tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10162381.post4545523419892503207..comments2023-10-29T10:41:21.303-04:00Comments on Castro's Favorite Color: Absurd Proposed Form for Getting a US PassportHowardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14914637175040341245noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10162381.post-86398603814313139252011-04-25T17:48:11.935-04:002011-04-25T17:48:11.935-04:00The leadup comment was intended to present the ide...The leadup comment was intended to present the idea a clearly absurd. On its face, the right to travel would seem to be obvious. Mostly because countries which have historically restricted travel include places like Eastern block Europe, China and Cuba. However as a non-law scholar, I'm not sure if there is legal reason to expect free travel as a right. One might reasonably argue such action falls within the government's power to provide security. The best I could find against it would be the general 9th and 10th amendments.<br /><br />Regardless of its legality, I still think it's a bad, difficult to implement, and easy to abuse idea.Karlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10162381.post-11713993072115679102011-04-25T15:04:06.611-04:002011-04-25T15:04:06.611-04:00I do believe that "every citizen is entitled ...I do believe that "every citizen is entitled to travel internationally". Am I wrong?<br /><br />I know the government can limit travel to some countries (Cuba) and I know other countries can have restrictions on entry (visas), but other than in the cases of criminal investigations (don't leave the country), I've always thought anyone can travel. I realize now that's just an assumption that I never put much thought into, but is it incorrect?Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14914637175040341245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10162381.post-31241011766589066992011-04-25T14:58:16.068-04:002011-04-25T14:58:16.068-04:00You are obviously approaching this form from the p...You are obviously approaching this form from the perspective that every citizen is entitled to travel internationally. If instead you look at passports as a tool to limit the movement of potential unsavory characters, questions like these make a lot more sense. Consider the problems surrounding the no-fly-lists, particularly when the policy is implemented by busy airport personnel. If instead you can restrict issuance of passport at the government's leisure, you could construct a much more secure net. Consider also how much more confidence foreign countries would have admitting persons with US passports, since it would guarantee them as upstanding people.<br /><br />The main problem I see is with the implementation. Certainly, based on other forms asking a similar range of questions, the estimate on time to complete the forms is misstated (unless, say, you complete them at birth). Perhaps they mean this is the amount of time an average person would take to fill in the form once all information has been gathered? The bigger problem is in the manpower required to review and verify the forms. You would need an army of investigators/researchers plus several layers of oversight to ensure power was not being abused. It would likely extend processing time and cost to unacceptable levels. Without that manpower, the only value of the information beyond quick keyword or known association links, would be in a posteriori analysis, or targeting of specific individuals for detailed review.Karlnoreply@blogger.com