Freedom doesn't die in one grand stoke. Threats to freedom don't come in the form of bombs or bullets. Freedom is bleed to death slowly by secrecy, lies, and apathy.
I don't know if you're reading my legal-political link blog, but it has all the relevant links. Last week, right before leaving for vacation, Congress passed into law the right of the President to spy on Americans without warrants. Let me break this down:
Prior to this new law, if the National Security Agency wanted to spy on someone (wire tap their phone, read their mail / email, track them, etc) they went to a special court known as FISA. FISA is comprised of 3 Federal judges that review only these types of cases. If they approve, the spying is allowed. If the NSA thought the nature of the need to spy was time sensitive it could go ahead on it's own and file for the warrant up to 72 hours later. The records of FISA are sealed.
The Patriot Act helped remove the need to use FISA if the phone call or email was coming from overseas. So if someone was calling from Iran into the US, there was no need to go to FISA for a warrant. The Patriot Act also let the NSA tell no one who that were spying on - before or after. Numerous investigations and lawsuits are ongoing over this, as there has been a good deal of evidence leaked that the NSA has been abusing this power to spy on anyone, not just suspected terrorists, and not just those involved with overseas phone calls.
The Alberto Gonzales mess plays in here: it is the job of the Attorney General to investigate these things and see if laws are being broken. Gonzales however has been at Bush's side since... well since forever. He is actively blocking any investigation by Congress into the NSA's domestic spying. In fact, Congress had to subpoena him and threaten him with perjury charges to get him to appear before them - and then he just sat there and refused to answer questions. Democrats and Republicans have called him to resign (and called him many other things).
Yet Congress passed the "Protect America Act" which removes the need for the NSA to use FISA at all - writing into law the illegal activities the NSA has been doing. The President is asking Congress (when it gets back from vacation) to also pass a law that would make it okay for companies to give over databases to the NSA if it asked and not be held liable. Currently companies (like AT&T) are supposed to get a warrant before giving the government access - and then limiting access to the scope of only the person(s) named in the warrant. AT&T and others are being sued right now because they have turned over databases without asking to see a warrant. (There is evidence to also support that AT&T let the NSA setup offices inside of AT&T to watch all data in real-time).
I am a registered Republican but this last election I check off a Democrat with every vote. So stuff like this wouldn't pass. So the damage to Freedom would be restored, but that hasn't happened - just the opposite.
More people need to get involved. The apathy of America allows things like this to pass. You can use your blog to spread the word about issues. You can register to vote and cast a ballot in November. You can write letters and send email. You can even just click a link.
What you can't do it sit there, put this off, and surf away to someplace else. Inaction, procrastination, and apathy are killing Freedom.
Posted By Mike On Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Filed under life |
No Comments
