Still think the concept of a watch list is a good idea? Nelson Mandela's resistance group, the ANC, was put onto the terrorism watch list in the 1970's and it's still there, despite having been, you know, the government of South Africa for a while now. The South African ambassador couldn't get a visa to visit a sick friend until after the friend had already died. So for the million people put onto the no-fly list in the last five years, well -- you may be able to fly by 2040, if they get around to it. But probably not, because you don't have as much pull as an ambassador.
At a loss for something non-moronic to say, Michael Chertoff says this "raises a troubling and difficult debate about what groups are considered terrorists and which are not." O yes, a troubling and difficult debate indeed. Remember when they could still find competent people to staff government positions?
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