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>If such background checks were performed, then they either don't have much data or their threat weightings are set to red-scare levels of paranoia. Either way, it's scary.

They're not gonna have anything happen to them if they go tough on (and fuck over an) innocent guy.

They're gonna look bad if they miss a terrorist.

So they have no incentive to not have "red-scare levels of paranoia".

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That's true, I still remember the fact that the Boston Bomber(s) were on international watch lists and their home countries warned the US (whichever TLA, may have been an issue of crossed wires) that these guys were on the move, and it was all ignored.

Now, visit a 'bad' website, or somehow be mistaken for someone that visited a 'bad' website, and you'll get some deep personal treatment.

Feds can't win, but it seems to be through their own laziness or incompetence or lack of interagency cooperation.

Or maybe because it's motives, and what level of capture they have over their 'customers'? Seems pretty simple to me. They have a monopoly of service and the only retribution people can take is political which means everything is done on appearance.

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