In the U.S., terrorists are everywhere. They’re hiding under every rock, behind every tree, and when you least expect it, they will jump out and strike. And so, since 9/11, the search for terrorists has greatly expanded to cover almost every aspect of Americans’ lives.
Walter Soehnge, of Providence, R.I., found himself the subject of scrutiny from the Department of Homeland Security, because of the potentially terrorist act of paying off his credit card bill.
Soehnge told the Providence Journal that he was “madder than a panther with kerosene on his tail” when he found out that DHS was scrutinizing his attempt to pay off his credit card.
What got him so upset might seem trivial to some people who have learned to accept small infringements on their freedom as just part of the way things are in this age of terror-fed paranoia. It’s that “everything changed after 9/11″ thing. . . .
The balance on their JCPenney Platinum MasterCard had gotten to an unhealthy level. So they sent in a large payment, a check for $6,522.
And an alarm went off. A red flag went up. The Soehnges’ behavior was found questionable. . . .
After sending in the check, they checked online to see if their account had been duly credited. They learned that the check had arrived, but the amount available for credit on their account hadn’t changed. . . .
They were told, as they moved up the managerial ladder at the call center, that the amount they had sent in was much larger than their normal monthly payment. And if the increase hits a certain percentage higher than that normal payment, Homeland Security has to be notified. And the money doesn’t move until the threat alert is lifted. — Providence Journal
Under the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, amended by the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 and regulations promulgated by the Secretary of the Treasury, financial institutions must report all transactions above $3,000 to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to be analyzed for potential connections to terrorism or money laundering.
Soehnge’s transaction was eventually cleared, according to the report.
The irony to this blatant loss of financial privacy is that terrorists frequently run up large credit card debts and fail to pay them off.
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Repressed by Bush
Mar 06, 2006
Wow the fascist Bush regime’s take-over is almost complete. Just a few more steps and we will be there soon. Americans feel too confortable with their lifestyles to be bothered by these things right now. I can only begin to imagine what will happen when all the lazy, tv-whaching couch potatoes wake up from their slumber and realize their their country has been hijacked by Bush’s storm troopers and they can never get it back without sacrificing their lives. Oh well, we shall see. Oh my God, maybe the Bush Regime does not allow me to say these things.
Good luck to you all, I’m moving to europe!
Michael Hampton
Mar 06, 2006
Repressed, I find it highly ironic that while the country you’re in becomes more and more open, out of sheer necessity (not to mention the Internet), the U.S. becomes more and more closed, out of sheer stupidity. How long until your Great Firewall comes down, and our Great Walls go up?
Oppressed* by Bush
Mar 08, 2006
Oops! Please pardon me for my poor use of the language. I should have and meant to use the word “oppressed”. Hehe
Mr. Hampton, to answer your question, obviously no one knows for sure. I’m rest assured however, that your websites are burning a painful mark of freedom in every single one of the regime’s fascist loving assholes. As for this country I’m in now (not the US, I dont want to set-off the word filters here hehe), yes it is progressing into fine and free society but it still has some time to go.
Anonymous
Mar 08, 2006
The real terrorists are the banks. Everyone lives in fear of their credit rating. Ever see the hate mail you can receive if you miss just one payment? Ever see the interests they charge? The Mafia gives better rates! They are truly criminal and we have been reduced to indentured servants to them. The Bush administration seems to have no control over them, so, I hope Osama Bin Laden will do us a favor and target the all American banks for destruction.
Mar 09, 2006
Bush signs Unpatriotic Act reauthorization - Homeland Security or Homeland Stupidity