The advocate wouldn't be a check and balance against the judge / court / judiciary, but against the executive branch agency - the NSA. The purpose is to provide a permanent opposition to the NSA before the court, not some sort of advocate against the court. Given the process in question it isn't especially useful as proposed.
The FISA court judges are already judges on the Federal bench. Once selected to serve on the FISA court they rotate through the assignment to that court, and then return to another court. The FISA court is subject to both the Intelligence review court and the Supreme Court, just like any other court. The judges on the FISA court can be removed by Congress, just like any other judge. The FISA courts primary job is to approve warrants for surveillance. It doesn't conduct trials. If the judges assigned to FISA court aren't "dangerous" in courts before and after, I doubt they will be on FISA court. The standards don't really change.
So an advocate would not benefit the process? Then the process is broken. In the interests of protecting innocents from government overreach, dissolve the FISA court.
Issuing investigative warrants generally isn't an adversarial process even in ordinary courts. An ordinary court handling the warrant requests would still apply the same standards, and would be burdened by the confidentiality requirements. Dissolving the FISA court doesn't get you anything.
The FISA court isn't a trial court. Nobody is being "held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime." It is letting investigators investigate by issuing warrants.
That secret court, the Star Chamber, was a trial court. The FISA court isn't a trial court. It's main function is to issue warrants for investigation. Trials occur in other courts.
Disbanding the FISA court wouldn't get you anything. Other courts deal with classified or confidential information too. You still don't get to see it if it is from a court besides the FISA court.
The FISA court isn't a secret court. Its members are public record, as is its function. The warrants it issues are confidential since publicizing the list of spies terrorists under surveillance would be counter-productive. If you have a way of making the information available to 299,999,999 people in the US while excluding the 1 under surveillance, and are sure his friends wouldn't tell him, I'm sure they would love to hear it.
it's well within the biblical-defined 6,000 year age of the universe.
Creationists rejoice!
Actually the Bible doesn't define a 6,000 year old universe. The age is indeterminate for both the age of the universe, and the earth itself. If you read the relevant passage below it attributes creation of the heavens (universe) and the earth to God, but there is no timing involved. At some indefinite time after the universe and the earth were created God performed the seven days of creation noted after that. The Bible allows for both a universe and earth that are billions of years old.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. -- Genesis 1:1-3
There is a further interesting point to make in this regard. When the "Big Bang" was proposed it was controversial. Some scientists found it highly disagreeable to contemplate that the universe wasn't infinite in time, but rather had an actual beginning, just as the Bible indicates.
It (the tinfoil) is supposed to go around your head too... the bit that most people fail to do is close the faraday cage - it needs to be a complete enclosure to work.
Basically a tinfoil mummy. Hey! I think I've got the name for my new band....
SIGABA was a US cipher machine based on the electromechanical rotor principle. It was developed in the late 1930s as a joint effort of the US Army and Navy [1]. At the time it was considered a superior cryptomachine, intended to keep high-level communications absolutely secure. It was used throughout WWII and was so reliable that it was used well into the 1950s, when it was replaced by machines like the KL-7. As far as we know, SIGABA was never broken.
What would you think if the Grauniad had published a history of Bletchley Park, Enigma cracking, and its methods in 1940? There would be a considerable butcher's bill to pay, wouldn't there? By the 1970s the bill was depreciated to next to nothing. The bill for Snowden's leaks isn't clear yet, but since the leaked information is decades too early in coming it may not be a cheap one. Is there any toll that would make you think that it wasn't a good thing? Or do you think it was worth knowing now regardless of the price?
You seem to be suggesting that intelligence agencies are wrong to engage in spying. I like the bit about "disinfect with sunlight" as a touch of irony. Spy agencies work in the shadows. Apparently you don't want them to work at all. You may be missing some other pieces as well.
The Second Continental Congress created the Committee of Secret Correspondence in 1775, which was charged with gathering intelligence and "corresponding with our friends in Great Britain and other parts of the world" to gain information that would be helpful to the American cause and to forge alliances with foreign countries. Benjamin Franklin was one of the original members of this committee, which was the forerunner of the CIA.
All things considered, doesn't anyone see it ironic that Russia has stood tall for freedom over corruption in the US?
