BIG BROTHER MIGHT NOT BE WATCHING YOU FOR LONG
February 16, 2008 at 12:06 pm (Current Affairs)
There might come a day in America when no one will be listening in on your private phone calls….private will mean just that…. PRIVATE!
President lobbied hard Thursday for renewal of Protect America Act, which expires Feb. 16.
President Bush said Thursday that failure to update the Protect America Act will “harm our ability to monitor new terrorist activities and could reopen dangerous gaps in our intelligence.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in response, dubbed such talk fear-mongering. The president has every authority to continue needed eavesdropping under another law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), she said. Moreover, the authorities granted under the temporary surveillance law enacted in August will carry on for a year, she added.
To House Democrats, what’s at stake is whether Mr. Bush – and future presidents – are accountable to Congress. “Whether the president is a Democrat or a Republican, they can’t act outside the law,” said Speaker Pelosi at a press briefing.
The issue is the sharpest confrontation over presidential powers since Democrats took control of Congress last year. “Oversight is an institutional obligation to ensure against abuse of power,” Pelosi said in a briefing on Thursday.
At the heart of the dispute is proposed retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that took part in the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance after the 9/11 attacks.
Without liability protection – and facing lawsuits asking for billions of dollars in damages – such companies are going to be “less likely to cooperate” with the government on national-security matters in the future, Bush said Thursday. House Democrats say these companies, along with the president, must be held to the rule of law.
The new 2008 Protect America Act would expand and update the government’s ability to monitor technologies such as the Internet and cellphones. If the current law is allowed to lapse, the US will be unable to respond quickly to new terrorist threats, say Republicans and some Democrats, who are urging approval of a bill the Senate passed on Tuesday.
“The problem is what to do with the new tips, and they’re coming in all the time,” says Rep. Heather Wilson (R) of New Mexico.
“The House of Representatives is going to simply close up shop and leave town, saying that it’s not going to hurt America,” said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.
Pelosi aides say that in the remote chance a previously unknown terrorist group must be surveilled, the administration can use FISA. “Under FISA, the attorney general can approve surveillance in minutes. Surveillance can begin immediately, and approval of the FISA court can be obtained within three days,” says Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami. Unlike last summer, when Congress first passed the Protect America Act, there is no backlog of cases to slow the process of obtaining surveillance approvals from the FISA court.
Pelosi says she has instructed key committee chairman to continue work on resolving differences with their Senate counterparts on this bill over the one-week presidential recess, which begins Friday.
In a related move, House Democrats also voted to approve contempt resolutions against White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers for failing to testify in a House probe of the 2006 firings of nine US attorneys.
Republicans walked off the House floor to protest this vote, which passed 223 to 32, and over the refusal of House leaders to allow a vote on a bipartisan Senate version of the surveillance bill, which is backed by the White House. House Republicans say they have enough support from moderate Democrats to win a vote on the Senate bill, which passed this week on a strong bipartisan vote, 68 to 29.
Charles said,
February 16, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Don’t worry about the government invading your privacy unless you are doing something illegal or pose some threat to our country. Don’t flatter yourseelf. They don’t have time to mess with you. Identity theft by criminals should be your concern. They will take the time to mess with you. If there is a possibility they cpould save just one of our troops lives, they can bug my phone, take my picture in my bathroom or even waterboard me.
stephen said,
February 16, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Charles: Very patriotic of you. The problem is, with that attitude, as history has proved over and over and over, you will without a doubt open the door to a dictatorship. Then it will be YOU unwillingly fighting the elite’s war on the front line, no matter your age, or health. I suggest you wake up and read a history book once in awhile.
Josh said,
February 16, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Charles - you’re an idiot
Terence said,
February 16, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Yet another sad sap who laps up the government breast milk.
Are you aware that a Japanese soldier was executed after WW2 for waterboarding a US soldier? Since Bush himself condones such acts, what should happen to him?
