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Even the Author of the Patriot Act Is Trying To Stop the NSA

Posted by Unknown on from the clinging-to-power dept.

Daniel_Stuckey writes "Republican Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner will introduce an anti-NSA bill tomorrow in the House, and if it makes its winding way to becoming law, it will be a big step towards curtailing the NSA's bulk metadata collection. Wisconsin Rep. Sensenbrenner, along with 60 co-sponsors, aims to amend one section of the Patriot Act, Section 215, in a bill known as the United and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ending Eavesdropping, Dragnet Collection, and Online Monitoring Act — also known by its less-clunky acronym version, the USA Freedom Act."

10 of 322 comments (clear)

  1. And now they get credit for saving us by Gothmolly · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Just like CEOs who take the credit for the $ savings of outsourcing, then take the credit for improved service by bringing the work back, but somehow keep their jobs. Or the dorks who think centralizing IT assets (hello Mainframe) is good, then later decide that distributing all the computing (hello desktop) is good, claiming credit for being revolutionary twice.

    Do people really fall for this?

    --
    I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
    1. Re:And now they get credit for saving us by causality · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Do people really fall for this?

      To the ones pulling the strings, such an incredibly short memory and inability to draw contrasts is not a bug, it's a strongly encouraged feature.

      Most people are passive mentally and believe thinking to be a burden that should be avoided whenever possible. Therefore, if the TV news doesn't specifically highlight something in a nice ADD-friendly 10-second sound bite, it won't be widely known. If this sounds incredible or alien to you, it's because the Slashdot crowd doesn't represent mainstream America (though the way people keep arguing from emotion, that's changing).

      There is no one in power who wants a well-informed, smart, savvy, thinking population that has a long memory, is familiar with dialectic and able to easily perform critical thinking. No one running the show wants that at all. It's no surprise that within the little feudal system of a corporation that no one is forced to do business with, this goes unnoticed. It goes unnoticed with huge political changes that affect daily life.

      --
      It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
    2. Re:And now they get credit for saving us by artor3 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Would you prefer that they stick to their guns and continue doing harm? I prefer politicians who are willing to change their minds based on public opinion, thank you very much.

      I don't even care if he really believes in what he's doing now. Maybe he still thinks the Patriot Act is good and he's only doing this to attract more votes. But what difference does it make?

  2. We also need... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We also need a law prohibiting all these fucking acronym law names... fucking seriously...

  3. I have a easier answer... by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Just repeal the damned PATRIOT act. IT was supposed to be a temporary measure and it needs to go away now.

    Why dont these senators have any backbone or honestly left in them and just repeal it?

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    1. Re:I have a easier answer... by sI4shd0rk · · Score: 5, Insightful

      IT was supposed to be a temporary measure

      Temporary or not, it was awful and it should never have passed.

      --
      Ignorance is a choice
  4. This isn't new by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This isn't new. The author of the Patriot Act (Jim Sensenbrenner) has been campaigning against Surveillance State since the beginning of the Snowden fiasco.

    He probably decided he doesn't want to go down in history as the man who turned America into a Dystopia.

    1. Re:This isn't new by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 5, Insightful

      No, he was just the scribe. It was done by 536 traitors, backed by 300 million cowards.

  5. USA Freedom Act by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Isn't that what the Constitution is supposed to be?

    We don't need another Law. The Laws that made this garbage legal are unconstitutional and criminal.

    We don't need another Law. We need to hunt down and incarcerate the criminals who created this mess.

    We don't need another Law. We need to hold government officials personally accountable for their flagrant and criminal violations of the Constitution.

    We don't need another Law. We already have a USA Freedom Act. It is called "The Constitution of the United States."

  6. acronymics by pupsocket · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "United and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ending Eavesdropping, Dragnet Collection, and Online Monitoring Act — also known by its less-clunky acronym version, the USA Freedom Act."

    Actually, the acronym of that title is USA FREED COMA