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FBI Can Inspect Bank Records w/o Court Orders
AlexZander writes: "Thankfully, the so-called 'Patriot Act II' was discovered last year and the public outcry that ensued was enough to get the bill tossed out the window. One of the goals of that act, however, has made it into law under the radar of the community at large. However, on December 13th, President Bush signed Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (the relevant section is 374) into law, which among other things, grants the FBI the power to obtain financial information without a court order from a judge. It also expands the definition of 'financial information' to include car dealerships, jewelry stores, insurance companies, and other stretches of the definition of 'financial institution'. Wired News has the story here."
"The best parts about this is that the law prevents the business that gives up the information to the FBI from telling their customer about the request. Oh, that and the new law only requires a "national security letter" from a field agent stating that the information reqested is part of an investigation relevant to national security.
Yikes!"
Ladies and gentlemen, we got him!
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News for Nerds. Stuff that matters.
News for Nerds. Stuff that matters.
Not "News for Trolls. Stuff that flames."
Got it?
Good
bush has raised $170 million for his primary - where he's unopposed. and then under federal election law he can raise that money again in september when he's nominated (that's why the gop convention is so late this year - plus the convention will be free coverage).
your only chance is dean but it seems like the dems are determined to eat their own. saw another dnc talking head abusing dean on fox news today.
but it's likely bush will win, and the gop will extend its control of the house and senate. i expect a fillibuster-proof majority in the senate and maybe the house. america can look forward to economic panics ala argentina, further erosion of civil rights, more religious extremists on the bench, more war, more terrorist attacks, less jobs, more gov't and a flight of foreign capital.
i'm sure i'll get marked as a troll, but if bush wins in '04, i suggest people bookmark this comment and see how prophetic it is in 2008.
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Haha!
.!..
I told you so.
Neener neener STFU
Are you living in the same world as the rest of us?
It's funny that you should ask that question, because I was wondering the same about you.
You seem to be painting the '70s, and I suspect the period leading to them, as some sort of idyllic time when American was beloved by all and seen almost as an older brother who all looked up to for guidance. I remember things a little differently.
Viet Nam dragged on until 1975, and did little for our image. Europe was deeply divided about resisting expansion by the Soviet Union. There were large anti-nuclear protests in Europe and other places aimed against the US. Remember the neutron bomb? The 1973 Arab-Israeli war threated to bring the US and USSR into conflict, starting a world war. Remember the oil embargo after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, when the Arabs drasticaly cut our oil supplies and raised prices, resulting in long waiting lines and even/odd day rationing? I remember President Nixon resiging after one of the bigger threats to our democracy which was ended when the legislators of the President's own party told him to pack it in or else. Remember the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and our boycotting of the Olympics? I remember the race riots that started in the '60s, and ran into the 70s. I remember the resurgence of the Klan, and its suppression. Remember the Iranian revolution, and the hatre directed at the US by the new rulers, and the hostages they took from our embassy? I remember the new word they had to invent for the economy of the 70s: stagflation. Do you remember banks paying double digit interest rates? In the 70s it was Europe bearing the brunt of terrorism, in Germany, Spain, Britian, Ireland, Greece, and other countries. Most of our domestic terrorists quieted down after the early 70s.
No, I think that the last 10 years, even today, is much less exciting the the '70s.
America used to be diplomatically effective without having to use force.
And we still are. But we have used force in the past when called for, and no doubt will in the future. Libya's support of terrorism, including bombing discos and planes, dropped right off after we bombed Colonel Looney Tunes's hacienda. Saddam was bombed by 2 Democrat and 2 Republican administrations. Kosovo required force, as did some other situations.
They did so by leading the way with treaties like SALT, SALT II. They were the prime funders of the UN. They were signatories to most international treaties.
Like other nations we sign treaties that are in our interest, are fair, and are enforceable. Not every treaty meets those conditions. We've walked away from treaties before, and will again. Other countries have declined to sign treaties we wanted. Thats life. Some of the more recent treaties we've walked away from have been open to abuse, unfair, or based on questionable science.
Today, America is effective because it has told everyone that YOU ARE WITH US OR AGAINST US. You don't win mindshare that way. You win resentment.
That is the message regarding terrorism, and thats about it. If other countries resent us for telling them pick a side, with us, or with the terrorists against us, too d*mn bad. It is a small, but significant choice. Or do you think terrorism is a good thing?
If you don't see what's going on with the EU,
Nothing new there. France pulled out of the military arm of NATO in the 60s so they wouldn't be under the command of Americans. They developed their own nuclear weapons so as to not rely upon us, and for their own ego. The US has never been part of the EU either.
the leftist governments in South America,
Same again. There have been leftist governments in Central/South America since the 50s. Remember Cuba?
the rampant hostitlity towards America in teh Middle East
I've been hearing "Death to America!" chanted for 40 years. It might stop if we all converted to Islam, instituted sharia,