09/15/2006 09:26:02 AM EST
Big Brother Bill
posted by alphasigmookie
http://www.wired.com/news/t
echnology/0,71778-0.html?tw
=wn_index_10Where are the conservitives up in arms about Spectors proposed domestic spying bill? If this is not "Big Government" intruding into the lives of individual Americans I don't know what is.
Are there no small government politicians left? Does no one else see radically expanded power of the federal government as a bad thing? Ken, do you actually support this bill, or do you not give a shit what they do as long as they lower your taxes (back pocket conservitive)?
Here is the bill in a nut shell:
- Redefines surveillance so that only programs that catch the substance of a communication need oversight. Any government surveillance that captures, analyzes and stores patterns of communications such as phone records, or e-mail and website addresses, is no longer considered surveillance.
- Expands the section of law that allows the attorney general to authorize spying on foreign embassies, so long as there's no "substantial likelihood" that an American's communication would be captured.
- Repeals the provision of federal law that allows the government unfettered wiretapping and physical searches without warrants or notification for 15 days after a declaration of war. The lack of any congressional restraint on the president's wartime powers arguably puts the president at the height, rather than the ebb, of his powers in any time of war, even an undeclared one.
- Repeals the provision of federal law that limits the government's wartime powers to conduct warrantless wiretapping and physical searches to a period of 15 days after a declaration of war.
- Repeals the provision of federal law that puts a time limit on the government's wartime powers to conduct warrantless wiretapping and physical searches against Americans. Under current law, the president has that power for only 15 days following a declaration of war.
- Allows the attorney general, or anyone he or she designates, to authorize widespread domestic spying, such as monitoring all instant-messaging systems in the country, so long as the government promises to delete anything not terrorism-related.
- Moves all court challenges to the NSA surveillance program to a secretive court in Washington, D.C., comprised of judges appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Only government lawyers would be allowed in the courtroom.
- Allows the government to get warrants for surveillance programs as a whole, instead of having to describe to a judge the particular persons to be monitored and the methods to be used.
We cannot for any reason accept such laws to be passed by our government. It is possibly the most Un-American law I have ever heard of. They will say that sacrifices will have to be made in the war on terror. They will say that privacy is a small price to pay for security. I say we cannot sacrifice our core values for a short term sense of security. I say give me liberty of give me death!
