Parts of Patriot II Slipped Into Law While No One Was Looking...
December 28, 2003
This is a very big deal. Not just because of the law itself - it's heinous - but because of the way it was passed by the Bush administration - on a Saturday, during Saddam's capture celebration, after an unaccountable voice vote on Thanksgiving with no debate. And of course the media did not pay attention, and of course, I hope, we will. I'll summarize the effect of this later - it gives the government extraordinary new powers of search (which is one reason it relates to this site) - but for now, please give your lawmakers hell.
Comments
I can't believe this isn't all over so-called "major media." But maybe this is one of those stories (like the Republican astroturf thing) that bloggers will have to call to their attention.
This is a very big deal we can make a big deal about
Why is it the general public thinks they are losing ALL of their privacy recently." Since 9/11 and the advent of the internet we've lost all privacy". Newsflash: You've never ever had any privacy...ever. The stories I could tell you. Welcome to the human condition.
Stu Baker's comments on Farber's list is that this is "no big deal;" on the other hand, Baker, as former NSA general counsel, has a rosier view of government's use of its powers than this former CIA intelligence analyst does.
An interesting person to meet: Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker, dean of the McGeorge Law School at University of the Pacific (in Sacramento)... she's also a former NSA GC (and her last government post was CIA general counsel to boot); she's on a National Academy of Engineering committee re terrorism:
http://www4.nas.edu/webcr.nsf/CommitteeDisplay/NAEP-R-02-01-A?OpenDocument
As an immigrant to the Bay Area, from DC, I find there aren't a lot of "inside the Beltway" types for me to hang out with locally, but she's been interesting to talk to on these issues.
This is indeed a very big deal. I look forward to your further comments on the issue, John.
This is incredibly important and we all need to think what we can do about this. This is not about privacy. This about a cornerstone of the Bill of Rights being removed by fiat. Your trackback isn't working so I point to my post where I have collected as much background data on this that I could and have at lest one idea on what we can do.
http://www.goodner.us/jam/marc/archives/000214.shtml
We need an intricate web of connections on this topic to get it the attention it deservers. Continue posting on this over the next several weeks as it is unlikely we can build momentum until after people return from the holidays.
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