Crashing the Wiretapper's Ball

An anonymous reader writes "Wired is running an article with some great investigative journalism. Writer Thomas Green snuck into the ISS World Conference, a trade show featuring communications-tapping equipment and normally a press-free event. There, he got some very interesting quotes from the attendees." From the article: "You really need to educate yourself ... Do you think this stuff doesn't happen in the West? Let me tell you something. I sell this equipment all over the world, especially in the Middle East. I deal with buyers from Qatar, and I get more concern about proper legal procedure from them than I get in the USA."

Comments

Link goes to third page

[Miraba]

Actual link to first page here.

Re:Nice to see journalism isn't dead ...

[GaratNW]

What people seem to forget is that this is not just in the past few years. Over 50 years of positioning and power-brokering have made the situation we see in American politics today. A steady growing of the power of the intelligence branches, even if during most of that time it was pretty quiet. Someone made a post yesterday in the Supreme Court Limits Whistleblowing newsitem detailing out the top 13 or so signs of a facist regime (http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=187044&th reshold=1&commentsort=0&mode=thread&cid=15433843/) . If you haven't read it, I'd highly recommend it. Try not to go all conspiracy crazy, but analyze each of the items and see how many examples you can find for each one. For some, there's little to no correlation to be found in America (At least not easily or without getting branded Unibomber level crazy). But for others? Examples abound. Just keep this in mind: American Flags and Yellow Ribbons.

Re:Not true! What about Brad and Jennifer???

[iminplaya]

You gotta remember, "It's the economy, stupid.". If people feel comfortable, they simply don't want to rock the boat. It's happening in China(and of course the States, UK, Austrailia, etc.) right now. A comfortable public is a placid(flaccid?) public. The rise of a middle class will bring greater security to its government that any military force. When WMDs or torture or corruption cause high gas prices, or jeapordize the American Idol vote, then the politicians will feel the public's wrath. Otherwise very few people will lift a finger to bring about any change. You don't see lions or tigers ever running around except when hunting for food, do you? When their bellies are full, what do they do? They take a nap. There is no reason to believe that people are any different. It's nature's way.

Re:Justice is Swift

[CreatureComfort]

Ummmm....you haven't been paying attention, have you?

heck

More on Bilderberg

[nido]

The American Free Press' Jim Tucker has been chasing the bilderburgers for years. In his Bilderberg Diary (can't find a direct link, but put 'bilderberg' in the search box on this page) he says attendees are a virtual who's who of the (self-selected) "international elite". U.S. attendees affiliated with the government are also breaking the law, by discussing policy in secret.

American Criminals: Public Policy in Private

In the United States, the Logan Act states explicitly that it is against the law for federal officials to attend secret meetings with private citizens to develop public policies.

Although Bilderberg 2005 was missing one of its luminaries--US State Department official John Bolton, who was testifying before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations--the US Government was well represented in Rottach-Egern by: Allan E. Hubbard, Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and director of the National Economic Council; William Luti, Deputy Under-Secretary of Defense; James Wolfensohn, outgoing president of the World Bank; and Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of State, an ideologue of the Iraq war and incoming president of the World Bank. By attending the Bilderberg 2005 meeting, these people broke United States federal law.

-http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/BilderbergE xposed.html

Shrub's not a bilderberger, but Clinton was, and so was Pa Bush. Reagan wasn't, but his Vice President was. Carter was, iirc... Seems like a conspiracy to me.

Treason Defined

[Ironsides]

Article 3, Section 3 of the Constitution of the United States of America:

Section 3. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.

The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason, but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood, or forfeiture except during the life of the person attainted.

Passing or voting for an unconstitutional law is not treason.

Conspiracy Against Rights statute

[b0s0z0ku]

personaly i feel that we need a new law here in the US .. if you pass a law that is found to violate the bill of rights and/or the constitution - you should be found guilty of treason (and that would go for anyone that put there name on the bill) - that would make them thing twice.. well atleast mabey thing once ?

Actually, "Conspiracy Against Rights" (18 USC 241/242) already covers this. The penalty for conspiring to deprive people of their constitutional rights (passed during the civil rights era) is up to 10 years in prison. If kidnapping (would unlawful imprisonment qualify?) is involved, or someone dies as a result, the maximum penalty is death.

See for yourself:
http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/crim/241fin.htm

-b.