Just in case you thought you were being watched...

[Steve]

Found a link to this story about a U.S. student while browsing The Register:

o history professors at UMass Dartmouth, Brian Glyn Williams and Robert Pontbriand, said the student told them he requested the book through the UMass Dartmouth library's interlibrary loan program.

The student, who was completing a research paper on Communism for Professor Pontbriand's class on fascism and totalitarianism, filled out a form for the request, leaving his name, address, phone number and Social Security number. He was later visited at his parents' home in New Bedford by two agents of the Department of Homeland Security, the professors said.

The professors said the student was told by the agents that the book is on a "watch list," and that his background, which included significant time abroad, triggered them to investigate the student further.

"I tell my students to go to the direct source, and so he asked for the official Peking version of the book," Professor Pontbriand said. "Apparently, the Department of Homeland Security is monitoring inter-library loans, because that's what triggered the visit, as I understand it."

[autopilot]

Scarey stuff!

[EvilMunky]

lol.

I dont think they will be looking me up when i put my request in for vintage copies of playboy........

Imagine the shock this kid musta got tho...

[5cupa]

every library has a 'black' list. start taking out a few on the same subject and you'll soon be on a list of your own....

[EvilMunky]

I used to have a massive list of the most popular blacklisted books. A lot of them seem innocent until combined with other members of the black list. Interesting viewing i tell ya - will try to dig it up.

[badass]

Scarey stuff!

TBH I dont find that scarey, merely suggesting that should we have a mini hitler brewing they are probably already being watched by out secret service.
What bothers me is them being able to track everything else you do combined with that. The odd bit of monitoring if good. The kind of big brother approach this gov't is adopting is not.

[smtkr]

So, books about communism are honeypots the government hopes to catch your hand in. I guess I can't every read a book about communism, given my history of traveling outside of the United States.

The U.S. government wants citizens to be ignorant and naive--never experience alternative views outside of the United States and don't bother educating yourself or pursuing literacy. If you do, you are a national security threat.

[badass]

So, books about communism are honeypots the government hopes to catch your hand in. I guess I can't every read a book about communism, given my history of traveling outside of the United States.

The U.S. government wants citizens to be ignorant and naive--never experience alternative views outside of the United States and don't bother educating yourself or pursuing literacy. If you do, you are a national security threat.

Get it into perspective FFS.
He had a couple of epople ask a couple of quaestions and leave it. Its not like he was arrested or anything