Homeland Security PSA says paying for hotel room with cash is “suspicious activity”

Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Guests checking in at big hotels like the Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton, and Holiday Inn will now be met with the face of Janet Napolitano when they turn on their televisions, as Homeland Security’s ‘See Something, Say Something’ snitch campaign continues to expand.

“The Department of Homeland Security is turning to television and public service announcements to urge U.S. hotel guests to fight terrorism,” reports UPI, adding that PSAs encouraging Americans to “report suspicious activity” which are already playing in hundreds of Wal-Mart stores across the country will be expanded to 5,400 hotels serviced by the television provider LodgeNet.

Indeed, as of Tuesday the messages were already playing as soon as guests turned on their television.

Informing the “millions of guests that stay at hotels and motels each year is a significant step in engaging the full range of partners in our homeland security efforts,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said.

As we have documented, the promotional videos that have accompanied the launch of the ‘See Something, Say Something’ campaign characterize “suspicious activity” as a whole range of mundane behaviors, including opposing surveillance, using a video camera, talking to police officers, wearing hoodies, driving vans, writing on a piece of paper, and using a cell phone recording application.

Another primary indicator of suspicious activity is also being a white middle class American citizen, if the DHS promo clips are to be believed.

One PSA specifically targeted at hotel employees and hotel guests (watch it below), characterizes paying for a room with cash as a suspicious activity that potentially indicates terrorism. In the clip, the man paying for the reservation presents and ID but his lack of a credit card causes the receptionist to report the man to her boss.

Not using a credit card to settle a hotel bill “is suspicious behavior,” according to the voiceover in the clip.

As we have documented, every historical example of such informant programs illustrates that they never lead to a more secure society, but instead breed suspicion, distrust, fear and resentment amongst the population. The only “benefit” that such programs have ever achieved is allowing the state to more easily identify and persecute political dissidents while discouraging the wider population from engaging in any criticism against the government.

Catching terrorists is the job of trained professionals, it should not be entrusted to Wal-Mart employees, hotel receptionists or holidaymakers.

Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a regular fill-in host for The Alex Jones Show.

Labels: Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security

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