.ap/index.html

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (AP) -- Hoping to take advantage of alert eyes along the nation's highways, the government is trying to enlist more truckers in the battle against terrorism.

The Alexandria, Virginia-based Highway Watch, started by the American Trucking Associations in 1998 and funded since 2002 with homeland security money, focuses on safety and security.

Spokesman John Willard said the volunteer program has received a total of about $40 million and "all 50 states have active programs." He said Highway Watch continues to seek trained members.

... The move to enlist truckers comes as the federal government trains other civilian workers -- from suburban shopping mall security guards to city doormen -- to be on the lookout for suspicious activity.

more

[wtmusic]

They tried to recruit me for that shit

The Red Scare all over again. Heaven help us.

[Ian David]

1. Oh, yeah. Great idea

[hadrons]

2. who wants to bet most of those reported will have anti-Bush bumpersticks

[gratuitous]

3. In a vacuum, this might not be a bad idea

Train truckers to look for certain things and then report them to a central information clearinghouse might be a useful tool for discerning patterns and alerting authorities to possible leads for further investigation.

But under the corrupt Bush administration, it's a sure bet that this would be a snitch program for ratting out dissenters. It won't make us any safer or produce anything useful, except a lot of government wheel-spinning to give the illusion that Something Is Being Done. Congressmen desperate to show their constituents that they really are on the ball will seize on any results as proof that they have a clue or that they're doing something.

Hoover used this dodge for years with the FBI. He wouldn't have any results per se, but he would put on a dazzling annual show for the Appropriations Committees about all the agents and man-hours devoted to this or that investigation, as if such make-work statistics represented a tangible positive result.

[Kindigger]

5. Hehehehe

I have an evil trucker friend. During the campaign, I snagged a whole roll of Kerry stickers for him. Quite a few trucks were displaying them by the time he got done....not to mention the insides of truckstops.

Betcha he'd join their snitch program. :evilgrin:

[Lugnut]

6. My son is an owner-operator

And a die-hard Dem. I just bet he'll sign right up. :evilgrin:

[oneighty]

4. "volunteer program"

has received about forty million dollars. I would volunteer for that program. Not for money mind you just for the graft.

180

[bluestateguy]

7. If I was a young truck driver, I'd be worried about the draft

The military could draft truck drivers and send them to Iraq, paying them a lot less than Halliburton.

[MadHound]

8. Yeah, but then Dick's ol' buddies wouldn't be making their

Outrageous profits on these no-bid contracts. You forget, this war isn't about saving the American people anything, including money. It is about making money for the select powerful elite via no-bid contracts and other such shenanigans.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

9. I dispatch 3 trucks and 4 drivers.... have not heard about this..

snip>
"all 50 states have active programs."

I'll ask my drivers if they have. Frankly, a couple of them seem to have enough trouble just getting my trucks back here in one piece. Now they'll be distracted looking for terrorists! FCOL!

[Ms. Clio]

10. So they didn't drop the TIPS informant program after all

just like Total Information Awareness just continues under another name.

Welcome to East Germany.

[Emboldened Chimp]

12. You actually thought they would?

[Ms. Clio]

15. Well, no, not really, but I guess it was outa sight, outa mind.

This is a jolting little reminder of our fascist reality.

[Divernan]

11. And did Neil Bush get the contract to develop training materials?

like he did for educational programs in
Florida?

[yellowcanine]

13. I for one prefer that truckers keep their eyes on the road. Particularly

when they are riding up on my butt and I have no where to go to get out of the way.

[vs the introvore]

14. yes. amped up truckers defintely should keep their twitchy, paranoid eyes

open for suspicious highway behavior. but it should be reported to all via the CB.

"...anybody seen any of these blackdogs out tonight?"
"well jack burton does know shit about any dogs but good ole jack'll swear that he's seen some flying samurai out tonight. beware."