# Operation TIPS - What's your opinion? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 15, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operation-tips-whats-your-opinion/119073 "2002-07-15T15:58:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jmpride62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@jmpride62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmpride62)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operation-tips-whats-your-opinion/119073/1 "2002-07-15T15:58:13Z")
Part of the government’s program to combat terrorism. [http://www.citizencorps.gov/tips.html](http://www.citizencorps.gov/tips.html) ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operation-tips-whats-your-opinion/119073/2 "2002-07-15T16:19:18Z")
On the surface, it seems sort of reasonable, but I worry about the “war on terrorism” becoming another McCarthy-esque witch hunt. Disagree with the government? Then clearly, you’re with the terrorists! From Tom Tomorrow’s [web log](http://www.thismodernworld.com): > [@](#): > > I know that many of you prefer to live as if you awaken each day in a world made anew–why on earth would we worry about giving the FBI broad and sweeping new powers?–but I’m going to go way out on a limb here and say flat out: there are things to be learned from the lessons of history. And an official government system by which citizens are encouraged to spy on their neighbors should really set the alarm bells ringing. > > Facism is a term thrown about too freely, and I don’t believe we’re at a point that its use is justified–but an oppressive and intrusive government, however you want to label it, does not ride into town wearing the uniforms and waving the flags of recognizable evil. It creeps in slowly, waving the flag of your own country, and speaking the language of patriotism and duty, and at each step along the way, its actions seem plausible and defensible–until one morning you wake up and realize the gulf between the way things were and the way things are has grown so wide that there is no going back. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operation-tips-whats-your-opinion/119073/3 "2002-07-16T11:49:55Z")
Ummm… If I join TIPS do I get a brown shirt? ---
**Author:** ![ski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@ski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ski)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operation-tips-whats-your-opinion/119073/4 "2002-07-16T13:15:39Z")
Ooh, I don’t like it AT ALL. It will lead to McCarthyism at its worst, and just make everybody distrust one another at its best. Slippery slope. Yuk. ---
**Author:** ![gruven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a9a28c/32.png) [@gruven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gruven)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operation-tips-whats-your-opinion/119073/5 "2002-07-16T13:33:33Z")
It feels very 1984ish. I think people should be encouraged to take more care of themselves rather than spy on their neighbors. TIPS is supposed to be for truckers who see something suspicious by a bridge or a dockworker who sees a suspicious boat and stuff. But instead of encouraging a report to the government, I think poeple should be encouraged to pull over and see for themselves. If “evildoers” believed that the public would actually stand up for themselves, that might do more for safety than 100 government programs. As it stands, we’re supposed to rely on the government to protect us. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operation-tips-whats-your-opinion/119073/6 "2002-07-16T19:07:50Z")
I’d like to sign up as a joke. I’d be like Ralph Drabble calling in traffic tips. I’d make myself a badge and everything. I’ll threaten anyone who crosses me by flashing my badge and saying I will report them as a suspected terrorist. ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2002, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operation-tips-whats-your-opinion/119073/7 "2002-07-16T19:30:26Z")
Sucks. Definately reminds me of 1984 and McCarthyism. There is a petition against it here: [http://www.PetitionOnline.com/TIPS/petition.html](http://www.PetitionOnline.com/TIPS/petition.html) ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2002, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operation-tips-whats-your-opinion/119073/8 "2002-07-17T00:17:09Z")
We’re turning into East Germany. In particular, encouraging mail carriers to report people is the government’s way of spying on the mail without a warrant. mblackwell, thanks for the link to the petition. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2002, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operation-tips-whats-your-opinion/119073/9 "2002-07-17T03:25:14Z")
BTW, who would be the people we should write to for the best effect? The President? Our Congresspeople? ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2002, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operation-tips-whats-your-opinion/119073/10 "2002-07-17T06:39:12Z")
I’d like to join up and start reporting every political and authority figure for suspicious behavior. Trying to tell everyone what to do seems pretty suspicious to me, after all. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2002, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operation-tips-whats-your-opinion/119073/11 "2002-07-17T23:58:55Z")
I’m sort of with **gruven** – it would be tolerable as long as it wwere about people who have a chance to observe certain unusual activities in their everyday comings and goings, _and can tell what is unusual_ e.g. the truckers/shippers. But how the heck can it stop there? Will we have to wonder if everyone you come into contact with is a potential snitch; maybe we won’t go as far as having organized, named _“Comités de Defensa de la Revolución”_ but if the effect is the same… I most definitely DON’T want us going there. …but maybe, before that happens, the cases of premature, honestly/stupidly mistaken, frivolous, overreactive, abusive and/or just plain maliciously false reports will lead the system to rapidly degrade into worthlesness. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/operation-tips-whats-your-opinion/119073/12 "2002-07-18T02:03:54Z")
I can imagine it also could be abused-people with a grudge against someone, reporting their neighbor. I’m going to risk a Godwin pulled on me and say this sounds so Nazi it isn’t even funny. It also reminds me of the stories one of my professors told us about growing up in the Soviet Union. _shudder_