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Senate Passes Patriot Act Renewal
IAmTheDave writes "The Senate has passed a renewal of the Patriot act, 89-10, after two extensions caused by months of negotiations. The only thing standing in the way of a full renewal is a House vote, expected to pass next week. The renewal comes with some privacy protections attached, however, some worry they are only cosmetic. Some lawmakers who voted for the package acknowledged deep reservations about the power it would grant to any president. "Our support for the Patriot Act does not mean a blank check for the president," said Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada, who voted to pass the bill package. Certain lawmakers supported passing the bill even though they were still wary about it - Arlen Specter urged his colleagues to pass it even as he promised to introduce a new measure and hold hearings on how to fix it. Terrorism aside, the bill also includes new legislation that has almost nothing to do with terrorism, like one measure, which would make it harder for illicit labs to obtain ingredients for methamphetamine by requiring pharmacies to sell nonprescription cold medicines only from behind the counter. I know that people like Arlen Specter promise further hearings - but why pass what you know is flawed?"
This is already the case in Australia, although its a good idea a lot of pharmacists love to treat you like a criminal when you go in with a head cold to buy a pack of cold and flue tablets. Last year one of them refused to hand my drivers license back and I had to go to collect it from the police station after a few questions, turns out another guy with a name similar to mine had bought a few packets recently from that same chemist. All I wanted was bloody cold and flue tabs!!!!
Yea, but if enough people didn't vote for it, it would quickly move away from being something that was bad to something that was good. The argument "Senator X voted to open this country to terrorists!" would move to "Senator X voted to protect his constituent's rights!"
Reminds me of those High School popularity contests...
It was passed by an overwhelming majority because an overwhelming majority in both parties agree wholeheartedly with pushing the US further towards a fascist state ... and they don't have far to go.
... and those people aren't ordinary workers.
The Democrats are absolutely pathetic. They handed the 2000 election to the Republicans on a silver platter. They rolled over and played dead in the last elections. They made a point of pretending that there was NO opposition to the wars in the middle east. They pushed strong anti-war candidates and slotted in a pro-war candidates. They attacked Bush from the right in arguing that he wasn't doing enough to protect the world from terrorism, win the war in Iraq, etc, etc.
The problem is that the Democrats are a party that defends big business interests - just like the Republicans, only a litle less competent. This is why less than 50% of Americans vote - they realise that it doesn't matter who you vote for, the same people keep winning
Americans should take a good look at their 2-party system, and ponder what democracy is supposed to be about, and consider the difference between the two. It's a huge gap, and it's increasing at an alarming rate. Thank God the US hasn't been so successful at exporting their brand of democracy to the rest of the world.
Thinking of that, why isn't there a single republican in that list? You would think that a party that is supposedly about small government and staying out of people's affairs would have at least a few members opposed to the PATRIOT act. Doesn't the republican party contain ANY classical consevatives anymore? Is it really all neo-conservatives (AKA Fascists, in the Mussolini sense of the word)?
This Sudaphed thing is a real hastle to me. I need it when I get sick and the "monthly limits" are stupid. What do you do if more than one party in your home needs the stuff? I can get 20 pieces a month?! I don't mind signing in but this is stupid. It gets hard to get and it gets impossible just as I need it.
As to the Meth Lab stuff. I had drug runners running a regular wholesale operation next door. You could watch them exchanging money and drugs in the street. They were outside the house with cell phones "dialing for dollars" every single day and all sorts of people were pulling up. I tried to call the FBI, you know the guys who are charged with catching this sort of crud. Well they didn't answer their answering machine. I tried calling the DA..., his people didn't care. I called the Sheriff..., he said call the "drug taskforce" with the state. I called the drug taskforce...., No result. I even offered to have the under cover guys stay in my house and film the operation from my house.
I finally threatened the Sheriff with advertizing for the drug guys by painting the street and with "Drugs this Way" signs and putting up signs on the lamp posts. That got the guys parole revoked for a while. But now the guys are back. What am I going to have to do? Shoot the guys? I know they would show up and arrest me if I did that. They cannot be bothered otherwise.
For the ignorant fools who believe the USA is either fighting terrorism or is fighting drugs, you simply do not know what is going on. The Patriot Act is a fraud. Start a business and you will find out what the Patriot Act is about. It is about TAXES! It is nothing else!
As to the stopping of Meth Labs and drug abuse. NOT! The restriction of precursors may have slowed the labs but the import via that border with Mexico that the US President refuses at all costs to protect is going through the roof. The dealer is next door to me. I know! I wish we could see a happier situation but the reality is that the President and his corrupt buddies are not stopping drugs, they are protecting their business in drugs against competition. Don't believe me? Try calling the FBI to deal with the drug running terrorists who are killing and drugging in our streets in the USA. I have tried. They don't even answer their phone!
For the MODS out there who might be tempted to disagree. Why on earth would you stop people from reading the truth?
Never Politically Correct ~ I prefer the facts If you don't like what I say, get a life, or comment yourself.
Yes the whole obcession America has with war is dispicable. I'm Canadian and when I went on a trip with a whole bunch of Americans all they could talk about is there army. If I said something about Canada they would mostly end up saying that atleast America's army was the best. I should hope so spending billions of dollars on it annually.
I always thought that collective security was the way to go. I would say that is roughly what Canada is doing. We help other countries, mostly opur army is used for humanitarian and peacekeeping/making missions. If anyone attacked us we probably wouldn't do that great by ourselves but think about the people who would back us up. Most likely every country on the UN Seceraty Counsel and others as well.
So yes you guys are obsessed with your military and that is probably bad. The other thing is that most likely this whole patriot act is designerd to give the government more power. Just like the whole war on terrorism is just to get that passed and other such things, and the terrorist attacks were probably just there to start the war. I would suggest watching this video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-777269653 0684663669&q=9%2F11+loose+change.
After watching that tell me you don't have some doubts. The fact that they are hiding so much is unsettling. And even if the attacks were caused by Al Quaeda, what if they are just doing what the U.S. said? On the other hand they could just hate the U.S. and be extremists like most people believe. Even so they have all those weapons because you gave them to them during the Cold War. Back when Russia was occupying Iran I beieve.
If America was smart all of it's citizens would unite and demand an explanation, because I think the Government could shed alot of light on this that the don't want to. What happened to "...and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."(Abraham Licoln, The Gettysburg Address [1863])? As you may notice of the people, by the people, for the people. There doesn't seem to be alot of that happening.