Lie Down with the Idiotic Idea of a "Homeland Security" Department ...

... get up with raids on flea markets to combat the existential threat of fake Coach bags and DVD burns of hit movies.

The flea market in the article is just down the street from my house (I've seen the federal vehicles be-bopping up and down the road to and from it several times over the last couple of days). Yes, I've shopped there. Yes, it's common knowledge that a lot of the merchandise available there is sold in violation of state-created "intellectual property" monopolies.

So ... is a knock-off DVD of Madagascar 3 a "homeland security" matter?

The alleged theory underlying that assertion seems to be that such "piracy" is a finance channel for international  terrorism. Poppycock. Anyone selling anything anywhere could conceivably be using the profits to finance international terrorism. And if they're paying taxes on their revenues to the US government, they're certainly financing international terrorism.

The real reason that pair of faux-Nike tennis shoes you got for 15% of the "real thing's" retail price is considered a "homeland security" affair is that the companies which make their profits off of state-created monopolies spend part of those profits on bribing/extorting politicians to protect those profits with your tax dollars. So we get a heapin' helpin' of domestic terrorism out of the deal, too. This week, it came to my neighborhood. Next week, maybe yours.