My “favourite” part about travelling to the USA is that little form they make you fill in before coming to the passport control, which has a tick box asking you to answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to the question “Have you ever been a member of the Nazi party?” (or words to that meaning). I would really like to know if the American border authorities have statistics on just how many Nazis they’ve kept out of the USA because they’ve ticked yes.
Frankly, entering the USA is nowadays such a lengthy performance that it makes you think twice about any trip to the USA, business or leisure. I read recently that they now want fingerprints from every single finger, rather than just the couple from before.

Incidentally, in a similar incident this week, Britain’s first Muslim government minister was stopped at an American airport suspected of having a bomb. Apperently it’s the second time it’s happened to him in a year in the USA. He’d been in the United States on official business for the UK government, having meetings with the Americans about terrorism! He’s quoted as saying that the American system does not inspire trust, according to Dagens Nyheter: http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=148&a=710421&rss=1400

From 2004: “Police in Brazil’s tourism capital have begun photographing and fingerprinting all US visitors arriving at its main international airport”

Except Brazil Custom officials used (are still using?) the good old fashion paper-ink method They just hauled Yanks from the line to be fingerprinted.

Finland could adopt similar methods. So why isn’t Phil’s fingers black yet? Really suspicious behavior, travelling back from San Francisco…old hippie paradise.

Why would anyone still travel to the US unless they absolutely have to? Correct me if I’m wrong but once a foreigner sets foot on US soil doesn’t his/her rights seize to exist? You have absolutely no rights once you’re within US borders and right off the bat you’ll have to turn over your freedom into the hands of some airhead border agent who has grand delusions of adequacy.

Then again everyone who has been eating up the terrorism excuses used to pass these laws all over the western world truly deserves to be detained in the first place.

That would have been good to get some film footage and put it on YouTube. If only someone had their cellphone on recording it all. Next time I go through customs, I will start my phone recording.

Who wants to find Lännen Jukka a layer. He could get some serious reimbursement if he sued.

Once the border guy at Logan Airport in Boston asked my Finnish wife (we were coming in on a direct flight from Helsinki) if she had received any packages from “Trahn.”

“Huh?” We said in unison.

“Trahn.”

“Sorry, I still don’t understand.” I said.

“Trahn! Trahn!… Trahn. Eye-Ran!”

I burst out into laughter and explained that my wife is Finnish and a daycare lady.

That shut him up. Luckily.

Finns: Hey what ever happened to Lännen-Jukka??
Other Finns:….
American immigrant: Oh yeah these guys.. I remember torturing them in guantanamo. They died before they told anything. They claimed to be musicians from Finland imagine that hehehe.
Finns:??

Dodgy banjoplayers on a flight from Amsterdam

Don’t know if I’d categorize J.Karjalainen with Bruce Springsteen though. I’d say Bob Dylan. Though Karjalainen’s been versatile in his production.

Hmmm. I don’t get how all these people manage to have all sorts of trouble.

99+ percent of all people coming in don’t have a problem. Unlike in Europe, you don’t have to stand in line to get out. That is where I have been detained, trying to leave Finland. that happened twice. Once for a previous trip where my exit date was stamped in error as 2/3/YEAR instead of 3/2/YEAR. Of course this did not match my records of my movement out of the country. He wanted to know what I was doing in the country that March and then claimed that I was in the country to long that trip to return so early. I then gave him a simple math lesson and pointed out that even counting the extra month, I was still under the limit.

So the US is not the only country with problems getting in. At least we don’t execute you for having drugs when you enter like some places. There is recently some news of a Finn returning home will too much snuff who is now going to jail. He was caught using big-brother tactics.

Fred Fry, my sincerest apologies if I am incorrect, but I suspect you are an American citizen. Therefore, you don’t have to queue for as long, nor do you have to fill in a form where amongst other things you are asked if you have any connection to Nazi warcrimes or terrorists, or indeed have your photo and finger prints taken (what is the point of the form, which terrorist will be stopped by a yes/no tick box?). Last time I landed in New York, the queue for non-USA citizens took just under 90 minutes!

Now, I know that non-EU and non-Nordic citizens are given stricter controls when entering Finland, but I don’t believe we are finger printing every non-citizen yet, nor do I think the queue ever lasts as long as that at Helsinki-Vantaa.

I guess the Twin Cities officials were secretly fans and they just got confused and they strip-searched them to see if they could find Väinö. All Karjalainen would have had to say was that he was under the apple tree as usual, and it would have been OK. Well, that and actually having a permit to work when you are carrying a Gibson and are described in your passport as a musician…

Amidst all the likely US-bashing that will doubtless come as fall-out from this incident, I’d have to admit I’ve never (before or after 2001) had any trouble getting in or out, except one idiot in a suit at Heathrow back in 1993 as we were getting on an AA flight to NYC, who wanted to know if we’d talked to any Greeks while we were on holiday there. Hell no, nosiree, we don’t mix with the natives!