Fiona said,
February 16, 2008 at 4:50 pm
“…..they can bug my phone, take my picture in my bathroom or even waterboard me”
Well Charles, let me know how that goes for you, if you ever have the pleasure. Anyone who dares to disagree with Bush and his cronies is considered a threat to America, so you obviously have nothing to worry about. And you’re obviously not Muslim, so tell me, do you care about your fellow man?
Michael said,
February 16, 2008 at 5:12 pm
All the sheeple. “The man who gives up liberty for the sake of security deserves neither security or liberty” -Benjamin Franklin
Charles, I doubt that quote will do anything for you, as just like the mass sheeple, you are unable to use sound logic, research information or respect the US Constitution because you were raised in a public school, watch main stream media and care more about your life than the lives of those around you.;
SourDove said,
February 16, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Echelon was used for corporate espionage, and the US admitted it.
No one was punished. The government is not a tool to be used to
favor one company over another.
Collecting huge databases of surveillance data on US citizens creates its
own danger, even if it can’t be used in court because its collection was
illegal, as is the case with much of the data collected since February 2001.
Even if it is never used for its intended purpose, whether the purpose be
blackmail or counterterrorism, it becomes bait for hackers, foreign spies, disgruntled employees, and bitter ex-spouses. We have seen what an Aldrich Ames or a Robert Hanssen can do, and we have seen hundreds of
Israeli spies rounded up and deported since 9/11. Telecom executives say
they aren’t allowed to know what their technical staff are doing because the
technicians have higher security clearances. That means the technical staff
can sell collected data without fear of losing their jobs. Then there’s the
problem of human error. One reason we know about the illegal spying is
that the feds turned over a wiretap transcript to defense counsel in the
Al-Haramain case. Data can be gathered accidentally and it can be given
away accidentally. Humans are fallible. They don’t deserve and cannot
earn the faith that people place in gods.
“Ways may some day be developed by which the government, without removing papers from secret drawers, can reproduce them in court and by which will be enabled to expose to a jury the most intimate occurrences of the home. Can it be that the Constitution affords no protection against such invasions of individual society?” –Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, 1928
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” –some old men long ago
SourDove said,
February 16, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Charles: “If there is a possibility they cpould save just one of our troops lives, they can bug my phone, take my picture in my bathroom or even waterboard me.”
Why, Charles? Are you trying to kill US troops? Tell us why waterboarding
you might save a life. Maybe you should turn yourself in.
LORRAINE M. INGERSOLL said,
February 16, 2008 at 5:47 pm
comments about invasion of privacy on telephones? IF ANYONE IS BREAKING THE LAW IT IS PALOSI!if SHE WENT TO IRAQ AND TALKED TO THOSE IN CHARGE OF WAR PLANS! NOW THE PRESIDENT IS BREAKING THE LAW? BY “SECURING TH SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE BY DOING HIS DUTY? WHO THE HELL IS THE PRESIDENT?
Judy said,
February 16, 2008 at 5:50 pm
It warms my haeart to know that there are more and more people waking up to the facts of our new facist state and less and less sheeple like Charles that believe everything they here on the MSM.
jdogg92056 said,
February 16, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Yo Charles,
Just exactly how long have you worked for COINTELPRO, anyway?
LORRAINNE INGERSOLL said,
February 16, 2008 at 5:56 pm
“WE THE PEOPLE TOLD CONGRESS WE WANTED TO BE SSAFE FIRST! DID THEY LISTEN> NO. IT SEEMS THEY WERE BUSY GIVING THEMSELVES A RAISE! TELLING THE PEOPLE WHAT BUSH IS DOING WRONG! NOT WHAT THEY ARE DOING FOR THE LARGE CONCLOMERATES WHO PAY FOR CONGRESS TO “OBEY THEIR WISHES”!
