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New "JUSTICE" Act Could Roll Back Telecom Immunity
Asmodae writes to tell us about a bill proposed in Congress that could roll back telecom retroactive immunity along with adding other privacy safeguards. The "Judicious Use of Surveillance Tools in Counter-Terrorism Efforts" (JUSTICE) Act advocates the "least intrusive means" of information collection and imposes many limitations on the process. "One of the most significant aspects of the JUSTICE Act is that it will remove the retroactive immunity grants that were given to the telecom companies that participated in the NSA warrantless surveillance program. The companies that cooperated with the surveillance program likely violated several laws, including section 222 of the Communications Act, which prohibits disclosure of network customer information. The immunity grants have prevented the telecommunications companies that voluntarily participated in this program from being held accountable in court."
Bush might not be dumb, but he also isn't the President...
Can you be Even More Awesome?!
He can't spell than either.
Why bother
Someone else lazily, and deliberately, equates "the progressive Left" with "those who would install Communism in America".
What an anachronistic piece of buffoonery, all too familiar from the lunatic fringe of the Right.
Can't you keep on-message? One year it's Terrorism is the Ultimate Enemy of Civilisation and Freedom. Now in 2009 we're, laughably, back to the Red Menace. What's it going to be next year? The Moors? Oh right. It's always open season on the Moors...
Now if you can just find sleeper cells of Arab Communists you'll be in freaking Wingnut Heaven. Stay tuned to FOX folks, you heard it here first.
you had me at #!
"the left also attempts to take our liberties away by introducing universal healthcare" - Only in america could politics be so fucked up that implementing UHC is seen as attacking liberties.
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
It all democratic countries, there is something called the seperation of powers. Only those branches of government responsible for enacting laws can enact laws. The administrative or executive branch can issue all the commands, orders, instructions and memos it likes, if they are against the law as legislated, then it is a criminal act to obey those commands, orders, instructions and memos but law you are required to disobey them and inform the appropriate branch of the judiciary of the illegal instruction.
So the retroactive immunity is nothing more than saving face, of the US government being to embarrassed to publicly prosecute the law breakers, including the NSA, various telecommunications companies and of course the previous US administration. So do you bother to maintain the heat, of verbally bashing those broke the law, of course, you never give up, you shame them worse than the shame that prosecution would bring. You write their history, you keep the memory alive and, you never let them live it down.
Their intent was to abuse the criminal justice system so they could spy on all citizens all of the time (keep in mind that none of the information gathered could ever be used legally in court) to obtain information for what, hmm, blackmail, political corruption, public exposure of secrets prior to polls and even corporate advantage. Can't beat a politician in the polls, the get some dirt on them or just as effectively a family member or even political supporters. They were basically implementing a system to keep themselves in power for ever. This from a political party publicly in bed with the Fox Media empire (you can't in differentiate between the two in their politics and it is pretty clear who is running the show and it ain't the republicans), so how much dirt was passed onto Fox News to disclose at the most politically convenient times (so much for national security).
So yes, some times you must have the circus, where those guilty are publicly shammed and destroyed, to remind other political criminals of the consequences of their actions and to assure the public that democracy and justice will be served, at least on some occasions (those occasions when the public agitates the most strongly for it).
Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen