Shades of Nazi Germany - Locals forced to spy on US Citizens and others
For the last serveral months, U.S. Postal Inspectors have been in the DR demanding that services like EPS Business Services report on who uses their firm to send mail to, or recieve mail from, the U.S.
This invasion of privacy will be accomplished by each client being required to complete PS form 1583 which can be found on the Internet at http://www.usps.com/forms/ pdf/ps1583.pdf
Starting the middle of next month, to mail even a simple post card, you'll need to provide two forms of identification with one containing a photograph; your address in the DR and telephone number. If you use a company name, you'll have to devulge the same details above plus the names and addresses of all officers, the date of and where the company was registered and the type of business it's in.
The Postal gang used very heavy handed tactics with the locals. They threatened to block all of their firm's mail from entering or leaving the US and suggested heavy fines and other sanctions would be used if they didn't comply. Both EPS in Sosua and Puerto Plata already have buckled under the pressure and agreed to comply. I presume others will soon follow too.
My sense is that this is only the beginning of an attack on our personal privacy. The information generated from these forms will no doubt create a data base useful to the IRS and other federal, state and local government agencies. Furthermore, through the Freedom of Information Act, non government agencies, businesses, and even individuals will also have access to this information. Once this intelligence is gathered, its uses will be limited only by our imagination.
Does anyone care that the land once noted for frredom and liberty are now using gestapo-like tactics to spy on its own citizens?
For the last serveral months, U.S. Postal Inspectors have been in the DR demanding that services like EPS Business Services report on who uses their firm to send mail to, or recieve mail from, the U.S.
This invasion of privacy will be accomplished by each client being required to complete PS form 1583 which can be found on the Internet at http://www.usps.com/forms/ pdf/ps1583.pdf
Starting the middle of next month, to mail even a simple post card, you'll need to provide two forms of identification with one containing a photograph; your address in the DR and telephone number. If you use a company name, you'll have to devulge the same details above plus the names and addresses of all officers, the date of and where the company was registered and the type of business it's in.
The Postal gang used very heavy handed tactics with the locals. They threatened to block all of their firm's mail from entering or leaving the US and suggested heavy fines and other sanctions would be used if they didn't comply. Both EPS in Sosua and Puerto Plata already have buckled under the pressure and agreed to comply. I presume others will soon follow too.
My sense is that this is only the beginning of an attack on our personal privacy. The information generated from these forms will no doubt create a data base useful to the IRS and other federal, state and local government agencies. Furthermore, through the Freedom of Information Act, non government agencies, businesses, and even individuals will also have access to this information. Once this intelligence is gathered, its uses will be limited only by our imagination.
Does anyone care that the land once noted for frredom and liberty are now using gestapo-like tactics to spy on its own citizens?
Last edited:
