cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/30825750
Skip Timestamp and Generated Summary below:
Video Description:
Award-winning investigative journalist Max Blumenthal, who has long spoken out against Israel’s genocidal war crimes in occupied Palestine, was recently detained by Customs and Border Protection officials at Washington Dulles International Airport after returning from a personal trip to Nicaragua.
The agent who stopped him mentioned catching a recent Blumenthal appearance on former judge Andrew Napolitano’s TV show.
Guest hosts Russell Dobular and Keaton Weiss discuss the experience with Blumenthal, and expand the conversation to address the harassment many others — some of whom are not even politically active — have faced when returning to the country from abroad.
Read Max’s work at The Grayzone here: http://thegrayzone.com/
Follow Max on Twitter: / maxblumenthal
Follow Russell Dobular on Twitter: / russelldobular
Follow Keaton Weiss on Twitter: / thatkeaton
Due Dissidence on Substack: https://substack.com/@duedissidence
Skip Timestamp:
- 28:47.000 - 28:59.549 Unpaid/Self Promotion
Generated Summary:
Main Topic: Increased scrutiny and harassment of travelers, particularly journalists and activists, by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), especially those returning from countries deemed “high-risk” or with dissenting political views.
Key Points:
- Max Blumenthal’s Experience: Blumenthal recounts being questioned by CBP upon returning from Nicaragua and anticipating similar or worse treatment upon returning from Iran. His contacts were more concerned about his treatment by the US government upon return than about Iran itself.
- Increased Border Scrutiny: The discussion highlights a trend of CBP targeting individuals for questioning, device seizure, and intelligence gathering, even without warrants, based on their travel history, political affiliations, or even their names.
- Erosion of Constitutional Rights at the Border: The video emphasizes that constitutional rights are diminished at international borders and airports, allowing CBP greater latitude in questioning and searching travelers.
- FBI Harassment: The FBI has been approaching journalists and scholars who have traveled to Iran for interviews without warrants.
- Advice for Travelers: The video advises travelers, especially those politically active or with perceived risk factors (e.g., Arab names, travel to certain countries), to prepare for potential device seizure and questioning. Suggestions include using burner phones, backing up data to the cloud, and understanding their rights (e.g., the right to remain silent without a warrant or lawyer).
- Israeli Influence: The discussion touches on the influence of Israeli security practices and training on US border security, leading to a perception of all citizens as potential threats.
- Immigration as a Pretext: The speakers argue that the focus on immigration is being used as a pretext to expand the security state and mass surveillance capabilities, even though deportation numbers are not necessarily increasing.
- Shock and Awe Deterrence: The detention and questioning of travelers, including international students, is seen as a “shock and awe” tactic intended to deter dissent and discourage travel to or from certain countries.
- Political Motivations: The Trump administration’s actions are attributed to a desire to satiate its base’s desire for revenge against foreigners and to create a political power base from anti-communist expats.
Highlights:
- Blumenthal’s description of the CBP agent referencing his appearance on Judge Napolitano’s show, suggesting political targeting.
- The anecdote about an activist declining an award in Canada due to fear of being unable to re-enter the US.
- The recommendation to use Graphine OS for enhanced phone security.
- The discussion of the Israeli security consultant training Boston’s Logan Airport staff to profile travelers.
- The argument that the focus on immigration is a pretext for building a police state.
About Channel:
"I don’t criticize Democrats cuz I side with Republicans, I criticize Democrats Cuz THEY side with Republicans.
Our fight is not Left/Right anymore, it is Us vs.Them.
We have 2 corporate party’s that serve Wall St/War Machine/Corporations & crush everyone else. #UniParty @0rf"[1]
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Edit:
- Fixed Title, From “Is What Terrified People About My Trip to Iran!” To “This Is What Terrified People About My Trip to Iran!”