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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.'"
It takes time to get a warrant, and they need proof before hand in order to get this warrant. All this wiretapping does is look for specific keywords which lead to a better comprehension of who the terrorist is and then they get a warrant to do the rest (arrest and what not). I doubt the government has the time or want to listen to everyones private conversations, and also I doubt terrorists gab weeks on end about their plans, so there is a limited window.
You forgot to added another cliche, karma whore favorite on this subject. You might have been modded up even more.
Adams and Franklin were refering to resisting an occupation force, the US is combating an externally commanded islamo-fascist terror insurgency. They are not the same. Indeed it is a love of liberty that inspires citizens to give the federal government the powerful tools they need to wipe it out completely.
-an ill wind that blows no good
What we need is more Americans willing to use their guns to fix this problem. When the shootings done there will probably be a lot of folks who still need hanging, so I guess we should stock up on rope as well.
"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.
"What can the Democratic Party can do?"
Well, they can start by offering solutions that aren't either "run away" or just standing around bitching and not offering any other solutions. If they have been offering solutions, they sure don't have the answer.
If they did that, a lot more people would take them seriously.
People aren't going to vote for Democrats on this issue if they don't have a solution.
At this point, a vote for a Democrat is just to stop everything is the "solution". That's the hope of a lot of those on the left.
It's not going to make the terrorists that want to kill Americans go away. The US not doing anything during the 1990s didn't stop them from bombing the Cole or the first unsuccessful World Trade Center bombing. We didn't do anything then, and they just kept coming.
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.
an ill wind that blows no good
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.
an ill wind that blows no good
These people clearly do not understand the basic principles of a republican take on government - they are interested in power, and give people like me a bad name.
Bullshit.
You earned that bad name when you actively decided to become a Republican. They haven't recently changed. They've stood for this type of shit for my entire life, and I'm 36.
They understand the Republican take on government perfectly.
It's you who is still failing to understand it.
Wake up, grow some integrity, start begging us decent citizens for forgiveness for your treason and the start working to correct the hideous crimes that *you* of your own free will actively supported.
I believe in small government, and the maximization of freedoms as an individual, and increasing the amount of power the people have over the government, not the reverse.
Bullshit again.
If you stood for any of those things then you would not be a Republican.
The Democrats certainly don't stand for those things either, but they do far more so than the Republicans have for decades.
Actions speak louder than words, and the Republicans actions since at least Reagan have clearly demonstreated that they believe in *bigger* government than even the Democrats.
The two parties are after the same thing, every time. They are after power. They are not here to help people. And that pisses me off. I am ashamed of my fellow republicans, because they continue to do stupid things and say stupid things.
Oh fuck you. Be ashamed of yourself. You're a Republican, therefore this shit is *your* fault. Be a man and quit blaming your "fellow Republicans". Take some of that personal responsibility you shitbags are always whining about, admit your crimes, and deal with the consequences including admitting what *your* freely chosen actions have made you. A subhuman monster who has actively supported the most savage assault on our Constitution in history, and who still supports the torture and murdrer of innocent people.
Until you can have that honesty, your meaningless lies show you to have learned nothing from your mistakes.
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.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.