[sheltonmac]

BUMP

[billbears]

I would laugh but it's not funny. This could very easily happen and I think when Bush leaves office it may very well will happen.

[dd5339]

You left out the part about getting busted by the cigarette nazis!

Semper Fi

[Tauzero]

Most excellent, IMO.

[Diamond]

Cable Guy leaves out the part where the FBI burns down Mrs. Benson's house and bulldozes everything.

Cordially,

[Red Jones]

very funny.

[headsonpikes]

Funny, but not shocking.

He doesn't really capture the fear felt by the quarry, and therefore can't really give voice to the lust of the informer.

This cautionary tale paints a very rosy picture of life in an American 'security' state. As foreshadowings already indicate, the reality will be much meaner. :^(

[Fred Mertz]

Excellent article!

[Omedalus]

You all are grossly mis-evaluating the way in which TIPS runs (or will run).

News flash for y'all: Your average cable guy can, and sometimes does, call the FBI if he sees something "suspicious" ANYWAY, regardless of whether or not he styles himself a "secret agent".

The FBI has absolutely no use for an informant who calls in a report on an elderly grandmother with a flower garden. The cable guy in the story would get a chance to make such a call exactly once. The FBI would come, knock on the woman's door, see she's not a threat, apologize for wasting her time, and give the cable guy a long talking-to.

If he was found making a habit of it, he'd be jailed under aggressive accusation clauses. These are the same laws that jail women who cry, "Rape!" to put away ex-boyfriends they don't like.

The sky isn't falling, folks. I'm sorry to shatter all your conspiracy theory illusions, but the article presents a work of fiction, nothing more.