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Don't Worry, We're Not From The Government

Posted by timothy on from the small-comforts dept.

PolarBear3 writes "It seems that MSNBC.com is reporting that the government (U.S.) is looking to the private sector to data mine against it's [citizens|terrorists] since they are prevented by law from doing so themselves. Two quotes: 'People in the government, very much so in the Justice Department, have been playing out a lust for information that is not consistent with who we have been as a nation' & 'A range of laws limits how government can collect and use information on its citizens. The private sector, by contrast, operates under fewer restrictions.' Seems to show a nation fighting itself."

9 of 332 comments (clear)

  1. No more April Fool's. by Daleks · · Score: 5, Funny

    Haw haw. It's April 2nd now. No more jokes. This is a joke, right?

  2. Oh no! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    What will happen to me, now that John Ashcroft knows I bought a bottle of Evian water last weekend?

    1. Re:Oh no! by greenalbatros · · Score: 1, Funny

      What will happen to me, now that John Ashcroft knows I bought a bottle of Evian water last weekend? he will send all your personal details to Volvic. A rapid response sales squad is on its way now. When they are finished with you, you wont even be able to look at another Evian bottle again. my thoughts are with you.

      --
      this sig steers like a cow. and i can prove it
  3. Hah! by arvindn · · Score: 4, Funny
    Seems to show a nation fighting itself.

    You are either with us or against us.

    1. Re:Hah! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      You are either with us or against us.

      Yes. I am.

  4. Problem solved by pubjames · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't know why they don't just make up new names for things to get round silly restrictive laws. If there is a law that says government departments cannot pry into cizitens too much, why don't they just create a new department and call it, for instance "Not a Government Department". Then when lawers say "you can't do that" they can say, but it's "Not a Government Department", so your silly laws don't count! Even better, they could move "Not a Government Department" to another country with less restrictive laws.

    After all, this is exactly what they've done with Guatemalan Bay and the "Unlawful Combatants".

  5. Re:April fools? by albanac · · Score: 2, Funny

    M16 is an American gun, not a British Intelligence Bureau.

    ~cHris

  6. You forgot one question by DaveAtFraud · · Score: 2, Funny

    Are they hiring?

    --
    They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty.
    Ben
  7. Re:You're a libertarian? by ianscot · · Score: 2, Funny
    Both candidates and both parties equally suck but hardly anyone will vote outside the two parties for fear of "wasting their vote."

    Each Party is controlled by one or more Corporations Blatantly obvious libertarian advertisement goes here.

    Jeez, here I was thinking you were a Green, what with the wasting-your-vote thing. Who'd have thunk?

    --
    "Fundamentalism" isn't about divine morality. It's about human authority.