WHAT WOULD OUR FORFATHERS SAY ABOUT TODAYS’ PROBLEMS? THEY WOULDN’T TELL THE PRESIDENT TO LISTEN TO CONGRESS! NOT IF HE CARED ABOUT HIS DUTY TO PROTECT AMERICANS! THIS IRAQ WAR HOLDS AMERICA HOSTAGE TO FEAR! AND HOW DO WE FIGHT THIS KIND OF WAR WHERE THE ENEMY COMES UP OIUT OF HOLES AND BLASTS OUR BROTHRS AND SISTERS TO BITS INTO THE COLD WINDS AND ANOTHER WORLD???? braincell12aol,com
Angela said,
February 16, 2008 at 6:40 pm
<>
Do you have some weird perverted fantasies about someone photographing you dumping a load or something? The reason why identity thieves are such a threat to us is because of all this secret information being collected by these private corporations working for the government. Fact of it is you don’t know who is collecting info on you and what it’s being used for. It has nothing to do with having anything to hide. It has everything to do with how your private information is being used. Identity theft has been on the increase ever since Bush started spying on every American.
Listener said,
February 16, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Law has little to do with the use of surveillance. The feds, and to some extent local law enforcement, can onitor whomever they single out, and do, regardless of the law, with or without warrants.
It is true, as stated above, that the government lacks the facilities, the manpower, to monitor everyone, even with automated systems that scan data and radio transmissions for key words and phrases.
And, it is true that most of us in America are of little interest to them.
But the fact remains that if they want to monitor your landline or cell phone or Email, they will. And unless you know the tricks to avoid this, which few of us do, there is nothing you can do about it.
M L Shannon, author of Don’t Bug Me, The Bug Book, The Phone Book and Surveillance and Wireless Network Hacking.
Bob Dobbs said,
February 16, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Charles,
This naive statement can be used to justify any level of intrusion of course. Do you want the government to set up a camera in your house in case you might have illegal sex?
There are legitimate things that must be kept secret from the government. John Kerry for example was doing nothing wrong in running for President, but how would it be if his opponent, GW Bush was monitoring the Kerry campaign’s phone calls without oversight from anyone? Absolute power corrupts absolutely, so we can assume it was surveillance of this very nature that Bush is so desperate to keep away from Congress and the American people. Perhaps this is even the reason the Congress is being so docile (other than the Anthrax attack conducted on them in October 2001).
Russ Wittenberg said,
February 16, 2008 at 9:44 pm
I think I saw Charles on Jay Leno’s J-Walking not too long ago! Honestly, most people think this kind of “stupidity” displayed by Charles etc. is finny! I an utterly shocked & imbarrassed watching how the the sheeple of America have be totally dummed down to the point they are incapable of anykind of analytical thinking what so ever. Charles, if you read THIS, I highly reccommend you read George Orwell’s 1984! Do THIS ASAP !!!!!!!
...Vin said,
February 16, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Hey Charlie: You say: “Don’t worry about the government invading your privacy unless you are doing something illegal or pose some threat to our country.”
Did you ever consider that those same words or a variation of them were said by people in Nazi Germany, The Soviet Union, Red China, etc while those governments were consolidating power. How many of them apologized for their leaders saying “those who are being arrested or tortured probably had something they were hiding” until the knock in the middle of the night came on their door!
Keep giving your goverment a free pass …..until you hear the knock on your door in the middle of the night.
John said,
February 16, 2008 at 10:30 pm
I hope this comes to fruition, but I highly doubt it. The government has gotten too much power and they’re very unlikely to give it up anytime soon.
