Laurent Garnier - Fuck USA

[mocker]

First (to the one who was asking why some of us didn't show where they lived) I'm a europen citizen and living in Paris, France.

We can definitely get along. We did in the past and we will, but you guys should start to REALLY examinate your country, your media and institutions. And stop voting for conservative idiots. Sit down and think. Stop justifying even the worst because you love your "best country in the world". ADMIT your government can fuck up some people's life and some parts of the world. We in Europe are not stupid enough to put everyone in the same bag, so it's not a question of "all the Americans being fucked up".
Also realize that "growing distance" feeling Europeans start to feel in their hearts. It's growing everyday, it's sad and I don't like it.
Last thing : my american friends find me sometimes tedious, they're far more radical than I am when it comes to US politics...
Laurent Garnier a bitch ? You see, you can't even imagine they wouldn't let him in without a good reason ! Come on !
You have to understand one very important thing : he doesn't NEED to go to the States. Once Americans understand this point, maybe we have a chance to start understanding each other again, on an equal level.
BTW still love tou guys

[hoffman2k]

3) "Howdy Doody" is NOT our President. Alfred E. Newman is our President

[MrYellow]

You forget that thousands of world citizens died and caused the US to
adopt this policy (even though it appears the policy is not as tight as has
been mentioned). The move was definitely reactionary. When terrorists
are no longer a threat, you can bet that things would be relaxed.

ROFL

5,000 children under 5 yo died each month due to the sanctions, but I
guess you believe that was needed.

When terrorists are no longer a threat?

When will that be?

Things will relax?

Come off it.... Once they get a law through to take your freedoms you will
never get them back without using some kind of force. History tells us
that much.

Face it, freedom in the US is an illusion and nothing more.

-Ben

[udp]

These are the modern dark ages.

AdamJay,
About gettin listed, at the last public speech the president gave at Fargo, while open to all, a few of people were formaly informed they are not alowed to participate. These are a small group of various people, 2 college students, teachers, and professors, that do not support the current policy, and dare to challenge it in public.
These are not protestors who disturb order, scream and wave flags...

The fact that they can not go where all can, because they have a different political view is one thing.

...The other is that someone is listing these people, the ones who are known to challenge the current policy.
This is not a WalMart shopping list made that morning, this was ordered by someone. It takes time and resourcess to do so. It was, and was used.

This is not something new to presidential speeches. Nobody had tighter "security" around his speeches than William Jefferson Clinton. In addition, he had UAW workers given the day off to show up to his speeches and fawn over him. Back on topic, I wouldn't give up that information either, why do they need proof of owning your house? Is this an exageration on the part of Garnier?

[forge]

In a way, Laurent is right, but what he says sounds like spoilt Western idealism. Welcome to the harsch reality!!!!!

I mean, he just experienced what its like to travel when you don't have the passport of a respectable Western country.

Im not talking for myself (Im lucky, I've got the passport of "good" Canada) but i've got lots of friends who've got to go through all this shit - and sometimes fuckin much worse - even to take a weekend of vacation in the civilised world.

To cancel his tour because he refuses to fill out a few forms and being interviewed is sooooo stupid and spoilt from my perspective.

It's a disrespect for his American fans (if he's got any ) and an outragous insult to all the immigrants of the world, to all those living in the "bad" countries who spend ages filling out forms to earn some money for their family.

Sorry if Im being emotional but this spoilt behavior really made me react...
yes, the borders should be more open on this planet, but yes, I think Laurent is being a bitch.

Ben

I see the point you're making there and agree with the sentiment, but that exact thing of 'accepting your lot' is the reason we get so fucked over by extortionate taxation etc in Rip off Britain - when you start to get used to things like that and take the pessemistic attitude of 'who am I to think I could have better' then things stay exactly as they are or even get worse.

[siddhu]

I can travel all over the world (and I may add that I have) without any hassle what's so ever, EXCEPT to the USA where the Customs and Immigration officlas are totally fucking Gestapo like.

Plus with all the personal details that they require now such as bank and mobile phone records extc, large numbers of people have stopped traveling to the US.

This is not hearsay as there have been reports in all the major US media about how much tourism and convention dollars the US is and has lost due to the new security regulations.

I know for a fact that the international scientific community is slowly stopping all meeting in the US as there have been sooo many problems with international delegates being denied access.

[tylast]

I can travel all over the world (and I may add that I have) without any hassle what's so ever, EXCEPT to the USA where the Customs and Immigration officlas are totally fucking Gestapo like.

Plus with all the personal details that they require now such as bank and mobile phone records extc, large numbers of people have stopped traveling to the US.

This is not hearsay as there have been reports in all the major US media about how much tourism and convention dollars the US is and has lost due to the new security regulations.

I know for a fact that the international scientific community is slowly stopping all meeting in the US as there have been sooo many problems with international delegates being denied access.

Where do you see the bank & mobile phone records on the forms? How about posting linked references to all your claims? So, where on Planet Earth are you from?

[illsub1]

but you guys should start to REALLY examinate your country, your media and institutions. And stop voting for conservative idiots. Sit down and think. Stop justifying even the worst because you love your "best country in the world".

I'm SURE the majority of America voted the other way, we just live in a dictatorship. Our elections are controlled and was there really a choice in the first place? Out of 280 million+ americans we get 2 blue blood members of the same secret Skull and Bones fraternity of which they only take in 15 members a year. No thanks I didn't even vote because its rigged. The corruption goes so deep I can't stand it. We are free but americans are so controlled they let it go on.

www.infowars.com (Check for Yourself)

[hoffman2k]

(Check here too)
http://www.comedycentral.com/tv_shows/t ... onstewart/

We want 24 hour SNN

Common. You know there is something wrong with the world if they play this on CNN international.
The irony. A "fake" news show being aired by one of the biggest news networks.
I posted a while back that it played 2 times in the weekend at midnight.
Now they play it midnight and evening on CNN. 4 times.
They don't even need to make up funny stuff.
The worlds a blast on it's own.

