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Senate Passes 4-Year Re-Up of Patriot Act Provisions
Bloomberg News reports that, as expected, today "[t]he US Senate approved a four-year extension of provisions in the USA Patriot Act allowing law enforcement to track suspected terrorists with roving wiretaps. ... The measure goes to the House for final passage before being sent to President Barack Obama for his signature. The surveillance powers would be extended until June 1, 2015." The story mentions that the Patriot Act powers this approval includes would extend "to so-called 'lone wolf' suspects who aren't affiliated with any terrorist group."
If your congressman or senator failed to vote against this violation of the fourth and fifth amendments, he or she has violated their oath of office. Don't vote for them again unless you want this shit to continue.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
Oh god, here it is. The latest in fear buzzword technology. "Hunker down", WMD, axis of evil, and now the "lone wolf". I miss when "lock box" was the stupidest of these pre-9/11. The worst part is, the media keeps using these deceitful memes and people just keep eating bowl after bowl of this shit.
This thing is never going away...
approval would extend "to so-called “lone wolf” suspects who aren’t affiliated with any terrorist group."
So, more needle in a haystack stuff, we need to violate everybody's privacy just in case one in the 7billlion people on the planet hate us. Didn't they use to hate us for our freedom? Not a problem anymore....
Because now that Osama is dead, this abomination is now to protect from mysterious random people.... A nice way of saying the PATRIOT act will stop being extended when we get rid of every last human being who hates America.
And goes into a 4 year extension of Big Brother spying on what books you read or buy, what your emails contain, etc. It allows Big Brother to collect information on you sans any justification whatsoever - you don't even need to have ANY connection to a so-called "terrorist" or "terrorist organization" (like environmental groups, worker's rights groups, anti-corporate groups, etc...you know, horrific "terrorists").
It is not a "yawn". It is yet another shiv into the heart of so-called "liberty" and "freedom".
Land of the free, home of the brave MY ASS. Land of the chattle, home of pansy candyasses is more accurate.
In Bushworld, they struggle to keep church and state separate in Iraq as they increasingly merge the two in America.
If you want right wing policies/torture camps to stick around, vote liberal.
Syria's Emergency Law lasted from 1962 until 2011, and it took a popular revolution to change it. Since Americans are meeker than that and care less about their civil rights, there is no chance these new powers are ever going away, so let's stop pretending they are "temporary".
They are not temporary, and to keep saying "oh, just 4 more years" is just newspeak for "forever".
I agree, many people will die between 2012 and 2015.
Would you also like to predict which way water falls?
John, this legislation is nothing but the very tip of the iceberg. Even if it were canned, nothing would really change. Your entire society has some pretty severe problems with it these days, and this sort of legislation is perhaps even one of the most minor of all of the problems.
Your nation's economy is in the shitter thanks to outsourcing, "free trade" and several costly wars that have been lost (Iraq) or are in the process of being lost (Afghanistan). Many Americans live in conditions that are worse than those of even the shittiest third-world nations.
Then there's been the massive rise of stupidity. Education is frowned upon in many areas of the United States. Combined with religion, this becomes a very dangerous mix. The fact that the Republican Party gets any support at all these days is an excellent indicator of just how bad the situation has become.
There are so many systemic problems at play that solving just one or two won't do a damn thing to improve the entire situation.
Will ye tossers start voting something like greens or independents or whatever your alternative parties are already? I mean, last non-dem and non-rep president was 1850-1853.
And don't start whining about how it's never going to matter because of them needing more than whatever share. With that attitude, it never will matter. So grow a pair and start filling in some alternative boxes next election.
</rant>
Now I'm changing my e-mail provider to something outside of US. Any suggestions?
Anybody have a list?
I'm not a lawyer, but I play one on the Internet. Blog
This is the act that allows the president to declare ANYONE an enemy combatant. Even an American Citizen. And disappear them. No representation. No trial. They just vanish, to be indefinitely imprisoned and even tortured. Hell, killed, for all we know. Since nobody knows that the person is being held, there's no limitation. Granted, this has gone wrong pretty much every time it has been used (documented incidents of innocent people being shipped off to gitmo for example) against innocent people a number of times. But hey, it has the word PATRIOT in it!
