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CIA and Military to Have U.S. Snooping Powers?

Posted by michael on from the descent-into-madness dept.

Mr.Intel writes "The NY Times is reporting that 'The Bush administration and leading Senate Republicans sought today to give the Central Intelligence Agency and the Pentagon far-reaching new powers to demand personal and financial records on people in the United States as part of foreign intelligence and terrorism operations.' Although the measure was beaten back in committee, it appears that the administration is not satisfied with Patriot or Patriot II type powers..."

1 of 82 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Where's the well armed militia? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    This is Jerry Pournelle, and I have no desire to create an account. We were not kicked out of Viet Nam by a bunch of peasants. Viet Nam fell in 1975 to an invading army of more than 150,000 North Vietnamese with more tanks than the Germans had at Kursk.

    In 1973 they sent 150,000 men south with a similar amount of armor. The Army of the Republic of Viet Nam, with US aid, and US Air support, destroyed that army, and destroyed or captured the armor. US casualties were about 400. In 1975 the Congress voted not to allow US air support, and voted essentially no military aid and supplies to Viet Nam. Since Viet Nam was invaded by a very well supplied army, and was defended by an army with about 20 cartridges and 3 hand grenades per soldier, South Viet Nam accordingly fell, and Saigon became Ho Chi Minh City; but that is not the same as our being kicked out by a handful of peasants with rifles.

    If you are going to cite historical fact, then find out what the historical facts are.

    Jerry Pournelle