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Congress to Make PATRIOT Act Permanent

955301 writes "As if it was unexpected, the New York Times (free reg...) has an article on attempts by our Congressional Republicans to eliminate the expiration of the Patriot Act. Everyone may thank Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah for getting this 9/11 snowball rolling, and the general population for our current leadership." There's another story in the SF Chronicle.

29 of 1,066 comments (clear)

  1. My God. by B3ryllium · · Score: 4, Funny

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm glad I'm Canadian.

    1. Re:My God. by Randy+Rathbun · · Score: 4, Funny

      You guys got any more room?

    2. Re:My God. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Years ago I ran into an ignorant Texan who tried to say that Texas was larger than Alberta. *rolls eyes*

    3. Re:My God. by Random+Frequency · · Score: 3, Funny

      sure, if you include the surface area of all those fat fucks.

    4. Re:My God. by Helmholtz+Coil · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm a Canadian living in Texas for the time being. Every time a local asks me what I think of it I never miss a chance to say I like their "cute little state."

    5. Re:My God. by CommieLib · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm a Texan living in Texas. Whenever a Canadian asks me what I think of Canada, I say "I don't."

      --
      If your bitterest enemies are people who hack the heads off civilians, then I would say you're doing something right.
    6. Re:My God. by Amazing+Quantum+Man · · Score: 2, Funny


      Except, as we all know, the Canadian Km is worth only about 70% of a US KM!
      </HUMOR>

      --
      Fascism starts when the efficiency of the government becomes more important than the rights of the people.
    7. Re:My God. by IIRCAFAIKIANAL · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'm a Canadian living in Canada.
      Whenever a...
      Hey, donuts!

      --
      Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel.
    8. Re:My God. by jasonisgodzilla · · Score: 3, Funny

      You mean there are actually other countries besides America? I mean sure, I knew there were some specks of dirts out there where shoes and soccer balls came from, and where we tested our bombs, but I never knew they actually had people and cultures. And you can find these places on a thing called a "map"??

    9. Re:My God. by RedCard · · Score: 3, Funny

      Let me put this in perspective:
      When confronted by a violent protester, our prime minister strangled the guy himself.

      Conversely, Your texan president was nearly killed by a pretzel.

      Enough said

    10. Re:My God. by Jazu · · Score: 2, Funny

      >>Er, you do know that there is no right to free speech in the Canada constitution, right?

      REGIME CHANGE!!!!

      --
      My joke got modded as Insightful and my insight got modded as Funny.
  2. God willing. by Pres.+Ronald+Reagan · · Score: 0, Funny

    The Partiot Act has already helped to catch many terrorists. If it is made permanent, who knows how much good it will do in the future.

    This is the well being of America here, people.

    --

    Abortion is advocated only by persons who have themselves been born.
    --Ronald Reagan
    1. Re:God willing. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      dilluted

      I don't know. How much water did you soak him in?

  3. Chilling Effect by Ribo99 · · Score: 3, Funny

    That chilling effect you feel is not your lack of trousers...

    --
    I wear pants.
  4. Re:I am confident by VistaBoy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Oh, but trust me...we'll get them when we challenge the amendment that makes challenging the amendment illegal...

  5. Re:Patriot Act seems to have worked. by Steve+B · · Score: 4, Funny
    A year and a half without a terrorist act. Either the Patriot Act works or the terrorists have been in a good mood lately. My guess is the former.

    There are no giant squids within a thousand miles of here. Either my anti-squid paperweight works or the squids have been in a good mood lately. My guess is the former.

    --
    /. If the government wants us to respect the law, it should set a better example.
  6. Re:Slashdot's Liberal Bias by sik0fewl · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe they're just assuming all geeks are intelligent?

    --
    I remember when legal used to mean lawful, now it means some kind of loophole. - Leo Kessler
  7. It won't last, don't get your panties in a bunch! by mustangdavis · · Score: 4, Funny

    The Patriot Act is unconstitutional. Period!


    Seriously, it was another "Act" that was passed by King George all those years ago that severely limited our freedoms that caused a revolution in this country ... and things like this will only lead to the same end ...


    As soon as this terrorist thing cools off a bit, this "Act" will be revisitied and decalred unconstitutional.


    Any "law" that gives the government the right to spy on people will not last ... and if laws like this are not repealed, then other laws with similar or worse implications will slowly be approved. The people simply won't tollorate it!


    I understand the need for security, but this has gone too far! What is next ... Patriot Act III: The gov't has the right to put cameras on every street corner, business, and suspected terrorist's home???


    Now I know this is a bit off topic, but this "Patriot Act" series has to come to a screeching halt! PA II, not yet passed, allows the US government the right to add 5 years onto a jail sentence just for using encryption when commiting a "crime" .... so if you don't report your USE tax (state taxes for purchasing items on the internet w/o paying taxes at the time of purchase), then you're going to jail for atleast 5 years since the purchase was made encrypted and, if you fils your taxes online, that was encrypted as well! Also (I don't want to protect hax0rs, but ...) if you break into a server using SSH, there is 5 years as well!!


