Wiretapping the Web Easier Than Ever

theodp writes "All the trends are toward easier to tap, says an EFF attorney in MSNBC's recap of last week's 5-0 FCC vote to require broadband and VoIP providers to provide Uncle Sam with wiretapping backdoors and a recent Court decision that stored e-mail is not protected under a strict reading of wiretap laws. Civil-liberties concerns aside, MSNBC notes the FCC is also exploring its Internet regulatory options, including placing tariffs on online newspapers and requiring e-tailers to process 911 calls."

Comments

The police are our founders' "standing army"

[ShatteredDream]

As I have said before on my site, there is ample reason to believe that the police are the "standing army" that our founders warned us of. Let's look at what our founders worried about, what the police and military are today

Standing army of our founders' day and age:

• Enforced many of the laws. Remember the infamous Star Chamber courts for history classes? Military courts for civilians, often American colonists.
• Frequently violated the rights of the people, often in the name of law and order.
• Could basically do what they wanted when it was convenient for the state; not held to the strict standard that you have to disobey an illegal order.

The police of our day and age:

• Frequently take on what were once military jobs such as detaining unlawful combatants, fighting those who come to our soil to blow up your women and children (hey that was warfare, not terrorism just 30 years ago....)
• Frequently disregard the civil liberties of the public, including going so far as to try to instill the attitude that anyone more concerned with civil liberties than fighting crime is "pro-crime."
• Frequently disregard the rule of law when it means that one of their own will get "ratted out." The boys in blue are notorious for taking the attitude that a cop can "screw up" because "they are human" even when a civilian doing the same thing would get locked up. Ever heard of cases where the police didn't get busted because none of them would speak ill of even their corrupt comrades?

No knock raids, unprecedented surveillance, military grade equipment, they are a paramilitary, not "peace officers" anymore. Don't ever, ever make the mistake of assuming that they are peace officers anymore. Between their militarization in tactics/armament, and the legal powers that put us at a distinct disadvantage, they are closer to an occupying army than what they were originally created to be.

If you think that gun control is "common sense" yet you are worried about issues like police powers then ask yourself who you would really trust with a gun. The police, many of whom are neurotic, egotistical control freaks (that's why they are attracted to positions of power, surprise, surprise....) or your neighbor? How about your own family and friends. People you can trust.

See I trust the latter, because I come from a law enforcement family that has former law enforcement from both the state and federal agencies. I have seen many more law enforcement officers in personal settings than the average person so I have a good idea of what the personality types are. Trust me, people, especially those who think gun control is a good idea, these are often some of the last people that deserve a state sanction to abridge your liberties while carrying a firearm.

The best thing that could happen to our civil liberties would be for the average citizen to be able to own any weapon that the cops can use, for the government to not be able to register those weapons and for the people to have a right to use force to resist unlawful arrest. Oh wait, unlawful arrest basically doesn't exist anymore because who are you to tell a cop that they don't have a legitimate reason to detain your unconvicted (probably felon) ass? See my point?