Pacific Views

Paranoia cuts deep.

Earlier this week, the US began implementing its US-VISIT program, which screens most visitors to the country at airports and (soon) border crossings. Unless you're from one of the couple of dozen countries whose nationals don't require a visa to enter the US, you can expect to be photographed and fingerprinted when you arrive. And checked again when you leave the country to make sure that you didn't overstay your visa.

Besides the obvious question of whether this costly system will actually catch any terrorists, US-VISIT appears to be a huge public relations black eye for the US. Already, Brazil has started subjecting US citizens to the same indignities when they arrive at Brazilian airports, and Brazilian officials have made it clear that their actions are in response to those of the US vis-a-vis Brazilians who enter the US. (In a remarkable act of hypocrisy, the US has protested the Brazilian action.)

The lastest action of the US to 'protect' itself against terrorism have wider ramifications for people in the US than the possibility of retaliation by other countries, says Farai Chideya. By taking measure to make it difficult for outsiders to get into the US, the government is also closing off its people from the rest of world.

They add to the already rampant paranoia that the world is merely a dangerous (and not also a wondrous) place and the only safe haven is a gated community within a shuttered nation. Our country is becoming a fortress of our own devising, both psychologically and tangibly. For example, last week Brazil began fingerprinting and photographing American visitors as a tit-for-tat.

"At first, most of the Americans were angered at having to go through all this," said Wagner Castilho, a press officer for the Brazilian federal police. "But they were usually more understanding once they learned that Brazilians are subjected to the same treatment in the U.S."

We can't expect special treatment on the global stage. If we restrict access to the United States, others will restrict our access to the world. And that would be a devastating shame. In an era of terror, anger and recriminations, one of the healing balms is a one-on-one connection with people of other nations. We cannot heal the rifts in this fractious world by hiding in our domain. No screening program will make us absolutely secure. And if we retreat – attempting to become an island fortress – we will endanger not only our humanity, but our long-term security as well.

Via AlterNet.