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Encrypt and lock your electronic devices, because the border agents want to touch them:
Customs officers stationed at the American border and at airports searched an estimated 30,200 cellphones, computers and other electronic devices of people entering and leaving the United States last year — an almost 60 percent increase from 2016, according to Homeland Security Department data released on Friday.
Despite the surge, Customs and Border Protection officials said the searches affected fewer than 1 percent of the more than 300 million travelers who arrived in the United States last year.
Homeland Security officials say border searches are an important investigative tool and are used sparingly by its agents. "In this digital age, border searches of electronic devices are essential to enforcing the law at the U.S. border and to protecting the American people," said John Wagner, the deputy executive assistant commissioner at Customs and Border Protection. Mr. Wagner said the agency was committed to preserving the rights and civil liberties of travelers whose devices are searched.
Also at ABC.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by dry on Monday January 08 2018, @01:56AM (2 children)
Granting very limited powers to the government has been tried. I think the experiment was a country called the United States of America.
(Score: 2) by requerdanos on Monday January 08 2018, @03:52PM (1 child)
It both didn't work (not enough power for necessary government functions) and was abandoned (not enough power to oppress some for the gain of others).
Do you think there's a way back to enough power for the government to function, but limited enough not to oppress? (I mean, short of revolution)
(Score: 2) by dry on Monday January 08 2018, @04:31PM
The government has to be more scared of the people punishing them, by throwing them out, during elections or even through mass protests including things such as general strikes.
Basically election reform as right now you're stuck with this 2 party system where the parties are in agreement on too many things and there is no compromise either on the things that they don't agree with.
Your system was well designed for the 18th century but has evolved in ways that don't seem democratic so parts of the Constitution would need rewriting, something your system is setup for as the States can override Congress.
If the people really cared, they could demand change. America is still enough of a democracy that non-violent change should be possible, if the people wanted it.