BS: Operation TIPS: your tax dollars at work

Subject: Operation TIPS: your tax dollars at work
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 06 May 02 - 04:10 AM

This is not a joke, folks; it's from an official U.S. Government web site: Operation TIPS. Anyone who is at all familiar with the history of Germany in the 1930's may have an uncomfortable sense of deja vu.

To give a musical reference, check out Si Kahn's "Who's Watching the Man?" or, more to the point, Gilbert and Sullivan's I've Got a Little List. Any thoughts on who in your neighborhood your local truck driver or cabbie might consider suspicious? As Dave Barry says, I am not making this up. But I wish I were.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Operation TIPS: your tax dollars at work
From: C-flat
Date: 06 May 02 - 04:28 AM

It would seem the best cover for a terrorist would be as a cabbie or truckdriver! They're obviously above suspicion! It's hard to believe this sort of thing goes on today. Probably the initiative of some bright think-tank kid who, at 19 years old, has no sense of learning from the past. I think the biggest problem is that we don't live long enough to learn from our predecessors mistakes and by the time the next "reds under the bed" wave of panic occurs, no-one will listen to the old guys who remember the last one!

Subject: RE: Operation TIPS: your tax dollars at work
From: Hrothgar
Date: 06 May 02 - 06:26 AM

The only good bit in this is that one of the Frequently Asked Questions is "Nothing seems to be happening in my community - what should I do?"

The more frequently that question is asked, the better off we will all be.

All that is needed now is news that people making reports will get paid for it.

Come home, Joe McCarthy, all is forgiven!

Subject: RE: Operation TIPS: your tax dollars at work
From: catspaw49
Date: 06 May 02 - 08:13 AM

Mark, what's your address again?

Burl Ives

Subject: RE: BS: Operation TIPS: your tax dollars at work
From: DougR
Date: 06 May 02 - 06:33 PM

So I assume your advice to someone who might see something suspicious is to just mind your own business, eh, Mark? :>)

Perhaps you have not heard Warren Buffet's statement today to his stockholders. He is predicting that the threat of the U. S. suffering a nuclear or biological attack us real. If a voluntary tip to proper authorities could prevent such an attack wouldn't you, Spaw, Hrothgar,and C-flat feel that it would be worthwhile?

I think to equate that memo with Nazi Germany's experience in the thirties and forties is a bit far fetched myself.

DougR

Because of a wrong date setting on a Mudcat server, this message may appear out of order. It was actually posted on 6-May, not 5-May. --JoeClone, 7-May-02.

Subject: RE: BS: Operation TIPS: your tax dollars at work
From: DougR
Date: 06 May 02 - 08:00 PM

I can't for the life of me figure out how my post ended up ahead of Mark's. I guess it's MAGIC!

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Operation TIPS: your tax dollars at work
From: catspaw49
Date: 06 May 02 - 09:57 PM

Long story, but the 'Cat decided to burp this afternoon Doug and it reverted back a day for some reason....Look at the date on your post.

More about it in the help forum.......BTW, while I'm waiting for Mark's address, how about I get yours too huh? I think if I turn in 10 there's a bonus.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Operation TIPS: your tax dollars at work
From: Metchosin
Date: 06 May 02 - 11:03 PM

vicious and on the money Spaw, re Burl Ives, best laugh I've had today.

Subject: RE: BS: Operation TIPS: your tax dollars at work
From: Amos
Date: 06 May 02 - 11:20 PM

I think its time to plant that patch of Pumpkins, Whittaker....

A

Subject: RE: BS: Operation TIPS: your tax dollars at work
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 07 May 02 - 12:12 AM

Delighted to see Warren B within discussion of the MC.

However, you will note...within the four hour dialogue of today's meeting....that HE wears....and has BOUGHT "Fruit of the Loom" ...the underwear company....but his friend and collegue has not bought underwear in years.

Semper Ubi, Sub Ubi

Sincerely
Gargoyle

WHY did you bring this topic up in a FOLK MUSIC Forum?

Subject: RE: BS: Operation TIPS: your tax dollars at work
From: Ebbie
Date: 07 May 02 - 12:31 AM

We have always had the opportunity to call the authorities when we see something dangerous or illegal.
However, I would not call police if I saw a bank of lights burning x number of hours per day at my neighbor's house but I would call them if my child reported to me that he/she was approached to deal for the neighbor; and would not call the police if another neighbor had a rottweiler or pitbull but would if said dog threatened me or others, I would NOT call the police or FBI if dark-complexioned people moved in next door and kept odd hours but would if I saw that they accidentally dropped an odd stuffed pipe complete with protruding wires.

Unless the police and other law enforcement people want to be REALLY busy flitting around and busting innocent people, I think it's dumb beyond belief to set the citizenry against itself.

"He who would give up a little bit of freedom for a little bit of security deserves neither freedom nor security." Benjamin Franklin

Subject: RE: BS: Operation TIPS: your tax dollars at work
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 07 May 02 - 07:06 AM

With all due respect, Doug, even if Operation TIPS were somehow able to prevent a nuclear attack (the mechanism by which this might happen stretches credibility beyond the breaking point, in my opinion), how are the Authorities going to pluck that particular relevant TIP from the monstrous morass of irrelevant TIPS that will be collected every day by all these fine upstanding official snoops? How will they know that the statement by Mr. X that "My neighbor is planning to help terrorists launch a nuclear attack against the US on Thursday" is credible, while the hundreds of statements by Messrs. A through ZZZ that "My neighbor is planning to help terrorists blow up --- on Thursday" are not? And how will they figure it out before Thursday?

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: BS: Operation TIPS: your tax dollars at work
From: DougR
Date: 08 May 02 - 11:59 AM

MAGIC, Mark, MAGIC! :>)

DougR

Garg: will you please print your pleas for a return to topics solely devoted to music in larger type? It strains old eyes to read that small print! :>)

DR

Subject: RE: BS: Operation TIPS: your tax dollars at work
From: DougR
Date: 08 May 02 - 06:06 PM

Aw, Spaw, you probably don't need my address. The FBI probably knows it already. They probably know me as that right-wing kook out in Arizona. I'm sure they could find me. When you call them just mention "Old Doug." :>)

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Operation TIPS: your tax dollars at work
From: catspaw49
Date: 08 May 02 - 06:56 PM

Really Doug, we don't need your addy, but we do need names, names of any kooks of all sorts, especially gay terrorists. We have a list of course but you don't want us to use that against you do you? I thought not.....Just give us names.....Names, so that we can be sure of you. Doug R huh....Is that short for Rosenberg? I know you say it's not, but if you give us names we can help you on that. And if you know of any libraries with books on terrorism we'd like that information too.

Roy Cohn