It's high time we abolish the DHS (1 Viewer)

[LtAldoRaine]

Our nation now finds itself at a crossroads when it comes to Constitutional rights and civil liberties. Even Wisconsin Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, one of the primary authors of the 2001 Patriot Act, is now backing away from a law he helped write and pass, and calling for new restrictions on its use in intelligence gathering.

But we need to go even further.

We need to repeal the Patriot Act altogether and end our obsession with "Homeland Security."

Concentration of responsibility becomes concentration of power – and because most of our intelligence and police power has been concentrated in one agency – the DHS - that agency has become way too powerful, with no checks and balances. In effect, it's created an entire surveillance industry around itself, and it's time to shut it down.

http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/thom-hartmann-abolish-homeland-security

I see the pro's and con's of the article. Not sure I'm down with the German comparisons, but what say you? Lets try to keep R/D politics out of this.

 

[Norwajun]

Homeland Security needs to go. I totally agree with that. Better integration of lawenforcement across the country, information sharing between jurisdictions and an end to all the fraternity style bickering between agencies would accomplish more than DHS can on a much lower budget.

Someday America needs to realize that adding more or newer things to solve a problem isn't the only answer. Often you can solve the problem by just using the resources you already have just a little bit better.

 

[Twyst]

Yes we definitely need less government agencies. 9/11, benghazi etc etc etc could have probably all been avoided had we not had so many government agencies handling different information and keeping different info from one another. The agencies try to cover their own butt and they dont work as well together as they would if all the agencies were combined. Get rid of the NSA, ATF, DHS, TSA, DEA etc. Let the FBI handle all federal law enforcement and let the CIA handle everything international. Increase their budgets so they can take on the tasks, and make sure there is a wide open line of communication between the 2 agencies. It would save the country money and would be more effective.

 

[TriPolarTroy]

Even though they gave me a job that I was able to cash in on a fat retirement ....I agree with y'all ...DHS is a mess and is not really making us any safer than Pre-DHS.

 

[Saint_Ward]

Not sure if the answer is to completely swing the pendulum all the way back and abolish everything. But scaling it back would be a good start. I hate all this all or nothing garbage.

 

[El Caliente]

As a past employee of the TSA I agree with this article in the sense of what I did. The TSA has no merit any longer, and if it does it doesn't show it. Instead of going for bad guys we are going for grandma and grandpa who served in WW2 and have fake hips. I patted down more old people than I did anyone the Israelis would consider a threat.

Just lob that part of the DHS off and I am fine.

 

[Brees4prez]

Anyone remember the movie enemy of the state? I remember people predicting that to come to fruition. Pretty accurate.

 

[TriPolarTroy]

Before DHS absorbed everything I was a U.S. Customs Inspector and INS, Boder Patrol all different jobs and we were all very specialized and good at they we do. I joined Customs because I wanted to be in the world of narcotics interdiction which I was up until 2003 and then we all got smashed together in an effort to create this Super Federal Agent that could do everything and what they got were a watered down, half assed version of an Officer. I was force fed INS laws and INS and Border Patrol were force fed narcotics interdiction and counter-terrorism activity and man it sucks. But if anybody thinks that all of the agencies that got absorbed by DHS should dissappear than you don't have a very good idea how all of these agencies are doing different things with very different inter-agency specialized positions.

Not to mention they would be catastrophically undermanned. For example prior to the creation of DHS, U.S. Customs alone had about 50,000 armed Officers. There isn't an agency on the planet with an extra 50,000 people in it.

 

[zeetes]

As a past employee of the TSA I agree with this article in the sense of what I did. The TSA has no merit any longer, and if it does it doesn't show it. Instead of going for bad guys we are going for grandma and grandpa who served in WW2 and have fake hips. I patted down more old people than I did anyone the Israelis would consider a threat.

Just lob that part of the DHS off and I am fine.

i have a friend who works for the tsa (about 4 years now) and all he does is complain about the ridiculous rules that they have to enforce.

 

[Goatman Saint]

Department of Homeland Security and the Patriot Act always seemed to have a Stalinist Soviet vibe to them. More than happy to see them go, as it should have never been made to begin with. However, that's the one thing that gives me hope about our freedoms not being too violated. If you've ever been to the DMV you get my meaning.

 

[Twyst]

But if anybody thinks that all of the agencies that got absorbed by DHS should dissappear than you don't have a very good idea how all of these agencies are doing different things with very different inter-agency specialized positions.
.

Thats the problem. They are all doing their own specialized thing. Keep all the people that work for the agencies, let the FBI and CIA have specialized divisions, but merge the chain of command and keep all culpability to one agency so things get done instead of a bunch of agencies sitting around trying to place blame on on another. The lack of sharing of information between multiple government agencies led directly to 9/11 and Benghazi. There are way too many chiefs right now.

 

[TriPolarTroy]

Yeah that makes sense and most people don't realize that the biggest reason 9/11 happened was because of the lack of communication and intel sharing between CIA, NSA, FBI and U.S. Customs. It's much much better now but having fewer agencies would help even more.

 

[boutte]

Walk around with a camera and a big lens and sooner or later you'll be stopped and hassled by a cop of some sort telling you that the DHS says you can't take a picture of something.

 

[You]

Department of "Homeland Defense"

Isn't that what the military is suppose to be?

 

[TriPolarTroy]

Department of "Homeland Defense"

Isn't that what the military is suppose to be?

Yep in the literal sense

 

[Saint_Ward]

Yeah that makes sense and most people don't realize that the biggest reason 9/11 happened was because of the lack of communication and intel sharing between CIA, NSA, FBI and U.S. Customs. It's much much better now but having fewer agencies would help even more.

Since you have experience in this, I'll ask.

To me the premise of the DHS was to be that 'glue' between agencies. To aid in communication and execute action.

Would it just have been more simple to just have the FBI or CIA run point? Or perhaps just have all agencies report (more communicate and be subordinate) to the Military? Basically it comes to if one agency notices something out of place, they have an easy way to communicate it and then the proper response team can be mobilized if needed.