These assholes despise the citizenship of this country so much that they stuff something called the PATRIOT act with everything that is the opposite of patriotism and that directly undermines the country they claim the act is meant to protect. And we all sit around like fucking sheep, worrying about meaningless bullshit like birth certificates. And worse, all those jackholes who went around doing the "you HAVE to vote!" last year think that they've done their civic duty, because they voted. They chose between the giant douche and the turd sandwich and disavow any responsibility for upholding the status quo that continues to pin us all under its thumb.
Step 1: Be attacked by terrorists.
Step 2: Implement draconian laws designed to 'combat terrorism' citing the terrorist attack and getting everyone scared. Temporary measures, of course.
Step 3: After society is good and locked down, pass extension of those laws.
Step 4: President gets elected that promises to remove these. President instead extends these.
Step 5: Another terrorist attack or foiled plot.
Step 6: Obviously this one law isn't working, so pass another.
Step 7: Progress and repeat until you can't take a shit without someone needing to be there to look up your asshole and make sure you aren't about to shit a bomb into the public toilet at the gas station.
Step 8: Children grew up with these laws, and they're just how things are.
Job? I don't have time to get a job! Who will sit around and bitch about being broke and unemployed then?
Upwards in Australia, relative to Europe.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
Staffer: "How much time do we need to debate the Affordable Care Act?"
Senator: "At least eight months!"
Staffer: "How much time for the federal court appointee?"
Senator: "T is Undefined. We're filibustering him without a vote."
Staffer: "How about to renew the USA PATRIOT act?"
Senator: "Oh, four to six hours."
Don't blame me, I voted for Baltar.
Despite getting off to such a terrible start with the genocide of the "Native Americans" America was the last great hope for humans voluntarily creating a true democracy. The Constitution is an absolutely wonderful work. Future historians will marvel at it's elegance as the founding fathers saw, and attempted to protect against, what would come after them.
Sadly they underestimated the unstoppable inertia of the mass of the "sheeple".
America failed. It's another dead end.
Ho hum... On with the show...
Reboo, restart, on with the show.
Here's more "Hope and Change" for us.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00019
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00084
Encryption is a beautiful thing. You can use IMAP and SMTP with SSL/TLS. You can encrypt your messages themselves with PGP. You can tunnel the traffic through a VPN or SSH connection.
Link: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00084
Anybody have a list?
Here's the list. You can filter by state with one of the links at the top. Three cheers for both of my state's senators voting nay. http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00076
Everybody knows it is never going to go away.
Why not just make it permanent and stop pussy footing around.
-Hack
Got Geometrodynamics? Awe, too hard to figure out? Too bad.
The NY Times vote coverage is a pretty handy resource for this sort of thing:
http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/112/senate/1/84
Notice that the 13 westernmost states votes' total to 12-14 against. What's wrong with the rest of the country?
You think you understand how the Patriot Act allows the government to spy on its citizens. Sen. Ron Wyden says it’s worse than you know. Congress is set to reauthorize three controversial provisions of the surveillance law as early as Thursday. Wyden (D-Oregon) says that powers they grant the government on their face, the government applies a far broader legal interpretation — an interpretation that the government has conveniently classified, so it cannot be publicly assessed or challenged. But one prominent Patriot-watcher asserts that the secret interpretation empowers the government to deploy ”dragnets” for massive amounts of information on private citizens; the government portrays its data-collection efforts much differently.....
Then this Republican bullshit will stop!
Bah.
Hail Eris, full of mischief...
E pluribus sanguinem
This act is one of the greatest violations of our Constitution I have ever seen or ever heard of in our history. To allow it was insanity that capitalized on a weak moment in our history. To continue it is nothing less than treason. Why haven't these people been arrested and tried for treason? Where is our Military which is sworn to protect our Constitution from enemies foreign and DOMESTIC? They could snatch up these traitors and hold them while our high courts try them.
Oh yeah, they are out fighting wars that aren't Constitutionally viable. Shall we just call it as it is and render the Constitution dead?
Take the Red Pill.
40% of Democrats voted against, compared to only 10% of Republicans. If you want to effect change, vote Democrat, straight ticket, every time. From President down to the local dogcatcher. When the GOP is dead and buried, then we can make a new party to the left of the Dems. If you try to go for third parties right now, then the right-wing fascists will use their short term benefit to pass laws that improve their electoral odds in the future. That is, after all, what they are doing right now. They've eliminated all semblance of campaign finance law, made it more difficult for traditionally liberal groups to vote under the guise of attacking non-existent voter fraud, and are working on dismantling unions -- the one remaining well-funded left-leaning demographic.