-John
http://www.patrioticactivist.com
Scott said,
February 16, 2008 at 11:08 pm
It seems to me that Big Brother is watching, listening, and speaking about how what is happenning is nothing more than a figment of your imagination.. I know for FACT that although I have absolutely NO alqaida or other terroris ties that the DoD is indeed monitoring my system as the DoD using 2 totally private corporations has already taken control of my ROUTER which connects 3 different computers into the internet I cannot be certain that all the data on my systems hasn’t already been stolen.. need proof? here is the trace results that I did when I noticed that an OFF Network IP Address was the address logged into and controlling my Router:
I will mask the corporation names just in case they are unwitting co-conspirators:
205.234.111.129 r03-8.iad..com Washington, DC, USA
69. 65.112.25 r01.iad..com Washington, DC, USA
69. 65.112.81 unknown81.112.65.69. Ashburn, VA, USA
69. 31. 10.33 ip-69-31-10-33.n Chicago, IL, USA
69. 31. 31.145 xe-2-0-0.cr2.iad1.us..net Dulles, VA, USA
- (unnamed)
140. 6. 20.0 (unnamed) Columbus, OH, USA
The trace reported it was a DoD computerthat was in control of my router.. therefore any who are so positive that the gov’t won’t monitor them, need to wake up and smell the cofee.. I also happen to be a retired military veteran with an impeccable military record J F Y I all
Markov Chaney said,
February 17, 2008 at 12:20 am
Well, Charles, and others like you.. (which, I’m glad to see, appear at least here to be a marginal minority of idiots).. maybe you have nothing to hide from a fascist government and their corporate cronies, but that doesn’t mean I am going to sacrifice my rights, or let you sacrifice mine along with yours on the altar of complacent moronity.
If you’re so keen to letting the world know your private affairs, rip down your curtains and leave your doors open wide. Display your own dirty laundry all you want.
Barry The Able Guy said,
February 17, 2008 at 1:20 am
I don’t mind if the Government spies on the enemy, but I’m NOT THE ENEMY!
A friendly hint Mr. Government, you should be looking at folks of Arabic decent, located in or around the Middle East. That’s logical isn’t it?
Keep your cameras and microphones outta my trailer park. We don’t have no stinkin’ terrorists here, and if we did I’m sure we could handle them. We’d just tie a dead chicken to ‘em and toss ‘em in with the pit bulls.
On a brighter note, it gives me a warn fuzzy feeling to see Pelosi actually trying to grow a pair. Stand up for what the American people want sweetie, and I guarantee they’ll be the size of grapefruits before long.
We don’t care if you’re a Dem or a Repub, what we care about is that you look out for US!
If you don’t, well, we got some chickens left and we got some hungry puppies. They will definitely Git-Her-Done!
detainthis said,
February 17, 2008 at 2:38 am
Excellent post, DP. To “Charles” and “Lorraine”: Just say NO to the Nazi “security” scam. Thanks for the heads-up, Scott.
‘BIG BROTHER MIGHT NOT BE WATCHING YOU FOR LONG’ « DetainThis said,
February 17, 2008 at 2:58 am
[...] 16, 2008 By DesertPeace ∙ February 16, [...]
Steve Thomas said,
February 17, 2008 at 3:45 am
Charles your misinformed and ignorant words disgust me! You know nothing of freedom and what the Founders went through to setup a free society. Perhaps if you read a little more, you might feel differently. Why don’t you try reading “Common Sense” from the great Thomas Paine; or perhaps “The Federalist Papers;” or some John Locke, Voltaire, etc. You spit on the very memory of the Founders sacrifice and it disgusts me. You are a frightened, scared little man. I’d rather face a thousand 9/11’s then give up my freedom….
JAHenry said,
February 17, 2008 at 4:36 am
WE NEED A REVOLUTION IN THIS COUNTRY. WE CAN DISCUSS, PLAN AND PREACH……….BUT UNTIL WE WALK ON WASHINGTON AND SCARE THE
SH– OUT THE CONGRESS AND COMPANY, NO ONE WILL TAKE ANY OF US SERIOUSLY. LOOK AT THE EUROPEANS……….THEY STAND OUT IN THE COLD ALL NIGHT LONG WITH CANDLES UNTIL THEIR ELECTED CANDIDATE IS PLACED IN POWER. NO GOVERNMENT WILL CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR UNTIL THE IRE OF THE PEOPLE SHOW WHAT THEY ARE WORTH. RON PAUL IS PLANNING JUST SUCH A MARCH……….CHECK INTO HIS SITE FOR UPCOMING DETAILS. I WILL BE GOING. WE CANNOT COMPLAIN AND DO NOTHING. I AM A DESCENDANT OF PATRICK HENRY AND WE HAVE LOST OUR LIBERTIES. IF WE DO NOT TAKE THEM BACK……….WE WILL SURELY BE AT THE MERCY OF OUR “HITLER-LIKE” GOVERNMENT IN THE NOT TO DISTANT FUTURE. WAKE UP AMERICA!
