Wow. This tape sounds like the Soviet Union.
Official: "We don't need any grounds."
Shopper: "Well, that's ridiculous."
Official: "That's the United States. I'm sorry. I don't know what to tell you."
Shopper: "You don't need any grounds for your actions?"
Official: "Absolutely not."
Official: "We catch 3 terrorists a day at this border crossing." (either this guy is full of shit, or we are to believe that they are catching ALL of them)
official: "Stop shaking your head. You're a Canadian citizen?"
Shopper: "what are you going to do? Shoot me?"
Official: "Was that a threat?"
"You're in a lot of trouble. You ever hear of obstruction of justice? ... As soon as you pulled away, that's assault. Do you understand how much trouble you are in right now? You're going to jail."
Fortunately, the Canadian man -- identified only as "qtronman" on YouTube -- had recorded the incident, and he later uploaded the recording, so we know the border agents are lying.
The couple were on their way to a mall in Niagara Falls, in the United States, when they were ordered out of their car by a U.S. border guard -- apparently because they didn't care for the Canadians' impatient tone when they couldn't name the specific stores they'd be visiting.
Throughout the exchange leading to the arrest, the Canadian man comes across as exasperated but cooperative -- not out-of-line for a person dealing with other adults he considers to be acting in an abusive and irrational way. He didn't bow and scrape, though, which may have antagonized the border guards.
The officials, on the other hand, sound provocative, and even as if they're enjoying their use of authority.
I always wondered what it was like to live in a country as it became a dictatorship, always wondered how the people there could be swept up by a Mussolini, a Stalin, a Hitler. Now I know. I don't like where this country is headed. The groundwork is there for a police state- all we need is the dictator to pull it all together.