In the US itself, after the immediate mess of 9/11 had got sorted out and they had the necessary staff, I’ve found that the people there have been scrupulously polite and quite efficient at what they do. But there are more horse’s asses in the world than horses, and I guess you can always get unlucky and meet one of them coming to the ned of a bad shift.

By the way, the Springsteen reference is probably linked to the recent Lännen-Jukka stuff, which is not a million miles different from what Bruce was doing with the Seeger Sessions.

Fred Fry, I would have paid a year’s sallary to see you trying to explain that typing error to a TSA agent while coming into the US as a foreigner =)

It has been argued in the HS.fi discussion at least that the band wasn’t going to be paid for the concerts and thus wouldn’t have needed a permit. The organizers and YLE paid for their expenses though. Apparently J. Karjalainen has done many of these tours to America before so he would know what to do.

JG,

I am an American, but my wife is not. BEfore we were married I waited for her to wind through that line. I have been detained in Finland. She has been detained entering the US at least twice, once as it so happens while I have been with her. That was in NY. I have sat in ‘secondary’ inspection and have have wonderful conversations with ICE on all sorts of matters. (It does help having your backup paperwork from DOJ.) I did miss them ask my wife why she had a DC library card in her purse if she was not living here.

“Fred Fry, I would have paid a year’s sallary to see you trying to explain that typing error to a TSA agent while coming into the US as a foreigner =)”

ME: “Officer, I have no idea.” And I would stick with that story. It would be easy, as I did not notice the error until the border guard pointed it out. (Always remember to use Officer, sir, etc.)

Fred, you do have bad luck it sounds! I have never, yet, been detained or even questioned in any meaningful way. Nevertheless, entering the USA is these days the most painfully slow and intimidating of any country (including Russia). It was not before, and once you are through into the country Americans are some of the best hosts you can hope for. It’s a shame that their immigration officials seem intent in making it such an ordeal to get into the country, that many people think twice about visiting.

Look, show us the proof, as we say “the beef” with FACTS and names etc.

If not, then this is a non issue, just like the lady with the tippy cup spill, who cried real tears on TV. Well until the TSA tapes came out showing the real story, THAT they bent over backwards for her.

So I would watch out for the tapes, then we will get the real story.

To bad the water drip devide was out of order. Have to get it fixed for his next trip here.

“By the way, the Springsteen reference is probably linked to the recent Lännen-Jukka stuff, which is not a million miles different from what Bruce was doing with the Seeger Sessions.”

They are being compared because they both make similar music. You listen to songs such as “mies jolle ei koskaan tapahdu mitään” or “laura häkkinen” and you may hear some similarities. They both have their own recognizable sound, but they are close enough to compare for some people. This is the first time I have heard of such compare and I am not so keen to compare music anyway. But in songwriting they are quite similar now that I gave it a thought.

Heh, I guess J can thank his blond hair and blue eyes for not ending up deeper in the “arhipelagi”

Yep, customs&immigration sucks. In Malaysia they had this hilarious “Please make sure you are not a hippie since hippies are not allowed” in official guide. In the 90′s I got constantly pulled aside from the green line at Helsinki harbour for not shaving in 3 days and wearing a richly decorated nordic sweater, hand-knitted by Mrs. rn.

Yes, it seems that America has turned into an even bigger shithole than before, when I visited in early 2000. A previous commenter is right, that American people are good hosts.

But the government in the United States is both corrupt and dangerous. My only hope is that Europe does not ally itself with the USA in world affairs, or copy its domestic policies.

Sorry, but that’s how I feel. If you go on the side of USA, then you go down with a sinking ship.

While those border nazis are busy harassing foreign tourists, about 30 tunnels for smuggling people and drugs are operational at any given time under US Mexico border.

Finns: Hey what ever happened to Lännen-Jukka?
Other Finns: …
American tourist: Oh yeah those guys.. I know them. I tortured them in Guantanamo Bay. They died before they told anything. They kept saying they are musicians from Finland can you imagine hehehe..
Finns: …

Do the customs authorities have the right to search your butt?

I really don’t understand the point of bullying random people at customs. I mean how many drug smugglers or terrorists have been caught this way? It’s not like hardened criminals or terrorist are likely to break down when confronted by shouting slamming doors. Is it just a few power-tripping dickheads, or is it a policy? Similar stories seem to pop up all the time.

Well, Americans lack by now pre- and postintelligence (largely because the current US administration is busy burning bridges) So they try to compensate that with overly tough measures at the border.

EU does have a much better tactics, border is not that important but pre and postborderintelligence is.

Case number one 1: IRAN.

Iran helped you guys to attack Iraq, giving intelligence info and even allowing cruise missiles fly on their land (because cruise missiles reguire land altitude changes for guidance and Iraq is pretty much flat). Even proposed all-out negotiations back in 2004 but what the fuck Dubya did?

Put Iran on the Axis of Evil list. So much for cooperations.

“Do the customs authorities have the right to search your butt?”
– Wrong decade. Now they just x-ray you.

I think they should have the two-lane process, but instead of by citizenship, it should be:
– “I know I am not going to have a problem”
– “I thing I am not going to have a problem”

If you are in the ‘I know’ line in error, you get marked for the ‘I think’ line for future crossings.

Remember that the real criminals are those smuggling and so on. It is because of them that we all get treated as such.

“Remember that the real criminals are those smuggling and so on. It is because of them that we all get treated as such.”

Typical appeasing and black-and-white attitude. “Those normal patriot Americans have nothing to fear”. Fred is almost assimilated to that US Patriot shit. Remember, person is innocent until proven guilty. That you have almost forgotten. Shame on you.

“It is because of them that we all get treated as such.”

You are almost like 1935 brown shirt. Little by little. FUCK, WE SHOULD NOT EVER TREATED LIKE CRIMINALS AT THE FIRST PLACE! Innocent until proven guilty will SHOULD ALWAYS BE THE CASE!

It sure looks like 1937 or 2007. Hmmm, how things change. Probably they will drag my ass to shoot at Americans. Well, Fred. Your talking is sorry to say almost there, at fascism.

Tim, you on those pills again? You really have very little knowledge of what you’re talking about (apart from the admission of a better welfare sys in USA) but always provide a laugh. Tell where to find your chemist and together we could make a fortune. I’ll spend mine and you can buy homes for the homeless……….

#29 – Punter, I recall the following comment:

“#23- Why do you have to take a comment and turn it into a personal insult full of vile and filth? To make such a comment and insult is to me a true picture of yourself.”

On the topic of airport security – a security expert said, even with cavity search, restricted access to weapon, and guards 24×7, prison is still one of the dangerous places to be in. Compare that to the search procedure and what you allow to carry in airport, you can see the “security measures” aren’t as secure as it’s advertised. On the other hand, Israel is one of the most targeted area for terrorism, yet percentage-wise, more people died due to car accidents than the acts of terrorism (suicide bombings, shootings, stabbings…) inside Israel.

The difference, and I presume also the point of this post, is the intelligence/common sense, or the lack of them.

“Typical appeasing and black-and-white attitude. “Those normal patriot Americans have nothing to fear”. Fred is almost assimilated to that US Patriot shit. Remember, person is innocent until proven guilty. That you have almost forgotten. Shame on you.”

Tim,
It is people like you that push for the ‘gray’ path which by the way keeps all of the criminals and maniacs on the loose amongst us. By looking at everything in shades of gray, everything gets excused. That goes for the UN and Global Community. Not for anything, but my first blog post was about this whole viewpoint “Seeing things in Black and white instead of in shades of gray.”

Yes, you are innocent until proven guilty. These guys spent two hours detained at the airport. Then they were let go. Unfortunately, many guilty people are also let go, thanks to shades of gray. This is the society we built. One good thing is that you don’t run it. Because it you did, I am sure that I would be against the wall with a couple others from around here while you argue with some other leftists over who gets to shoot us first. I can be tolerant of others. Can you?

#31
Are you trying to justify the behaviour of the custom/immigrant officials in this incident? Gestapo style interrogation of random people at an international airport? Did I read you correctly that you even suggest a lot harder line?

I have only one idea left here. Other countries must treat Americans the same way. From now on random people arriving from the USA would be directed to some airport interrogation room where they are held for hours. Fingerprints taken, gestapo style interrogation, door slamming and shouting. No lawyers, no chance to speak up. Dont take it personally. Its just for the “national security” har har..

31 “Are you trying to justify the behaviour of the custom/immigrant officials in this incident? Gestapo style interrogation of random people at an international airport? Did I read you correctly that you even suggest a lot harder line?

I have only one idea left here. Other countries must treat Americans the same way. From now on random people arriving from the USA would be directed to some airport interrogation room where they are held for hours. Fingerprints taken, gestapo style interrogation, door slamming and shouting. No lawyers, no chance to speak up. Dont take it personally. Its just for the “national security” har har..”

