Despite the fact that most Americans are more worried about their homes and wallets than about "the terrorists," the Bush administration is taking aim at one of our country's core industries - tourism - and antagonizing our closest allies.
Tourism, according to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies,

is America's largest service export:
* International travelers spend $91.1 billion in the U.S.
* An $8.6 billion trade surplus for the U.S. is generated by this spending.
* The average overseas visitor to the U.S. spends $1,647, with an average trip duration of 15.6 nights.

Also:

Tourism is one of America's largest employers:
* Tourism directly employs 7.9 million people.
* Tourism indirectly employs 9.4 million people.
* Total tourism employment is 18 million people.
* Travel related payroll is $174 billion.

Also:

Tourism is America's third-largest retail sales industry:
* $537.2 billion in total expenditures
* $98.7 billion in tax revenue for federal, state and local governments
* American travelers in the U.S. spend $1.5 billion a day, $61 million an hour and $1 million a minute on travel and tourism

So antagonizing European governments and tourists, with the prospect of recession looming, is phenomenally stupid.
Nonetheless, the Bush administration seems determined to do just that. A few weeks ago, Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff proclaimed that because of the "security threat" of European "home-grown terrorism," America will be increasing security checks on incoming arrivals from Europe. But don't worry - Chertoff promised trade won't be affected, though he didn't bother to spell out how that would work.
I suppose European businessmen won't mind going through humiliating security checks to come and do business here. It's not like they could go elsewhere…
And I suppose European governments and businesses won't mind if Bush introduces a whole new set of security procedures for transatlantic flights.

The US administration is pressing the 27 governments of the European Union to sign up for a range of new security measures for transatlantic travel, including allowing armed guards on all flights from Europe to America by US airlines.
The demand to put armed air marshals on to the flights is part of a travel clampdown by the Bush administration that officials in Brussels described as "blackmail" and "troublesome", and could see west Europeans and Britons required to have US visas if their governments balk at Washington's requirements.
According to a US document being circulated for signature in European capitals, EU states would also need to supply personal data on all air passengers overflying but not landing in the US in order to gain or retain visa-free travel to America, senior EU officials said.
And within months the US department of homeland security is to impose a new permit system for Europeans flying to the US, compelling all travellers to apply online for permission to enter the country before booking or buying a ticket, a procedure that will take several days.
The data from the US's new electronic transport authorisation system is to be combined with extensive personal passenger details already being provided by EU countries to the US for the "profiling" of potential terrorists and assessment of other security risks.
Washington is also asking European airlines to provide personal data on non-travellers - for example family members - who are allowed beyond departure barriers to help elderly, young or ill passengers to board aircraft flying to America, a demand the airlines reject as "absurd".

No, they won't mind.

To European ears, the US demands sound draconian. "This would oblige the European countries to allow US air marshals on US flights. It's controversial and difficult," an EU official said. At the moment the use of air marshals is discretionary for European states and airlines.
While armed American guards would be entitled to sit on the European flights to the US, the Americans also want the PNR data transfers extended from travellers from Europe to the US to include the details of those whose flights are not to America, but which overfly US territory, say to central America or the Caribbean.
Brussels has told Washington that its demands raise legal problems in Europe over data protection, over guarantees on how the information is handled, over which US agencies have access to it or with whom it might be shared, and over issues of redress if the data is misused.
The Association of European Airlines, representing 31 airlines, including all the big west European national carriers, has told the US authorities that there is "no international legal foundation" for supplying them with data about passengers on flights overflying US territory.
The US Transport Security Administration has also asked the European airlines to supply personal data on "certain non-travelling members of the public requesting access to areas beyond the screening checkpoint".
The AEA said this was "absurd" because the airlines neither obtain nor can obtain such information. The request was "fully unjustified".
If the Americans persevere in the proposed security crackdown, Brussels is likely to respond with tit-for-tat action, such as calling for visas for some Americans.
European governments, however, would probably veto such action, one official said, not least for fear of the "massive disruption given the huge volume of transatlantic traffic".

And I don't suppose all these disruptions could hurt American airline carriers, who are already perpetually in and out of bankruptcy…
In short, these measures seem designed to backfire economically while doing little to make America safer. As the Bush administration continues the Sovietization of America, with security paranoia replacing clear thinking, one can only wonder how far these madmen are willing to go for the sake of their fantasies.
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