House Approves Warrantless Wiretapping

inKubus writes to mention an AP article about the approval of a warrantless wiretapping bill by the house. The legislation's goal would be to legitimize the wiretapping program President Bush previously authorized, with a few new restrictions. Despite this victory for the President, "Leaders concede that differences between the versions are so significant they cannot reconcile them into a final bill that can be delivered to Bush before the Nov. 7 congressional elections. The Senate also could vote on a similar bill before Congress recesses at the end of the week. For its part, the White House announced it strongly supported passage of the House version but wasn't satisfied with it, adding that the administration 'looks forward to working with Congress to strengthen the bill as it moves through the legislative process.'"

Comments

Re: Democrats

[deanj]

"This isn't about terrorists, it's about my privacy and my rights as an American."

This is pure FUD, and and best a half truth.

If you're making phone calls to terrorists, or they're making phone calls to you, your lines will get tapped.

If you're not and they try something like that, you can sue the living crap out of the people that are doing it, and you'll have lawyers out the door to back you up. And you'll win.

Your civil rights are NOT being violated. In fact, they probably don't give two craps about you, other than trying to prevent your butt from getting blown up. Nothing you're doing is of the slightest interest to them.

Seriously.

Minority opinion != troll

[amightywind]

Looking at his post history, I think we've caught ourselves a troll.

Being relatively conservative compared to many on this forum I often express a minority opinion. But serious opinions are not trolls. Funny how liberals are confused by the two.

Root cause of terror

[amightywind]

Oh, yeah, and if we hadn't spent decades interfering in their internal politics, invading their countries for no goddamn reason, and supporting tin pot dictators who oppress their people (do you have any idea how many billions of dollars we happily gave to Saddam in the 80s? Some of it he used to fight Iran, which was why we gave him the money, and some he used to bomb his own people -- which we knew about, and did nothing about), then there wouldn't be any fucking terrorists in the first place.

America may have a large economy but do you really believe it is that negatively influential? The root problem of terror is the deep seated political and economic stagnation of the muslim world. What else does a young man have to do in societies devoid opportunity but to rot his brain memorising the koran and rail against injustice? And their prospects are many times greater that those of the women! GDub's valiant attempt to insert a democracy in this cesspool is laudable. But the chances of success are slim.

Re:Congrats on your +5, insightful

[fyngyrz]

Building codes are there to insure the person paying for the construction doesn't get screwed.

Then why, in a building I own outright, and in which I am doing all the electrical and construction work, and for which I am paying every penny out of my own pocket, am I subject to building codes?

As near as I can tell, the building codes are spending a lot of effort screwing me. The codes are not up to date in the sense that they do not reflect how I use power, how I want to use the interior of my home, how I mean to escape in the case of emergency... despite the fact that my building and electrical methods are considerably safer than those the codes direct be used.

As near as I can tell, the building codes are there to fund the city. No more, no less.