Say yes if you’re a Nazi
http://kuvat.iltalehti.fi/uutiset/amerikka2AML_uu.jpg

It *used* to have “are you a member of the Communist party” as well.

aet75: “I really don’t understand the point of bullying random people at customs.”

That’s the American way. Yelling, slamming doors. Occasionally, we see these lowly-educated types when they come to Europe as tourists. They can’t seem to behave themselves. I think many American’s feel that they don’t have power over their own lives, so the loud behavior is compensatory.

Fred Fry: “This is the society we built.”

No, this is the society that YOU built. Smarter foreign policy would have saved yourselves all the stupidity that your country now engages in.

“Smarter foreign policy would have saved yourselves all the stupidity that your country now engages in.”

Yeah, that’s it. I agree, we should have liquidated Hussain, Ahmadinajad, Sadr, and Nazrallah long ago. Stopped throwing money at Lebanon, Russia, Egypt, Africa and whoever.

and we should have been more aggressive in taking on the Soviets, starting with their refusal to return Northern Korea to Korea just after WWI in defiance of the United Nations, for starters.

and we should have have Reagan as President about 10 years earlier.

By the way, where has the rest of the world been concerning foreign policy for the last couple years?

Try entering a European country with a Turkish passport. And a valid visa.

@ Fred: Liquidation and aggression was the accepted modus operandi during the Cold War, on both sides. These measures were put to rigorous trial in Southeast Asia, Central & South America, and the Middle East. Everywhere, every single time they proved ineffective or, more often, counter-productive in the long run. Many of the current problems around the world stem from that era, Afghanistan and Iraq included. Ask any intelligence veteran about backlash.

The US intelligence community warned against going to war in Iraq, but they were ignored by the hawks in the White House, none of whom had the slightest idea of what they were getting into (or the fat stock options from various defense contractors weighed more in the decision). Churchill once wrote: “The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.” This is something Americans are in total denial about.

As long as US refuses to play ball, with the kind of weight it pulls in the UN (when it sees it fit to involve the UN at all), it matters pretty much fuck all what the rest of the (western) world tries in way of foreign policy, other than some damage control. Also, the US aggression has lead to Russians being equal dickheads whenever they get the chance (like torpedoing the Kosovo initiative), just to swing back at the US. Strife and conflict are quick breeders.

And btw, the division of Korea was agreed upon before the UN came into existence.

And then there are the dick head EU types, who sends troops to be Human Shields for terrorists.

Gee, you guys are good.

“As long as US refuses to play ball, with the kind of weight it pulls in the UN (when it sees it fit to involve the UN at all), it matters pretty much fuck all what the rest of the (western) world tries in way of foreign policy, other than some damage control. Also, the US aggression has lead to Russians being equal dickheads whenever they get the chance (like torpedoing the Kosovo initiative), ”

Yes, well if the rest of the global community honored the sanctions against Iraq and made a genuine effort to resolve the issue, then perhaps the US might not have had to act alone. Sure nobody remembers now, but at one time during sanctions both France and Russia were racing to re-establish air service to Iraq and Officials from both Governments were there explaining away the damage it was doing. That is just one example. (Remember, Saddam was told that France would veto any further action against Iraq at the UN)

Look, the US has kept itself out of the Human Rights Council (or whatever it is called now). Look at what a mess that is. Who is the enemy there? Canada. Countries like Russia act like dickheads because of the people in power. They have been acting that way since the early 1900′s, long before Bush was born or the US cared about what they were up to.

“Countries like Russia act like dickheads because of the people in power. They have been acting that way since the early 1900’s, long before Bush was born or the US cared about what they were up to.”

And now the USA has become the Big Brother itself. Have you read the book “Nineteen Eighty-Four” my dear Fred Fry? If you have, explain to me WHY is it banned in some states?

http://www.pcc.edu/LIBRARY/news/banned2006.htm

“Yes, well if the rest of the global community honored the sanctions against Iraq and made a genuine effort to resolve the issue, then perhaps the US might not have had to act alone.”

And what was the pressing issue that forced the US ‘to act alone’? Iraqi ICBMs aimed at US cities? No, it was the old men in the White House, who had made up their minds that a war is needed, and picked Iraq. The whole thing was amateurish, as often is when it’s politicians who sound the war call instead of soldiers. No plan whatsoever was made for pacification or extraction, a vague idea of Iraqis cheering their liberators was enough. It was a pointless war that has been justified with a succession of reasons, with new ones made up on the run as needed.

Pray tell me, what was achieved? Dictatorship replaced by anarchy?

