Various FISA threads

[Michael]

Originally Posted by Bourne

So what? If it assists in obtaining intelligence regarding potential terrorist activities then I'm all for it.

So am I, but I need to insist on a warrant being issued by the FISA Court. There is a need to follow the constitution and establish "probable cause." It all boils down to oversight and preventing the abuse of surveillance power over others. It is my understanding that if agents needed to react quickly on a lead, they can do so and have three days to file the paperwork. So the FISA court process being slow is NOT an issue at all.

[Drakej]

Originally Posted by Bourne

So what? If it assists in obtaining intelligence regarding potential terrorist activities then I'm all for it.

But here is the major problem with this plan, aside from letting the TeleComs break the law and get away with it. What the hell good is it going to do them installing vacuum cleaners on the backbones? I do not care how great their filters are they are going to spend hundreds of man hours running down the "leads" on some little old lady in middle America talking about hunting when she was young. If someone state side is seriously considered to be that big of a threat then they can get a warrant correct?

On a slightly related topic how the hell is it that enemy combatants get the same rights as a full fledged American citizen and people support that but they take away our fourth amendment right and no one really cares?

[Michael]

Update: I am seeing the FISA legislation being negotiated through Congress, and from what I am hearing the Democrats are once again caving in and enabling the Bush relentless attack on the constitution.

We are entering a new technological age of surveillance. The potential for government abuse is enormous. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

[Drakej]

Originally Posted by Michael

Update: I am seeing the FISA legislation being negotiated through Congress, and from what I am hearing the Democrats are once again caving in and enabling the Bush relentless attack on the constitution.

We are entering a new technological age of surveillance. The potential for government abuse is enormous. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Yup it is game over now. So much for "change"

[LogicallyYours]

This is indeed a very sad day. Habeas Corpus is trashed and now unreasonable searches and seizures has been undermined. The irony is, the rights our military is supposedly fighting for, are being dismantled under in the name of the fight.

The American people have to put pressure on the next administration or the one after that...or the next....to return our Rights to us as granted by the Constitution.

[Oregon Elephant]

They'll be returned once the conflict is over, just like they were after WW2. I mean, when you compare what we're doing now with the "internment" (concentration) camps for japanese americans in WW2, we're not doing anything in comparison to what has been done in the past. This is not some first time, super extreme thing that will ruin this country.

[Drakej]

Originally Posted by Oregon Elephant

They'll be returned once the conflict is over, just like they were after WW2. I mean, when you compare what we're doing now with the "internment" (concentration) camps for japanese americans in WW2, we're not doing anything in comparison to what has been done in the past. This is not some first time, super extreme thing that will ruin this country.

I highly doubt that this bill will be removed in the near future, if ever. This has drawn so little attention that only us "nut jobs" have noticed and are complaining about it.

[Michael]

The new surveillance legislation passed congress and was signed by Bush. Thanks to the Republicrats an Demopublicans. Thank goodness someone has already started a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality, the ACLU and various news magazines, newspapers and websites.

[LogicallyYours]

I send a very terse letter to my Joe Lieberman, Senator from the Independent Republic of Joe Lieberman. To their credit, the did respond. But, when I responded back, I found I was no blocked from access to their mail server.

Too funny.

[Lazarus]

This explains quite a bit about why this POS bill passed :


Can't upset the $ponsor of your convention.

The funny thing is that now any electronic communications taking place within the convention center should be assumed to be compromised.