Kim said,
February 17, 2008 at 5:32 am
Nearly all of our “representatives” are lying dogs and they especially lie before an election. Watch what they do and what unconstitutional bills they pass, not what they say.
covenstar said,
February 17, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Chris (Scotland)
Nice to know some of america is awake and aware, had heard from a friend after her rescent visit to the states. And I quote;
‘The majority of people are state educated and socially groomed to be the perfect citizens of the state. The standard of education is generally good to excellent in the average american, but the ideology they are spoon fed is all aimed at a comercialised cash flow society, that is heavily underpinned by debt, sardonically called ‘credit’ to misslead the unwary.’
‘If the illegal government cash generation means are stopped ‘Taxes’ are illegal and don’t pay for the things that you are led to believe they do. Then the people of america can actually have a voice and a say in the running of their own country. The men in black secret organisations are just the dictatorial ‘SS’ without the black boots.’
Maybe the states will actually awaken in time to avert the man of peace that starts armaghedon from realising his controll freak nature and from pushing the button on the enimies with weapons of mass destruction.
Any one want to make a list of the nuclear powers in the world today and see where Iraq and Iran are in the table.
Good Morning America, wakey wakey rise and shine.
Imagine the land of the free enslaved by a utopic image that giving moneys collected to nameless bodies of men and women that cannot be held to account for their actions and have to report to no one and are for all intents and purposes beyond the law or can make it up as they go or break it as they see fit. Could ever produce a utopia that would benifit the masses.
Must be a new American dream, personally the assasinated King had a dream and voiced it and they did their thing and still havent been held to account.
Have a nice day, after all it may be our last.
maggie said,
February 17, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Charles,
You dummy. Don’t you realize that people who think like YOU are the first to go down?
interstellar plasma said,
February 17, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Hmmm… perhaps the fascist State of Ameribushton or the NAU will finally evolve about the time of “The End of Times.” Seems to be sooner though. Wish we could plan for Dec 21, 2012; slightly more important than the latest scoop on Britney Spears, Monday night football, or steroid-enhanced baseball. Not only is politics full of falsehoods, but so is astronomy, archeology, geology, physics, and of course the big winner: “modern” Western (American version) medicine. Guess Mother Nature knows when to clean house!
Have to wonder if the tear in the earth’s magnetic field forced our spy satellite to go bonkers. Or is it just a “shoot down” test for future war planning (WW III)? See you on the other side!
PatriotJoe said,
February 17, 2008 at 3:03 pm
A large rock dam was built to protect the village of Liberty long ago from the lake to their east. The founding town members built the dam to keep the lake from flooding there village and protect its citizens. Many times since the founding of the town, other towns have seen their damns fail because people removed a few rocks at a time from the top of the dam to “secure” things within their towns. Years would go by and rocks would be removed with the removers saying there was no threat because the water was well below the top. Each time, sadly, there would come a day when the water would be at the top of the eroded damn and one little rain storm would over-top the dam and send a deluge of water into the town bringing on its demise and great suffering to the people it was designed to protect The citizens of Freedom paid little attention to new leaders in their village who started pulling the rocks from the top of their dam. They fell into the same trap as so many other villages, allowing removers to pluck rocks away one at a time until a few intelligent members of the village noticed the top the dam was close to the water level and started to raise the alarm. Most in the village ignored the warnings. The leaders must know what they are doing said the majority of the villagers, they are doing this for our best interest and would never hurt this great village. They noticed not the waters lapping at the rocks that sat at the top of their weakened dam until it was too late and the water started leaking over crest of the very thing that was put in place to protect them. The people were sad and shocked as the rains fell and water rushed in to flood their homes and businesses bringing ruin to the village like so many before. Moral of this story is simple, the dam is OUR Constitution, the lake is Tyranny , the rocks that make up the damn are Personal Liberties and Freedoms, and we are the villagers. Bushies are removing the rocks one at a time from our damn, hoping we won’t notice until its too late and tyranny is allowed to flood this country when the Constitution ceases to exist. Those who don’t learn history are doomed to repeat it. Welcome to mid-nineteen thirties Germany sheeple…we are reliving that RIGHT NOW. It is not too late to save the damn…put the rocks back where they belong!
