Ramak Fazel: 49 State Capitols

January 22, 2008 10:25 AM

Odyssey of State Capitols and State Suspicion. "The story behind an exhibition: postcards, designs, photography, travels, history, stamps and law enforcement." [Via BB.]
posted by homunculus (10 comments total)

It's really worrisome when the only decent example of law enforcement conduct is in Albany.
posted by Skorgu at 10:37 AM on January 22, 2008

I don't see the problem here. I would certainly have been put under surveillance had I tried the same thing in Iran. Unless our goal was to be a more open society than Iran. Was it? I forget.

I'm totally going on The List.
And I guess technically, Iran doesn't have state capitols.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 10:38 AM on January 22, 2008

Jeebus. Was he seated next to Maggie Gallagher on the flight that started this bullshit?
posted by lord_wolf at 10:43 AM on January 22, 2008

Disgusting. I'd like to know more about the bitch who decided it was her civic duty to photograph this artist in his sleep and report him to the fucking secret police. What could have been going through her empty head? "ooh, here's a terrorist with an elaborate front story for a nefarious operation that he decided to share with a stranger on an airplane. now's my chance to do my part!"

At this point, it doesn't matter if we do invade northern Pakistan and scour the last Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters from the Earth. It doesn't matter if we establish a stable democracy in Iraq or topple the regime in Iran. It doesn't matter if we hunt down every last terrorist in northern Africa or Palestine. We still will have lost the war on terror. After 9/11, this nation destroyed itself more effectively than any meager bombing ever could.

What does it mean to be American? Easy. Today, it means being watched very closely while you go shopping.
posted by EatTheWeek at 10:49 AM on January 22, 2008

First they came for the artists, and I didn’t speak up, because I'm not an artist. Then they came for the 5-year-olds, and I didn’t speak up, because I don't like kids.
posted by homunculus at 11:19 AM on January 22, 2008

good post, homunculus. it makes me sad to be an american these days.
posted by brandz at 7:51 PM on January 22, 2008

Was he seated next to Maggie Gallagher on the flight that started this bullshit?

More likely Annie Jacobsen. [prv1][prv2][prv3]
posted by dhartung at 9:39 PM on January 22, 2008 [1 favorite]

It's really worrisome when the only decent example of law enforcement conduct is in Albany.

Skorgu: as it happens, a couple of years ago, I was actually hassled by the State Police for taking pictures of the New York State Capitol. (They were concerned because I was using a tripod. Which implied that I must have been a terrorist.)

Given that I was copying the very same picture of the building that appears on about 10,000,000 copies of the "I Love NY" tourism booklets, I laughed at the Trooper - but that probably got my name on The List.

America became a very odd place in the 21st century.
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 10:29 PM on January 22, 2008

Total Surveillance
posted by homunculus at 2:25 PM on January 23, 2008

Immigration officials detaining, deporting American citizens

WTF?
posted by homunculus at 10:54 AM on January 25, 2008 [1 favorite]