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Senate Wants Database Dragnet
Doc Ruby writes "Wired reports that the "Senate could pass a bill as early as Wednesday evening that would let government counter-terrorist investigators instantly query a massive system of interconnected commercial and government databases that hold billions of records on Americans".
"Vote Kerry in 2004! Get your civil rights back!"
Is Kerry opposed to this? Remember that Bush was the one who was opposed to a separate office of Homeland Security. Kerry was for it prior to Bush.
"A lot of (task force members) were very uncomfortable about data sharing," Farber said. "But all of us at the end felt confident that if the recommendations were followed, it was as good as it was going to get relative to privacy protections."
As good as it's going to get is exactly how good again?
I always said that Carnivore / Echelon / TIA probably resembles Google. That's what I would do if I were the government. Then it doesn't matter what format the information is in, web enable it, publish it and spider it. *poof* your database on everything law enforcement knows about everyone, without having to worry about integrating disparate systems across government (local and federal) agencies.
Didn't http://www.google-watch.org/ say that one of Google's top people came from the Department of Defense?
Of course we also need to figure out how to fill the database with so many fake "flags" that it becomes useless.
now where is that silver hat i usually wear?
The government which is strong enough to protect you from everything is strong enough to take everything from you.
americans werent the problem
are they actually admitting that america too has carried out acts of terrorism?
back in the day we didnt have no old school
"The next Mohammed Atta is not going to be found in commercial databases," Griffin said, referring to the tactical leader of the 9/11 attacks. "We are going to stop him running a red light somewhere, and we are going to run relationships associations with this guy and we are going to say, gee, you have things in common with guys on watch lists. That's how you are going to find the guy -- not because he has bad credit.""
Anyone else reminded of the overreaction to the Columbine High School shootings, where anyone who fit a "goth" or "geek" profile, or had anything judged remotely in common with Harris and Klebold, got the dangerous criminal treatment for months afterward?
Someday, you're going to die. Get over it.
Why are the majority of these new anti-terrorism laws targeting American citizens?
Because for every Bin Laden, there is ten McVeighs, and they are better armed, already in the country and someone like "Tim Smith, Auto Mechanic" raises less alarm bells than "Ahmed Almud Chalabi, Student Visa".
Domestic terrorism has always been the greater threat, but the USGovLLC doesn't want Americans afraid of each other, they might stay home and not go to work. But when the enemy is external, foreign and non-white, then it's "Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to kill some darkies we go"
What's wrong with this picture?
The fact that you are even asking is what's wrong with this picture.
In other news, Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax can do this already.
Here's the catch. Many of your companies do business in foriegn countries. In Canada we have a big problem with this. There are many Canadian financial subsideries such as MBNA Canada. These subsideries are subject to Patriot and this TIS discussed here. Hence, as a Canadain, it may be the case that the US government has access to MY financial records, without telling me.
I am in fact in the process of cancelling both my credit cards, because they are either paritally run by american companies, or from subsideraries of american companies. I also need to avoid american airline companies.
Other countries are in similar situations.
sept 11th was executed with box cutters
box cutters people
no amount of technological edge can defeat a few determined a**holes and a simple idea
we can spend 10 trillion on all sorts of technological doodads to fight terror
i just wonder what the next simple box cutters-level work around exploit will be
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
Do we need a database to figure this stuff out? I think the Four horsemen of the apocalypse just want a database so it can be abused. Just wait until the IRS gets it's hooks into it or vice versa. Just wait until it gets hacked and information gets leaked. We all know how good Congress is at securing (sic) their top secret campaign strategies.
This is a waste of money that will lead to massive abuse, false positives, and turn the government (literally) into Big Brother. It's 1984 about 20 years late.
To extend the system to its logical conclusion: cameras and RFID sensors will be installed everywhere then everyone will be injected with RFID tags. This will allow anyone to be found instantly (or at least the last known location) for their own safety of course. This would be a great plot line for those whacko's that made the "Left Behind" series. I wonder if they could get Mr. T to say, "Don't even think of implanting that thing in me fool!"
Actually, I am not too worried since this project will be farmed out to a loser company packed with overpaid consultants that can never pull all the data together. After investing 20 trillion dollars the project will be scrapped only after hundreds of innocent 80 year old ladies have had their doors kicked in by the Department of Homeland security and been hauled off to secret FBI detention centers (accidentally of course). Oh the fun that awaits the American citizen after this system gets funding approved.
Those who are willing to sacrifice sound quality for harddrive space deserve neither.
I've seen someone hassled by the IRS because someone keying in 1099 information mistyped a social security number and tied that income where it didn't belong. And it was up to that person to prove that it didn't belong to them.
A fine is a tax you pay for doing wrong and a tax is a fine you pay for doing all right.
You don't value your privacy, then you lose it. Half of America voted for the pinheads making this a reality, you have no one to blame but yourselves.
That's our life, the big wheel of shit. - The Fat Man, Blue Tango Salvage
This is a good quote to hear from time to time as it helps to remind you, as you say, that there is no point in fearing that which you do not control.
As far as the big database dragnet goes, I'm not sure that it would have helped 9/11 - policing those whose visas had expired would have likely done more good. This database dragnet might do more good in stopping things like the Oklahoma City bombing where a couple of rednecks (who didn't farm) bought enough chemicals and fuel to run a farm and made a big bomb out of them.
I also think that the Senate saying "let it be done" and it actually being something that could be done in a meaningful way are two different things.
Please excuse me while I get my bid ready to go. I think that I'll be asking for (insert Dr. Evil voice) 1 trillion dollars...
A fine is a tax you pay for doing wrong and a tax is a fine you pay for doing all right.
Yeah, it's the path of every government: Scare everyone into obedience, offer 'protection', kill anyone who gets in the way, then crash, blame it on anarchy, and start over. Ours is showing the final signs as it's now recklessly throwing out laws, imprisoning anyone in sight, going on killing sprees it can't cover up, etc. Saddam and Hitler didn't get away with it; I doubt the dumbasses in our office can.
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On an interesting note, the government is anticipating a 9/11ish terrorist attack to take place just around - oh gee - election time http://www.boingboing.net/2004/10/12/law_enforcem
The reps sure called that one, didn't they? Bush said something really bad would happen unless he's reelected. I guess the administration is following through on that promise.
I am NOT a number! I am a - oh wait, I'm number 761710. Look! 761710!