Significant FBI Abuses of the Patriot Act

Noksagt writes "The Washington Post is reporting that recently discovered documents indicate serious intelligence violations by the FBI. This comes just months after the U.S. House voted to extend the Patriot Act, EPIC (the Electronic Privacy Information Center) has obtained documents through the Freedom of Information Act of thirteen cases of possible misconduct in intelligence investigations. The case numbering suggests that there were at least 153 investigations of misconduct at the FBI in 2003 alone."

Comments

Our current higher standard

[opencity]

Chomsky, who's very name may qualify as flamebait in 2005, pointed out that the standards we are at least paying lipservice to in the USA have only been even attempted since the 1960s. Until the Knapp Commission (1972) it was basically accepted in hometown NYC that the cops operated with many of the same rules and in the same businesses as organized crime (dope dealing, pimping, extortion).

J Edgar Hoover would roll his eyes (and hike his skirt?) at what is being called 'Significant FBI Abuses'.

Regardless of where you stand in the current culture war, these higher standards are a 'good thing'.
man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward

Re:More Paranoid Rhetoric

[ksheff]

Good point, so expect to be modded as flamebait. I read people complaining about how they are being repressed because of BS like this and from my viewpoint, nothing has changed. I guess I don't live close enough to the boundaries of the law.

Not to worry.

[monklegacy]

So, I understand that it may be a violation of privacy, but...

If you aren't doing anything wrong whats the big deal?

I also realize that it is a little scary knowing that these guys can abuse their power. I have enough faith in my governemnt to say "Outta sight, outta mind." It kind of makes me wonder what all these people who feel their rights have been violated are hiding.

We need the left to keep the right in check, but we also need the right to keep the left in check. So, hopefully one day it will all even out. (yea, maybe that has nothing to do with this)

Re:Power only exists to be abused

[shanen]

I addressed the first part elsewhere, but as regards the budget, the job of the Executive branch is to do (execute) the will of Congress to the best of their ability with the resources provided. If the money is insufficient, then they need to do as much as they can and report how much wasn't finished for the next budget, and if there is too much money, they need to save that extra money and report why about that, too.

As it actually works now, we have Dubya's cronies deciding to divert money from New Orleans because Iraq was a higher priority for them. Totally against the will of the Congressmen from Louisiana (and probably also against the will of the representatives of the states that depended on New Orleans).

Re:Power only exists to be abused

[geminidomino]

Hush. Let the bigmouthed American-basher spew his drivel.

Re:once again...

[Xyrus]

Seriously, did anyone even think for a second that THIS WOULDN'T HAPPEN??? To all those supporters of the PATRIOT ACT:

WE TOLD YOU SO!

And do you know what's going change? Nothing. Apathy is going to kill this nation.

~X~

Re:conclusion - aussie_a voted for John Howard

[schon]

Pistols are difficult, because apart from sport there's no practical reason to have one

Pistols are designed for shooting people.

So.. premeditated assault is practical?

Good rule of thumb...

[Conspiracy_Of_Doves]

Never trust anyone who shouts about "family values" but never says what those values actually are.

Re:weasel word

[shanen]

I see you still haven't figured out how to set "foe". Gosh, your stupidity is exceeding my greatest expectations in these days of increasingly great stupidity. I would be truly delighted to know you are an official foe.

(Well, actually that's a rhetorical florish. I really couldn't give a flying shite what you do. It's just the convenience of seeing the "foe" dot and ignoring the associated tripe--if my settings haven't already made the post invisible.)

Re:weasel word

[shanen]

No, actually I have discovered some excellent settings that make the anonymous cowards almost completely visible. I will grant you credit for being a slightly less cowardly coward, insofar as you use a stupid handle rather than the AC setting.

Let's try again. You are a vacuous fake, a minor dildo hurler, a waste of bits. I have no use for you except as a "foe". In real life I assume you are a spam emailer or minor hoodlum of some sort. Or perhaps you're already posting from jail. I don't care.

All I want from you is a "foe" rating.