[Benshik]

[

I see the point you're making there and agree with the sentiment, but that exact thing of 'accepting your lot' is the reason we get so fucked over by extortionate taxation etc in Rip off Britain - when you start to get used to things like that and take the pessemistic attitude of 'who am I to think I could have better' then things stay exactly as they are or even get worse.

I think we are in a typical "reality vs ideal" type of situation...
Do you think that to stop travelling at all like Laurent did is the solution?
Imagine that the United States is a nightclub with tough face control. The security at the door lets few people in. Well, people with a Western passports used to be the VIPs, the rest had to queue for ages, hoping to join the party. Laurent's reaction looks a bit as the guy who suddenly lost his VIP priviledges and refuses to queue up with the plebian mass... But maybe he just ignored that there was a whole mass confronted to this every day???

Thats it... The reasons he gives for boycoting the USA just sounded to me a bit arrogant. Maybe it is a genuine act of protest for noble principles, but I think there are better solutions...

[siddhu]

Canadian and Indian citizenship.

Grew up between India, canada, and the Europe (roughly a third in each place).

Tylast, if your're so concerned do a google search about lost tourism in the US and you'll easily find what I'm talking about.

As for posting links, the articles that I read were on Salon.com, New York Times, and CNN (US edition over the last 12-18 months). They also mentioned in the articles that everyone who needs a visa to go the US has to go through a rigorous interview process (exactly what Garnier mentions).

The waiting list in US embassies and consulates now extends is now 2 or 3 weeks because they are so understaffed to handle the workload.

There was also an article in the Candian press how Canada was getting a huge influx of toursists especially from South America who do not want to travel to the US.

Sorry if this is info that displeases you Tylast, but it's what I read and I stand by it as it was widely reported in the print media in the US and abroad.

[reset]

Well,

having recently obtained my us green card (finally), I have to say that the whole US immigration procedure/policy is pretty humiliating.

When I came back from our honeymoon in Costa Rica we had to enter through Houston International Airport. Aside from the Hitler like statue of Bush in the terminal, the immigration officer took me in their little office because they had to adjust striaghten out my visa. In said office there was a poster hanging with the twin towers falling and the line "...never again..". That I say is pretty fucked up. Almost worse than the border between eatern and western Germany used to be.

However, I did have somewhat better experiences at other ports of entry: NY, Atlanta, Detroit and Charlotte were ok. No hassles, no bullshit.

Philadelphia on the other hand tried to pull a cavity search on me. Take my advice: avoid philly.

just my $0.02.

[Zakari Luk]

*when terms like "freedom" "liberty" "democracy" are thrown around so thoughtlesly like they are in the u.s., people actually beleive that they are those things, they look more to the word rather than the meaning. that stems from the instituionalized education system here, where its just about conforming and stripping away one's identity, as opposed to educating.

*if europeans feel that americans do not think enough before reacting, it is the reason that the intellectual and artistic mind is attacked through fear and conformity.

*people justify the emering totalitarian state by claiming it is to "protect" us from "terrorists", but the truth is america is a state that sponsors terrorism, that is a FACT that the fragile american ego will never admit. also there are many different forms of terrorism that are the standard of american life, here in america, but as long as they call it "capitolism", nobody seems to notice.

*america is not the only fucked up country in the world, it just happens to be the one trying to rule the world, just like many nations and empires before it.

*there are still respectful, free-thinking, creative, artistic, intellectual, caring and loving people in america, that truly care and would like to solve world problems rather than make world problems. unfortunately, they are a minority, and have no public voice.

*anyone that judges an individual based on anything but who they are is a fascist.

*its groups and organisations that are responsible for this world's conflict, they are; the world bank, oil industry, skull and bones/illuminati/freemasonry, world jewish congress, the vatican and other religious groups.

[Zakari Luk]

I mean, he just experienced what its like to travel when you don't have the passport of a respectable Western country.

i think thats an excellent point, i dont agree with what you believe about garnier being a bitch, but i think that the policy that the u.s. has towards "third world" countries is unjust, and now its finally happening to the "respectable western" countries.

[tylast]

Tylast, if your're so concerned do a google search about lost tourism in the US and you'll easily find what I'm talking about.

As for posting links, the articles that I read were on Salon.com, New York Times, and CNN (US edition over the last 12-18 months). They also mentioned in the articles that everyone who needs a visa to go the US has to go through a rigorous interview process (exactly what Garnier mentions).

The waiting list in US embassies and consulates now extends is now 2 or 3 weeks because they are so understaffed to handle the workload.

In regards to the links, I'm not saying you're wrong but l feel if you're going to type something, then be prepared to back it up, not just say...go look for the info yourself. In fact, you're probably correct about the tourism facts; just wanted you to show me where you get your info is all.

In regards to the interview....I don't know as that info is not posted on the government site. But, for tourist visas there is no interview for most EU countries ~ the perspective we're talking about is work visas. I have Canadian Friends who've had just as much trouble trying to obtain work visas in the EU & Asia ~ so it goes both ways.

As a US citizen I have to wait 4-6 weeks to have a passport done unless I physically go to one of the few centers that produce them. So, the fact that a foreigner can have their Visa completed before I can get my Passport completed (by the same administration I might add) is not something for non-US citizens to really complain about. Sure, niether of us should have to wait that long regardless.