Big Brother is watching you:

NEW BEDFORD -- A senior at UMass Dartmouth was visited by federal agents two months ago, after he requested a copy of Mao Tse-Tung's tome on Communism called "The Little Red Book."

Two history professors at UMass Dartmouth, Brian Glyn Williams and Robert Pontbriand, said the student told them he requested the book through the UMass Dartmouth library's interlibrary loan program.

The student, who was completing a research paper on Communism for Professor Pontbriand's class on fascism and totalitarianism, filled out a form for the request, leaving his name, address, phone number and Social Security number. He was later visited at his parents' home in New Bedford by two agents of the Department of Homeland Security, the professors said.

Because, you know, if you even want to research Communism in history, that makes you an al-Qaeda suspect.

The eavesdropping was apparently done without warrants.

One assumes that's because the American courts are in league with al-Qaeda, too.

The student told Professor Pontbriand and Dr. Williams that the Homeland Security agents told him the book was on a "watch list." They brought the book with them, but did not leave it with the student, the professors said.

Someone please tell them that the Cold War is over, and that Communist China is now lending us the money to go fight wars on Iraq.

Meanwhile, with a snarky chuckle, Xeni at Boing Boing has a link to Amazon so you can buy the book that will invite Federal investigators over to your house.

Also on the watch list: Charles Darwin's, "The Evolution of Species." (I'm just kidding, but in this day and age, you never know.)

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