If the Republicans regain the White House in the next ten years, while also controlling Congress, you better be prepared to live under a right-wing hegemony for the rest of your life, because their grip will become unbreakable.
"Other provisions allow authorities to obtain business and library records, and to target so-called “lone wolf” suspects who aren’t affiliated with any terrorist group."
a.k.a. Anyone. Say something negative about the government? You're a lone-wolf terrorist.
Sure, we aren't there yet. But doesn't that seem like where this is headed? That part scares the crap outta me. I had no idea that was in there.
"I hope you know how very lucky you are to know me, because I am so incredibly incredible."
Privacy legislation in parts of Canada is such that because of the PATRIOT Act we cannot store or process certain type of data in the States. There are workarounds, but the hassle of appeasing privacy officers and the various boards just eliminates the US as a viable option. We now look more to the EU now ...
Just so know, since it is clear that the US is losing business because of this.
Wearing pants should always be optional.
Blah blah blah politics blah blah blah
Why doesn't it start with YOU?
Well, to be fair, Fillmore was a Whig, which was pretty much the "other party" before the Reps existed.
Face it, the US always had a two party system.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Thank you for the useful link. And thank you to Washington's senators. I will vote for you come your next election.
Fuck all three of you. You don't represent me, you tax-sucking, power-grabbing assholes.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
... will definitely be voting AGAINST this. He voted against it before and when I check his record he really does vote how his VOTERS/CITIZENS he represents actually would want things to go...
My point of mentioning this is that here in northern california it is clear that we citizens have garnered the respect from our rep. And while many of ya'll in other districts and states will bitch about their reps selling them out, it is also likely YOU WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
Write your congressman. Show up to the townhall meetings and places where they speak when you get the opportunity.
I know that on this issue, and many others, my man is in line. Get yours in line, because the trash ya'll keep electing and neglecting are passing all these bills and laws that are destroying the country.
al franken did!
--
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
FYI - you all are now being watched by the FBI. =-P
(this is my first slashdot comment ever)
Rand Paul filibustered the attempt for 7 hours. Go to CNN, search Filibuster. There's nothing relevant. Reid went and got this backdoored in while Rand was doing his PATRIOTIC duty.
That they just happened to have 1000 page patriot act ready to be passed within a couple of days of 9/11? And remember just before the vote how the people who opposed the patriot act were attacked with American Military Anthrax? It sure all seems like part of a plan to me.
But Reid attached it to some unrelated bill to avoid any debate.
How does that feel, Nevada?
>80 column hard wrapped e-mail is not a sign of intelligent
>life
Are you including benefits and other extras? Raw salary is a surprisingly smaller part of the whole picture than many people realize.
Here in California the average teacher salary is >$60K, and they golden health care plans, pensions and other perks.
'nuff said
Not a thing changes until first past the post goes.
Al Franken voted Yea? What the hell! I guess you don't need to be a life-long politician to sell out; a couple years is apparently more than enough
40% of Democrats voted against, compared to only 10% of Republicans. If you want to effect change, vote Democrat, straight ticket, every time.
NO.
Let me repeat that.
NO!!!
If you vote for a party, in this case Democrats, who are 60% in support of a bill then you are telling them that it is ok to continue supporting this bill. The only reason even 40% are against it is because of all the people voting away from their party. Keep voting away from both parties until they reach 100%.
And stop being a shill for your political party. If you are so heavily loyal to one that you'd advocate a party line ticket for them just because they only fucked up 60% percent of their vote, then you need a new hobby. ESPN might be good for you.
Fu-uck.
Obama is the only one who can save us with a veto. Let's hope he stands true to his campaign promises.
Actually, Rand Paul was filibustering this for 7 hours, just asking for a (promised by Reid last time it was extended) full week of discussion!
(I liked this title: http://www.unelected.org/democrat-harry-reid-blocks-rand-pauls-filibuster-of-the-patriot-act but you are welcome to google your own!).
And then we see people still thinking that there is some major difference between people wearing 'D' or 'R' labels, rather than between honest people and liars, and true "public servants" (as in, *Representatives* of *Us, the People*) and ones who pretend to be, to advance their agenda and get rich in the process...
And, before you start protesting, saying that all he wanted to do is to amend it with some additional "gun rights" language, it was only one of his several proposed amendments (picked by Media for obvious reasons of further polarization of us). I guess it was quite a brilliant move to provoke at least some discomfort of cognitive dissonance in the minds of mainstream NRA-supporting republicans, who *also* see absolutely no harm in PATRIOT act!