    These "patriot" acts are just another example of big business paying off politicians to get rediculous laws into place that will protect their interests (even though it may LOOK like they are protecting the people).


    ... yet another reason the US "system" is in need of serious reform ... to prevent businesses from "funding" politicians to get these kind of crazy laws passed!


    To the US gov't: Stop wasting time on this kind of stuff and go find bin Laden!


  8. Re:Patriot Act seems to have worked. by whterbt · · Score: 5, Funny



    Homer: "Not a bear in sight. The Bear Patrol must be working like a charm."
    Lisa: "That's specious reasoning, Dad."
    Homer: "Thank you, dear."
    Lisa: "By your logic I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away."
    Homer: "Oh, how does it work?"
    Lisa: "It doesn't work."
    Homer: "Uh-huh."
    Lisa: "It's just a stupid rock."
    Homer: "Uh-huh."
    Lisa: "But I don't see any tigers around, do you?"
    Homer: "Lisa, I want to buy your rock."

    </obSimpsonsReference>

    --
    Too late to be known as Bush the First, he's sure to be known as Bush the Worst.
  9. Re:I am confident by B3ryllium · · Score: 2, Funny

    What use is a phone call ...

    ... when you are unable to speak?

  10. Re:I am confident by outsider007 · · Score: 2, Funny

    The Supremes just upheld a law that makes burning a cross at a gathering a crime.

    not surprising since they're all black, but when did diana ross' backup singers get influence in the legislative branch?

    --
    If you mod me down the terrorists will have won
  11. Re:My God its full of stars! by suicidal · · Score: 2, Funny

    Ask Clinton... Oh wait, he was just dodging the draft.

  12. "and our general population" by Fefe · · Score: 2, Funny

    We can say a lot about Americans. That they are stupid egomaniac boars who don't know anything besides their own country, that their education system is horrible beyond repair, that they think with their cruise missiles, ...

    but we can't blame them for the current government.

    It was not voted by the majority of the US voters.

  13. Re:What does this say about the "war on terrorism" by Mr_Matt · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's way too early for you to say the "war on terrorism" is a total flop. So far it's driven the Taliban out of Afghanistan and taken control of Iraq. This is in only about 15 months.

    Mr_Motti: Don't try to frighten us with your apologist's ways, Operagost. Your sad devotion to hackneyed cheerleading has not helped you conjure up Osama Bin Laden, or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Iraqi hidden weapons of mass dest...

    Darth Ashcroft: *choke* ...I find your lack of jingoism...disturbing...

    Moff Cheney: Enough of this! Lapdog, release him!

    Darth Ashcroft: As you wish.

    *thunk*

    Moff Cheney: This bickering is pointless. Lord Ashcroft will provide us with the location of all terrorist bases by the time the new PATRIOT Act is operational. We will then crush our opposition with one swift stroke.

    Shrub: Yaay! Can we use the nookular weapons?

    OK, so maybe it's not this bad yet, but the more we piddle around with every crooked third-world dictator, the more I'm reminded of the constant war-making in "1984". War is Peace! And we still haven't caught OBL yet...are we still trying, even?

    --


    But what does my opinion matter, I just vote here. It's not like I have any money or anything.
  14. Re:i know how we look by shadowbearer · · Score: 4, Funny


    Sheep don't moo. ;-)

    SB

    --
    It's old. The more humans I meet, the more I like my cats. At least they are honest.
  15. Re:Give me a break Slashdot! by Steve+B · · Score: 2, Funny
    We haven't had a terrorist attack since 9/11. A testiment to how the system we have put in place WORKS.

    *sigh* Do we have to shoot down this stupid argument again?

    Oh, all right....

    I have a magic anti-tiger keychain. I know it works because I haven't seen a single tiger since I started wearing it.

    --
    /. If the government wants us to respect the law, it should set a better example.
  16. Re:My God its full of stars! by Trolling4Dollars · · Score: 3, Funny
    Ask Clinton... Oh wait, he was just dodging the draft.

    Yeah. While Baby Bush was AWOL. Snorting up lines of coke and drunk off his ass, no doubt. Hypocrite.

  17. Re:How wrong, reminds me of Star Wars by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    You DON'T want to know what goes through a truly messed up person's mind.

    And yet, you took the time to tell us...

  18. Now I see it... by LittleBigLui · · Score: 2, Funny

    ... the "liberation" of Iraq wasn't about oil or WMDs (did anyone ever believe this?) but to bring DEMOCRACY to Iraq so you Americans can flee your police state. Now that's clever.

    --
    Free as in mason.