From a subscriber to a list called "IP":

I attempted to renew the passports for my children. I have done this
with out problem at least once before. As of today one parent can no
longer renew passports for children. You must have a form from the
absent parent. The form has no space for a notary to notarize the
absent parent's signature.   But when you arrive to get the passport
the post office will then inform you that you have to have the absent
parent's signature notarized.


I assume this is in response to the last decade's three or four
hugely publicized cases where middle eastern fathers have taken their
children from this country and their mothers.


The more I thought about this the angrier I got.


The most enticing of all this administration's endeavors seems to
solve problems they and we do not have. For example, 9-11 was not
caused by a security failure at the edges. The field agents had been
following for months the suspicious activities of the terrorists and
they dutifully submitted reports and made verbal entreaties that
these people be looked into. The managers at the core refused.


The result? We beef up the edges and no at the core gets fired. Who
lives at the edges? We do. So we go through the charade of jumping
hoops at the edges because the people at the core are dishonest and
refuse to admit the real problem.

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This puts it very well, I think.


A