Well done, "Aqua Buddha"! ;)
Paul B.
Not so much with the story, though it does apply, but with the comments... just more of the same old crap... and here we are, with even a worse law than before. In fact, I'm calling a preemptive 'dupe' for the story that will pop up when it renewed in 2015.. and the time after that... turtles all the way down...
For justice, we must go to Don Corleone
... Right??? (as someone asked above)
If I were cynical (which I am!), I would say that both parties ensured passage of the PATRIOT act just to keep things "the way they are". Democrats, being more vulnerable in the next election cycle, had to cut their losses by having some of the most vulnerable ones splitting from the main party line.
So, in some way, I think that I respect the tiny minority of 4 republicans who voted against it way more than 18 democrats. If only that I can think that they voted for their principles, and not political considerations.
Paul B.
A sceen of carnage by FBI and DIA milita laying wast to a section of East L.A. or South Boston or S.E. DC with copious blood and body parts on the street of the "Clean" America.
Till then the Reps and the Sens will vote to have their own bank accounts scurbed.
For them a "Dead American" is not a terriorist.
Blessid be the Dead Americans on this Memoral Day to Cum.
To all who love to talk about democracy and freedom while smashing it at home and giggling like nazi bullies.
To you jokesters who think it's funny to mod down true oathkeepers as trolls
Disobeying your sworn oath is treason and terrorism
The patriot act is the opposite of the constitution
The DHS and TSA is in opposition of the constitution and their current activity is domestic terrorism.
The nazi pieces of shit who say anything to the opposite of this are the true domestic terrorists.
Yes, the vote was 74-13.
It took more digging than it should have (neither Slashdot nor Bloomberg gave links or dates; good going, guys), but here's some pertinent info:
The bill is S.1038, passed May 24, 2011. It was sponsored by Harry Reid, and cosponsored by Mitch McConnell.
I can't see a way to see the actual vote on either the Senate or Library of Congress pages, so here it is from the Washington Post. Votes for: 40 Republicans, 34 Democrats. Against: 3 Republicans, 9 Democrats (and Bernie Sanders, Independent).
As always, please contact your Senator and tell them how you feel about how they voted. Find their information through here. (Remember, a written letter carries a hell of a lot more weight than an email. A hand-written letter will probably go right to the Congressman's desk, rather than their staff.)
And FYI: The House version, H.R.67 is still in subcommittee. The House and Senate versions will have to be reconciled before they're passed. You should probably write your Representative too.
Senate Vote Results
House Vote Results
1: What happened to our Apache build?
2: I updated the web server by replacing it with Tetris.
For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
Or, as Buckminster Fuller would say, it falls in. In towards the center of gravity. I'm gonna go take the stairs out to the second floor.
I can't believe Boxer and Feinstein have been re-elected without fail by this state for almost TWENTY FUCKING YEARS. It doesn't matter how good or bad a politician is doing (these two morons are about the worst senators I've ever seen, by the way, and they're the only ones that have represented me in my adult life), NOBODY should be kept in office that god damned long.
... they underestimated the unstoppable inertia of the mass of the "sheeple".
I hate that term. It's so old and worn out. Rather than making the user of the term look "catchy" or "with it", it just makes them look like a crank. Try using the phrase "Too many citizens are uninformed and apathetic". Doesn't that sound better? And it might work better - even though the people you talk about may be "sheeple", people are very, very unlikely to listen to or join with those that insult them. So, if you want to have fun with your "clever" characterization, remember that you've guaranteed change will take even longer.
That is all.
Does this law encompass also the cub if the "Lone wolf" happens to have a cub?
Great manga, btw.
Obviously thats opposite for a Ringworld, but which way would water fall.. in a Dyson sphere?
It makes me sick to see the title of this article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-patriot-act-20110527,0,7749454.story
"Patriot Act provisions extended just in time"
I don't understand how some people can write bullshit like that and still call themselves Americans. Disgusting.
We don't hate USA. The US is just a very bad example for democracy. Do you think other governments will bother with privacy, free speech, and justice, when even USA does not ? I heard that USA advocates democracy in some countries. They should not do so, they are a very very bad example.
aaaaaaa
Depends. You could spin it fast enough so the centrifugal force would create a fake gravity on the equator, but on the poles the gravity of the star would win. If you don't spin it you'll fall to the star everywhere, depending on the diameter of the sphere.
For a ringworld the same concept would hold, except there would be nothing on the poles.
