Bob-a-job-alog-a-roonie

Yet another reason to be worried about Bush regaining power, according to the Sydney Morning Herald he wants US citizens to spy on each other, non unlike what occured in communist countries:

The Bush Administration aims to recruit millions of United States citizens as domestic informants in a program likely to alarm civil liberties groups.

The Terrorism Information and Prevention System, or TIPS, means the US will have a higher percentage of citizen informants than the former East Germany through the infamous Stasi secret police. The program would use a minimum of 4 per cent of Americans to report "suspicious activity".

A pilot program, described on the government Web site www.citizencorps.gov, is scheduled to start next month in 10 cities, with 1 million informants participating in the first stage. Assuming the program is initiated in the 10 largest US cities, that will be 1 million informants for a total population of almost 24 million, or one in 24 people.

.... Historically, informant systems have been the tools of non-democratic states.

Listening to: Jitterbug Boy performed by Tom Waits