Drama Queens Headlines
Secret spying captured some domestic calls. According to Reuters and NYT "The newspaper, citing unidentified officials, said the calls were snagged despite a White House requirement that one end of the intercepted conversations take place on foreign soil." (Foreign soil is the standard requirement.) From someone who knows I'm told the snagging of American conversations happens all the time and the policy in place is to simply destroy them. If Bush ordered the monitoring of certain peoples conversation he can do so as long as he gets attorney general approval which does not require a warrant, just the approval of the USAG.
My God! - could this be the first time this administration has told the truth about something. "They" are spying on one another and know it. But why the attempt to get the masses in an uproar. It's great mole hill material for the little people to make mountains of, thinking we too could have our phones monitored like important people. Imagine the manpower it would take to spy on all of us. But watch your garbage, since everything about a person can be discovered by digging through his trash.
Police Infiltrate Protests, Videotapes Show. The trustworthy NYT warns the police are infiltrating us. Imagine how 007ish those cops felt. Shame, shame, shame but no surprise surprise surprise Gomer.
Congress to Probe Domestic Spying. And mentioning the "I" word (impeachment). Remember how we were freed from tyranny after the Nixon impeachment and probing, and remember how much things improved after Clinton's impeachment and probing. Yessuh, we need 'peachment and probin' because we are a free country and follow the rule of law and so's the people can trust the government again. We know this is important because - it triggered the resignation of FISA judge (James Robertson) and our congress persons are expressing concern!
Bill Would Allow Arrests For No Reason In Public Place. A law carried on the books everywhere since I can remember; i.e. without ID charged for "loitering/vagrancy" (or hanging on the corner while Black). Citizens Would Also Have To Show ID. As if we haven't been ID'd our entire lives to cash a check, obtain a license, use credit cards, buy a gun, get a loan, receive government funds, take an international flight, or just prove I'm me and this Lexus really is mine officer and I just made a wrong turn into this suburb.
Forgive me, it's not polite to laugh but the whole matter is hoopla - I guess the hooplahaha about government spying and ID'ing will be a new experience for average white folks, unfamiliar with being monitored and having law used on them regularly.
8 comments:
The 'one end of the call must be on foreign soil' is in the law, not the WH. No doubt the communications monitoring as well as the protest infiltration has been, in fact we know it has been, going on for decades.
No doubt some Truth slips out via the Prez: 1) When he opens his mouth unscripted and unchoreographed, 2) when he's verbally exercising his CIC leader crap, and if 3) and when anyone actually understands what the heck he's saying. I suspect he's basically clueless but who knows.
I think it's worth pursuing by Congress - the alternative is...let it go? Of course some one item is often picked up to be carried and run with, tax evasion for mafioso, Scooter's lying to officials, etc. If imprisoned or put out of office for one crime or 12, it's very nearly the same thing. You would agree that justice is imperfect at best. :)
So are you saying it's just the same ol', same ol'? I had the impression that monitoring regular citizens, etc. has increased and that's the cause of the current uproar.
Yes, I think it's the same ol same ol, although they may be monitoring a few more of the affluent and powerful among themselves, but not regular citizens. The results have to be worth the effort so most people are safe. Someone eventually has to listen to whatever is snagged so the criteria is more precise than that list of words that once floated around the internet.
The rule has always been one end has to be on foreign soil in this type of monitoring. That cuts down the number as far as the percentage of Americans making or receiving international communication.
Even if pursued by congress I feel it a waste of time and money. As usual they would tell us it's been investigated, the procedure changed, and maybe a slap on the wrist for someone. But the government will continue to spy, predominantly on citizens who have wealth & influence and could pose a threat.
Being a threat to the system means most of us are safe as we pose no threat, even though some bloggers and groups want to believe they are making a dent, they really are not worrisome to the ruling class.
Justice definitely imperfect, unless one can afford it.
I think the public is being manipulated, as usual. Head 'em up, move 'em out, keep those doggies movin'.
Kate said, "Being a threat to the system means most of us are safe as we pose no threat, even though some bloggers and groups want to believe they are making a dent, they really are not worrisome to the ruling class. "
Not only that but on message boards or blogs everywhere countless ordinary people imagine/believe/fantasize that they are being watched or monitored by TPTB. And I'm not referring to "adult" blogs either ;) It's comical.
Anyhoo, Happy Xmas everyone. Or Happy whatever turns your lights on :)
amj
You don't get it, Kate. This is about data mining. The state doesn't /need/ "manpower" to "monitor" every communication, just the right software.
If you haven't figured that out yet, you really aren't paying attention. The spooks have not sought the permissions-they-could-easily-get (as the media likes to spin it) because they'd be filing requests for every citizen with a phone, fax, or modem,. Are your emails being read by a human? Probably not. Are they being scanned, indexed, and permanently filed if they match the criteria du jour? Probably so.
It's not a question of whether the government is "data mining", of course they do, even awarding contracts to companies such as ChoicePoint.
There are 136 billion emails sent daily worldwide, and increasing. Even with software it would be quite the stunt to scan and file, and also monitor fax and phone communication, and then maintain the databanks and storage archives.
I think some credit the government as having more capability than it does. Why would government want citizens to believe it's an "all seeing, all knowing" big brother? Who benefits.
As far as the "spin" that the data can be used for "blackmail", it would take manpower to know the info was valuable and to blackmail someone with it. Again, "they" spy and blackmail one another, but Joe Blow, with no money and no influence isn't worth the byte space.
Too bad "they" don't datamine and monitor all the online pedophiles. Instead authorities have to surf the net and pretend to be kids themselves to occassionally catch one.
Data mining is useful if the info can be sold to a market which can use the info to target another market. Little point in "spying" on Joe Blow's communications unless it can turn a profit. Joe's spending habits are of use, which have always been "mined." His political leaning is useful, as it's a gauge of what the public will tolerate from government (polling various groups monitors that).
This latest "spying on us" leak was handed to us by the NYT, the same trusty paper that some claim helped the "neocons" "trick" us into war with lies.
I've had dealings with the "MIB" (men in black), trust me, government agents are more Maxwell Smart than James Bond. Joe Blow is no "enemy of the state" running through a tunnel with Will Smith and the government monitoring every fart.
If citizens are concerned about Echelon,etc., they could stop filling the coffers that guvmint draws on to cover the funding of such beauracratic programs.
This is a Merry Christmas! wish. I thought of you today while replaying the conversation I had with (my) Number One Son when he called from The War. His CO gave them each a christmas-wrapped roll of soft tp; reinforcing the disbelief that no expense is spared to make certain our boys and girls feel appreciated on the holidays. We had a shitload of laughs over that one, a veritable comedy routine ensued. This mom and her soldier had a wonderful Christmas. Hope you and yours, especially Sons Number One, Two and Three, had the same!
Kathy F.
Kathy F
Happy to hear things are going well. For us only #2 son could make it home but it's jolly. We once referred to some TP as grade Z, the paper still had wood chips in it. :)
well said. i toss my dirty laundry in the street frequently, as secrets are only tools to be used against you.
Post a Comment