I'd advise spinning it, whether it's a ringworld or a Dyson sphere. People like to live in the light and sunlight is free on the inside.
Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
40% of Democrats voted against, compared to only 10% of Republicans. If you want to effect change, vote Democrat, straight ticket, every time.
That doesn't make any sense whatsoever. If 40% of Dems voted against, then 60% of Dems voted for. So when "GOP is dead and buried", 60% of the Congress would keep the party line intact.
Due to my work I see a lot of security specialists and people that manage travel for VIPs. Do you know that the US is considered a higher risk to travel to than Russia?
This is due to the decision of the Ninth Circuit to be perfectly happy with the TSA copying any data it feels like - because there is already little trust left in the US this is not seen as a security measure, but as blatant, state sanctioned industrial and economic espionage. A number of companies I know are in the process of reconsidering their presence in the US - which means job losses.
I think ti would really help if there was some transparency introduced. I can see the need for the measures, but without clear, verifiable controls and an audit process that can be trusted this is just an open invitation for abuse, and the results show..
What USA does now looks just like "fair game" doctrine used by Scientology. Copy is the highest form of flattering?
USA used to be an example of freedom for people out there, but it no longer is. With every new "security" measure introduced by this country (sexual molestation at airports, collecting any data on anybody, treating everyone as a suspect).
Extending "patriot act" is yet another nail in the coffin.
What is sad is that USA public buys all that and is happy with such good laws. It doesn't concern them, only the bad people should be afraid, right? RIGHT?
run yourself
The problem is that most people need to work at full time jobs to earn their living. Being a politician is an option only for those who have deep pockets supporting them.
I can't believe Boxer and Feinstein have been re-elected without fail by this state for almost TWENTY FUCKING YEARS.
Yeah, it really makes me want to hurl.
When Feinstein gave that snotty little speech dismissing the thousands of messages she'd received in opposition to the bailouts, saying we all just "didn't understand" it, I wanted slap her upside her smug little head.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
It would fall towards or orbit around the star in the center of a Dyson sphere.
Isaac Newton was the first to prove that everywhere inside a spherical shell of uniform density the gravity cancels out, so only the mass of the central star has influence.
Anybody have a list?
http://irregulartimes.com/index.php/archives/2011/02/08/roll-call-vote-who-voted-for-and-against-the-patriot-act-282011/
It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
I have been disgusted with liberals who have criticized President Obama for not being 100% progressive in all of his decision. A president is not a king and needs to compromise to be effective.
However, renewing The Patriot Act truly disgusts me.
Oh well, at least it is something that expires and has to be renewed. Too bad the Bush Tax cuts for the wealthy weren't structured that way.
Um, no. The majority of Democrats supported this too, that makes them evil. Sorry, you lose and your goose stepping only shows how despirate you are not to have to think about the situation you're in.
Stop blaming parties and start working on getting individuals you want in office and you'll see a change in politics. You will see none before you do this.
And don't act like the Democrats don't pass laws to improve their electoral odds. Either you're a blind dimwit or you're a shill.
Democrats had a blank check and did nothing but pass another unproven social program that even they admit they didn't completely understand. To top it off they made everyone push the panic button by claiming that the healthcare system would fall apart without immediate action. Sound a bit like another law they just voted to extend? Think about it.
SSDD, SOP, SNAFU, FUBAR, and the usual other acronyms to describe our government.
I8-D
Use the same system we use when selecting juries than when selecting representatives. A representative sample of the population is better than a man at representing the population wouldn't you think?
A lawyer friend of mine said to me one day. Wanna know what your jury would be like if you were brought up for trial? Go into walmart and pick 12 random people standing in line. That is likely to be the "jury of your peers." It's not exactly a comforting thought.
You can get the roll call votes here
House: here
Senate: here
Back on subject. America is becoming a fascist state. Watch this:
http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4741481/The_End_Of_America_2008_DVDRip_XviD-DOMiNO(No_Rars)
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/26/ap/congress/main20066458.shtml
I hope all of you Obama supporters are happy now.
Next time you look in the mirror you'll realize you are nothing but a sucker who got duped by slogans and promises.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Except that 87% of the Republicans in the Senate voted for the extension, while "only" 59% of Democrats did.
Sure, a majority in both cases, but the difference is significant.
This is an excuse to spirit away the dissenters and self-reliant in the middle of the night, never to be seen again. Ahem, Bradley Manning, 8th Amendment anyone?