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Senate Passes USA Freedom Act
schwit1 points out that the U.S. Senate has passed the USA Freedom Act by a vote of 67-32, sending it on to President Obama, who is expected to sign it into law. The bill removes mass metadata collection powers from the NSA, but also grants a new set of surveillance powers to replace them. Telecoms now hang on to that data, and the government can access it if they suspect the target is part of a terrorism investigation and one of the call's participants is overseas. "The second provision revived Tuesday concerns roving wiretaps. Spies may tap a terror suspect's communications without getting a renewed FISA Court warrant, even as a suspect jumps from one device to the next. The FISA Court need not be told who is being targeted when issuing a warrant. The third spy tool renewed is called "lone wolf" in spy jargon. It allows for roving wiretaps. However, the target of wiretaps does not have to be linked to a foreign power or terrorism."
The public really lost its shit when it came out that ordinary drug dealers were being busted with NSA resources and the cops were lying their asses off to the courts.
From the polls I've seen, the public hasn't "lost its shit" yet. The majority is kind of ok with this, which is why it continues.
See also: TSA. Last time I had to go through security, I complained about the inane procedures, and the person behind me said, "yeah, but it's keeping us safe." I ended the conversation there, didn't even try to argue.
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
"The bill removes mass metadata collection powers from the NSA"
Unanimous 2nd circuit decision says no, original authors of the patriot act say no. Yet media completely ignores the issue and assumes without question patriot act authorized any such thing to begin with.
Third party doctrine predates the patriot act and Hayden goes around publically gloating Article II powers stemming from Bush era AUMF is the source of his authority.
Even if patriot act were left to expire wholesale without "USA Freedom Act" resurrection those against this FUD powered insanity were never even in the game.
I am totally, completely in favor of building up a third party to rival these two.
Speaking of parties, here is the count:
YEAs: 67 (D = 43, R = 23, I = 1)
NAYs: 32 (D = 1, R = 30, I = 1)
Not voting: 1 (R)
Republicans were slightly more against the bill, Democrats were overwhelmingly in favor of it, and the two Independents were mostly split.
All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
My favorite explanation for those interested to learn more about what you are talking about.
http://www.cgpgrey.com/politic...
(I post this pretty much every time the subject of third parties comes up, but I feel that it's really worth getting people to understand why we as a society can't get what we actually want despite society being built on the principles of democracy.)
All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
Spin it any way you want, the fact stands that an evil, bad bill failed Republican support 23-30 and won Democrat support 43-1. Period. Live with it.
There are plenty of people, Republicans and others, who want to stamp out islamists carrying on war against the US and all civilized parts of the world, but we don't want to trample the rights and protections of innocents to do it.