eric swan said,
February 17, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Lockheed Gets $1 Billion FBI Biometric Database Contract
February 17th, 2008
Via: CNN:
The FBI has awarded a nearly $1 billion contract to Lockheed Martin to help create a massive computer database of people’s physical characteristics as part of an effort to better identify criminals and terrorists.
The overall deal is worth between $850 million to $1 billion and could run as long as 10 years, said Thomas Bush, the FBI’s assistant director of the Criminal Justice Information Services Division.
“We are looking forward to this future effort,” Bush said.
Judy Marks, the president of Lockheed’s Transport and Security Solutions division, said, “We’re tremendously pleased to partner with the agency once again to deliver the next quantum leap in capability.”
Lockheed Martin built the FBI’s current fingerprint database. The new program is being billed as the Next Generation Identification — and is assailed by privacy advocates who say it should cause alarm among all Americans.
“It’s the beginning of the surveillance society where you can be tracked anywhere, any time and all your movements, and eventually all your activities will be tracked and noted and correlated,” Barry Steinhardt, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Technology and Liberty Project, told CNN last month.
The FBI currently has 55 million sets of fingerprints on file. In coming years, officials want to use the new database to compare palm prints, scars, tattoos, iris eye patterns and facial shapes.
Lockheed is being tapped with expanding the database to include these new types of biometric information. The idea is to combine various pieces of information to positively identify someone.
“Fingerprints will still be the big player,” Bush told CNN.
But he quickly added, “Whatever the biometric that comes down the road, we need to be able to plug that in and play.”
in2thefray said,
February 17, 2008 at 4:56 pm
One thing that cracks me up about people that fear the Patriot Act etc. is their naive belief that the government depends solely on legislation. Right or Left the governments of the world and yes even the USA will ALWAYS get the info they want.
@ maggie 28. Not really Charles is safe. I would say you are equally so since the powers to be need the hysteria of your side. @ Mark # 20. Not picking on you personally but you embody the view that needs it’ faced splash with the waters of reality. Do you have health insurance,a health record,a social security card, a credit card, a phone ???? Have you gone to non public schools ,been interviewed anywhere or have you ever filed applications to almost anything ? If you so much as answer yes to any one of these things you should know that for less than $50 US you’re an open book.
Lofter said,
February 17, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Charlie… Congrats on making the list of top posts on WordPress! Just goes to show that the more provocative the post, the more attention it draws. Just look at all these comments! Passion, anger, disgust… man, you’ve hit the mother lode!
And, by the way, if you know where I can get my hands on those pics of me in the bathroom… let’s just say I missed a valentine’s gift for my ex-wife, and I was just thinking…
hans gruber said,
February 17, 2008 at 9:09 pm
What turnip truck did you just fall off. Dubya’s ILK were spying on citisens before the laws were passed to OK it, why would they stop after permissions were lapsed? The fact is, anyone with any brains will figure that Dubya’s ILK are spying on them all of the time! Otherwise, you’re just too dumb to matter.
mykidsfuture said,
February 17, 2008 at 9:41 pm
with Americans like charles our grand kids will be then end-from there on the robots of america is the future-ran by their chips-no need for sleep or eat all they do is work for nothing-the gov’t has total control over them
it’s people like you charles that has made us where we are today
recession broke, working to give the gov’t 50% of everything we make
good job guy—
mykidsfuture said,
February 17, 2008 at 9:43 pm
CNN is ran by the gov’t quit watching that shit
don’t believe me?? watch zeitgeist
Marc Whittemore said,
February 17, 2008 at 10:08 pm
……… people. And if you actually think that the government isn’t ALREADY monitoring each and every one of us, at all times, WITH OR WITHOUT permissions then you are seriously READ: SERIOUSLY mistaken. The technology to do just that was the first thing in place when said technology to do so was developed AND in fact helped spur the very development of THAT technology. Do you, can you, actually actually BELIEVE that Bush operates within the law and on a level of accountablilty that ANYONE can see? —————– WAKE UP. THE ANSWER IS “NO - ABSOLUTELY. NOT!!!!”
