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-   -   Coburn report: Department of Homeland Security is failing in all of its missions (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/checkpoints-borders-policy-debate/1642955-coburn-report-department-homeland-security-failing-all-its-missions.html)

jfunk138 Jan 5, 2015 8:12 am

Coburn report: Department of Homeland Security is failing in all of its missions
 
http://www.examiner.com/article/cobu...f-its-missions

RadioGirl Jan 5, 2015 4:19 pm

But you have to admit, they're consistent. ;)

More serious is this related accusation partway through the article:

The Department of Homeland Security is failing its missions largely because of rampant corruption within its ranks. ...

Corruption within the ranks of the Department of Homeland Security continues to spread, because in many instances its officials face no prison time for their offences. ...

The Department of Homeland Security is deeply corrupt and focuses on surveillance of everyday Americans, as opposed to its stated mission of protecting them from terrorism and defending our porous borders.
But then this:

Senator Coburn’s report validly points out that the DHS must “focus on earning and restoring the American people’s trust. This includes ensuring that all of the Department’s programs and operations are consistent with the American people’s Constitutional rights and the proper role of the federal government. ..."
Uh, no, Senator. First, evaluate which DHS programs are actually appropriate for the federal gov't (CBP, Secret Service, USCG: yes. TSA: no), then get rid of the corrupt and incompetent at all levels, then work on "earning and restoring" trust.

Maxwell Smart Jan 6, 2015 10:41 am

Copied from the article:

"UASI funds were also spent to create videos telling citizens how they can spot signs of terror in their own neighborhoods. These videos instructed citizens to report people as terror suspects for exhibiting such red flags as “average or above average intelligence” and “conspicuous adaptation to western culture and values.” "

Wow. Just wow. So basically, embracing and assimilating yourself and your family into the culture of your adopted home country now makes you a terror suspect. (and, of course, some consider doing just the opposite as suspicious too)

So I guess immigrant families shouldn't celebrate Thanksgiving, Halloween, host a neighborhood barbecue, or put up an American flag outside their house out of fear of being reported?

That is beyond frightening.

petaluma1 Jan 6, 2015 10:49 am

No mention of the duct tape routine being useless in protecting us against all sorts of contaminants, so I guess we still need to keep that as well as rolls of plastic on hand. :D

petaluma1 Jan 6, 2015 10:50 am


Originally Posted by Maxwell Smart (Post 24112261)
Copied from the article:

"UASI funds were also spent to create videos telling citizens how they can spot signs of terror in their own neighborhoods. These videos instructed citizens to report people as terror suspects for exhibiting such red flags as “average or above average intelligence” and “conspicuous adaptation to western culture and values.” "

Wow. Just wow. So basically, embracing and assimilating yourself and your family into the culture of your adopted home country now makes you a terror suspect. (and, of course, some consider doing just the opposite as suspicious too)

So I guess immigrant families shouldn't celebrate Thanksgiving, Halloween, host a neighborhood barbecue, or put up an American flag outside their house out of fear of being reported?

That is beyond frightening.

^^

Schmurrr Jan 6, 2015 1:36 pm

Report link:

http://www.hsgac.senate.gov/media/mi...roblems-in-dhs

VelvetJones Jan 6, 2015 6:16 pm


Originally Posted by RadioGirl (Post 24107528)
The Department of Homeland Security is deeply corrupt and focuses on surveillance of everyday Americans, as opposed to its stated mission of protecting them from terrorism and defending our porous borders.

See, this is where I disagree with the claim. The DHS is doing exactly what it was really established for, which was to create a pervasive surveillance state. They're simply failing at hiding that fact.

Kagehitokiri Jan 6, 2015 6:24 pm


Originally Posted by RadioGirl (Post 24107528)
get rid of the corrupt and incompetent

unfortunately no profit in that

N830MH Jan 7, 2015 8:08 pm


Originally Posted by Kagehitokiri (Post 24115196)
unfortunately no profit in that

Yeah, unfortunately, no one who claim of responsibility. Nobody who taking their own responsibilities. No one can blamed them. No one!

RadioGirl Jan 8, 2015 1:10 am


Originally Posted by Maxwell Smart (Post 24112261)
Copied from the article:

"UASI funds were also spent to create videos telling citizens how they can spot signs of terror in their own neighborhoods. These videos instructed citizens to report people as terror suspects for exhibiting such red flags as “average or above average intelligence” and “conspicuous adaptation to western culture and values.” "

Double wow. Good thing they didn't say "median or above median intelligence" which would be - by definition - just more than half the population. (I probably just made myself a suspect.)

But "average or above average intelligence" rules out, clearly, anyone involved with DHS.

Originally Posted by VelvetJones (Post 24115166)
See, this is where I disagree with the claim. The DHS is doing exactly what it was really established for, which was to create a pervasive surveillance state. They're simply failing at hiding that fact.

Good point.

Originally Posted by Kagehitokiri (Post 24115196)
unfortunately no profit in that

And another good point.

halls120 Jan 10, 2015 11:30 am

Another interesting excerpt from the report.


In 2012, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation (PSI) completed a two-year bipartisan investigation of DHS’s support for the state and local fusion center program, which found that DHS’s work with the fusion centers had not produced useful intelligence to support federal counterterrorism efforts. The PSI investigation revealed that fusion centers “often produced irrelevant, useless or inappropriate intelligence reporting to DHS, and many produced no intelligence reporting whatsoever.
I've been to some of those centers, and to say they are a waste of money is an understatement. Only one was producing actionable intelligence of any value.

The depressing fact is this - DHS isn't going away, and neither republicans or democrats have any interested in fixing this massive CF of a department.

KoKoBuddy Jan 10, 2015 11:56 am

A government program that fails?

That's un-possible!

Solution of course is to double the budget, that'll fix things.

NY-FLA Jan 14, 2015 3:10 pm

What a surprise
 
So; the tip of the DHS iceberg easily visible to me is useful only as a target for considerable disdain. (viz. war on liquids {except < 3.4 oz}, ineffective but expensive and intrusive scanners, repetitive ID checks, etc., etc.)
How ineffective and expensive in areas where they don't even have to interface with a cynical public could this mass of morons be?
Got it.

yandosan Jan 15, 2015 5:01 pm

Did the Stasi or KGB "succeed" in their "missions?"
You have to remember one of the primary missions of DHS
or any other bloated law enforcement agency is being big and
spooky and immune from accountability, and reminding the
public Big Brother is always in control.
The prime directive of DHS is promulgated the all-powerful Police State, or the illusion thereof, and in that sense I would say it is succeeding.


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