“And now the USA has become the Big Brother itself. Have you read the book “Nineteen Eighty-Four” my dear Fred Fry? If you have, explain to me WHY is it banned in some states?”

1984 is not banned in the US. It was banned in the Soviet Union. You link to a page that is actually promoting the book! “In 1981, Jackson County, Florida challenged the novel on the grounds that it contained pro-communist material and sexual references.”

The book is currently not banned in the US. Actually, none of the books on your list are banned in the US.

I know of the book, but can’t remmeber if I was forced to read it in school or not. I did read Fahrenheit 451.

aet75,
Please. This had been going on for 10 years. Other nations were facilitating Iraq. Why let it all fall apart to have to go and do it all over again.

“1984 is not banned in the US. It was banned in the Soviet Union. You link to a page that is actually promoting the book! “In 1981, Jackson County, Florida challenged the novel on the grounds that it contained pro-communist material and sexual references. The book is currently not banned in the US. Actually, none of the books on your list are banned in the US.”

Yeah I know the site is promoting it. Here is another one.

http://home.nvg.org/~aga/bulletin43.html

Good thing you proved me wrong. So it’s that they TRIED to ban it in some states. Never the less the US media like CNN do not bring some things out in the open. I watch BBC and when CNN makes a report of the same issue they do sensor the story a bit, mostly the negative stuff that has something to do with US. I don’t mean you are as bad as the Soviets used to be, just trying to make a point that you are dangerously going to that direction at the moment. Hopefully this will change with the presidential election.

I have to say, this is what they do at international airports, in every county. Don’t blame the USA only, this shit happens in Europe, Australia and China!! Trust me, this is nothing compared to some other countries, we Europeans act the same sometimes. Does anyone remember how the group or Georgians (or some other former soviets, can’t remember really) were accused to be professional whores coming to work here in Finland illegally?? They were just tourists who paid their annual salary to have a vacation in Finland, but the custom assholes denied them!! Nice work, customs. Both Funland and USA..

Hmmmmm,
Yes, one thing that I always found interesting is that Airport security searches in Europe are as strict if not moreso than in the US. And that is for intra-Europe flights as well.

llewroG,
Look. What you are refering to are acts that happened decades ago. Not sure how that relates as evidence that the US is clamping down on freedoms. Anyway, attempting to ban a book these days is more likely to make it a bestseller.

As for the press coverage, European news is as deceitful as US news. You would think that the two were complimentary, but they cover completely different issues. We watch Finnish news here over the internet and laugh at the difference in how international items are covered, if at all.

“Yes, one thing that I always found interesting is that Airport security searches in Europe are as strict if not moreso than in the US.”

The UK is in its own league in this. Make sure you reserve enough time for the security check. It will NOT last 90 seconds overall like at Helsinki-Vantaa.

Bif/#3

You are dead wrong. No-ones’ rights cease to exist in the U.S. I am so tired of hearing that kind of horseshit from Europeans. I’ll have you know that having spent most of my life hopscotching back and forth across the atlantic, that the rudest, most bigoted, corrupt, and most capricious customs officials and policemen I have ever met have not even been in the near east or asia, but in “enlightened” europe.

It’s worth noting that in Germany in the 80s to board a plane at Berlin Tegel, one had to be frisked. One occasionally would have to even underess.

Oh, and there are books that are banned in Germany. You’ve probably idolized them.

Banned books: there is no federal government mechanism or method for banning a book. There is one problem with forcing us who actually know the score having to explain one casual accusation hurled after another: we have to keep doing it, and quite frankly, get sick of having to do your homework for you.

If you don’t know something to be factual, why don’t you keep it to yourself. Be mindful too that ‘big brother’ is a european term, and was originally a ubiquitous european problem, and in many was still is.
Nowhere do ‘the democracies’ have the severe summary detention laws that make Gitmo look like an amusement park, and no-where on earth do you have as many surveillance cameras.

Minneapolis-St. Paul is especially well known for dickhead TSA guards. Last summer when I was coming back from Finland after seeing friends and family I was detained for 3 hours. I was suspected of forging my passport because I had spilled water on it during the flight, and because of my “foreign accent” (I’m a Finnish-American from Minnesota) I was especially “interesting”. “Why do you have a foreign accent if you’re an American born citizen?” “What were you doing in Finland?” I had the same three hours of yelling, strip searches, embassey calls, calls to family, and my camera was temporarily confiscated. They even took apart a really cool pen I had bought at Stockmanns under suspicion it was a drug smuggling pen. After the whole thing was over I briefly contemplated getting back on the plane and going back to Finland. For good. America is a paranoid nation of dicks who use September 11th to justify their asshole conduct.