Steve Thomas said,
February 18, 2008 at 2:27 am
“One thing that cracks me up about people that fear the Patriot Act etc. is their naive belief that the government depends solely on legislation. Right or Left the governments of the world and yes even the USA will ALWAYS get the info they want.”
What exactly are you saying here, in2? Are you suggesting that laws are irrelevant because governments don’t follow them anyway? Think about the consequences of this statement. I fear the Patriot Act because it seriously erodes our Constitutionally-protected rights. But what I fear more is the apathy of my fellow citizens. We all sit back like sheep allowing our governments to what they like because we’re afraid of the “Boogey Man.” Charles sentiments sum this up quite nicely. What ever happened to courage? Our Founders are rolling in the graves…
in2thefray said,
February 18, 2008 at 4:27 pm
I came upon this thread by accident but I’ve chimed in for sport. The Patriot Act doesn’t come close to infringing your daily life. Do I think it’s right that government and others access info with or without legal standing. The short answer is no. The thinking answer is that We the People are a little disillusioned as to what is actually ours. You don’t have a right to credit cards,history,rating and the like. It is granted to you by others. It is theirs. The telephone is the same. You have more say in radio and television but the systems in place put it out of your real reach. Our Founding Fathers thought the majority of the kids were stupid so don’t mind their rest. Also re the Patriot Act. http://www.lifeandliberty.gov/subs/add_myths.htm
tommy said,
February 18, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Time to wake up people. I been half asleep for awhile, up til a few months ago when I WOKE UP. Turn off the tv, look around online you will find out the truth. See you at the march together we will stand, they cant ignore us much longer.
jeka said,
February 19, 2008 at 4:35 pm
CHARLIE is an agent beware!!! stupid one though
Steve Thomas said,
February 19, 2008 at 4:39 pm
In2, although I very much appreciate your sentiments, I don’t want you to think that I’m attacking you, but it seems that you’re confusing privilege with right. Indeed, you’re correct in your assertion that having a credit card or using a telephone is a privilege, but our Constitutionally-protected rights are indeed quite different; they’re rights. As such, the Bill of Rights guarantees each and every one of us various freedoms and civil liberties, and the government has indeed infringed on these rights. Read, for example, the House of Representatives Bill 6166 (Military Commissions Act). This coupled with the so-called Patriot Act make it clear the government no longer wishes to abide by the social contract laid down by the founders over 230 years ago.
Real Estate in St Croix » Blog Archive » BIG BROTHER MIGHT NOT BE WATCHING YOU FOR LONG said,
February 21, 2008 at 8:14 pm
[...] BIG BROTHER MIGHT NOT BE WATCHING YOU FOR LONG There might come a day in America when no one will be listening in on your private phone calls.private will mean just that. PRIVATE! Laws supposedly passed to protect the nation and the world are in the process of lapsing laws that eroded the very basic freedoms of Americans [...]
LORRAINNE INGERSOLL said,
April 14, 2008 at 9:31 pm
WELL, THIS IS SOMETHING NEW! I ACTUALLY FEEL SAFER THAT SOMEONE IS WATCHING AND LISTENING TO WHAT I SAY.
FOR “YOUR” INFORMTION I AM A GOOD CHRISTIAN AND NINTY YEARS OLD AND CAN HARDLY DO ANYTHING TO CAUSE A PROBLEM ….ACCEPT MY PASSION IS TRUTH, PURPOSE AND LOVE OF MY COUNTRY . (JUST SO WHOEVER YOU ARE DON’T HAVE TO SEEK MY PERSONALITY. GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS AND BE AWARE, ALWAYS A FRIEND