After it has resumed the former Soviet practice of regular air and sea probes by bomber, warship, and submarine, of US and NATO defenses, and brought Russian spying up to Cold War levels, Russia has taken this opportunity to stick a finger in Washington's eye by receiving and shielding someone that stole 1.7 million Top Secret US intelligence documents. It is unclear to what extent there was contact between Russian intelligence and Snowden in Russia, but Snowden's lawyer is in the public council of the FSB, formerly the KGB, and Snowden was in contact with the Russian government before coming to Russia. Snowden stayed at their embassy in Hong Kong, and had his birthday party there. Contrary to reports at the time it was no surprise to Russia that he was coming. You're fooling yourself if you think this is about Russia "standing tall for freedom over corruption." If you believe that you understand little about either the situation or Russia.
As an American, I can't help but feel so ashamed of the country that I love so much.
Yes, so you've said. Repeatedly.
It's a shame there isn't a function for most people to be able to start from the beginning of a user's posting history and read forward. I'd be interested to see if you became "ashamed" since 1998. I'm not sure I would bet on it.
The United States of America is fast becoming the United States of Fascists.
No, not as such. We'll have a pretty good test within the next few years with the coming elections. If the government changes has by election, as it has for hundreds of years, fascism isn't here yet.
I will grant you that the US does have a problem with a cult of personality at the moment.
Slashdot Mirror
The advocate wouldn't be a check and balance against the judge / court / judiciary, but against the executive branch agency - the NSA. The purpose is to provide a permanent opposition to the NSA before the court, not some sort of advocate against the court. Given the process in question it isn't especially useful as proposed.
The FISA court judges are already judges on the Federal bench.
Once selected to serve on the FISA court they rotate through the assignment to that court, and then return to another court.
The FISA court is subject to both the Intelligence review court and the Supreme Court, just like any other court.
The judges on the FISA court can be removed by Congress, just like any other judge.
The FISA courts primary job is to approve warrants for surveillance. It doesn't conduct trials.
If the judges assigned to FISA court aren't "dangerous" in courts before and after, I doubt they will be on FISA court. The standards don't really change.
I don't think Putin will step aside.
The FISA court operates under the laws passed by Congress, the same as any other court would.
LOL
So an advocate would not benefit the process? Then the process is broken. In the interests of protecting innocents from government overreach, dissolve the FISA court.
Issuing investigative warrants generally isn't an adversarial process even in ordinary courts. An ordinary court handling the warrant requests would still apply the same standards, and would be burdened by the confidentiality requirements. Dissolving the FISA court doesn't get you anything.
You'll be crushed, either way. The ratchet turns only one way.
Like the wartime censorship, surveillance, and other security measures used in WW I & II?
The FISA court isn't a trial court. Nobody is being "held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime." It is letting investigators investigate by issuing warrants.
That secret court, the Star Chamber, was a trial court. The FISA court isn't a trial court. It's main function is to issue warrants for investigation. Trials occur in other courts.
Disbanding the FISA court wouldn't get you anything. Other courts deal with classified or confidential information too. You still don't get to see it if it is from a court besides the FISA court.
The FISA court isn't a secret court. Its members are public record, as is its function. The warrants it issues are confidential since publicizing the list of spies terrorists under surveillance would be counter-productive. If you have a way of making the information available to 299,999,999 people in the US while excluding the 1 under surveillance, and are sure his friends wouldn't tell him, I'm sure they would love to hear it.
I'd say that's on tropic.
it's well within the biblical-defined 6,000 year age of the universe.
Creationists rejoice!
Actually the Bible doesn't define a 6,000 year old universe. The age is indeterminate for both the age of the universe, and the earth itself. If you read the relevant passage below it attributes creation of the heavens (universe) and the earth to God, but there is no timing involved. At some indefinite time after the universe and the earth were created God performed the seven days of creation noted after that. The Bible allows for both a universe and earth that are billions of years old.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. -- Genesis 1:1-3
There is a further interesting point to make in this regard. When the "Big Bang" was proposed it was controversial. Some scientists found it highly disagreeable to contemplate that the universe wasn't infinite in time, but rather had an actual beginning, just as the Bible indicates.
Sun II - Interesting
Earth II - Exciting
It (the tinfoil) is supposed to go around your head too... the bit that most people fail to do is close the faraday cage - it needs to be a complete enclosure to work.
Basically a tinfoil mummy. Hey! I think I've got the name for my new band....
SIGABA was weak...
Unless you know something that I don't, SIGABA was never broken in its relatively long service life for the US.
SIGABA (ECM)
SIGABA was a US cipher machine based on the electromechanical rotor principle. It was developed in the late 1930s as a joint effort of the US Army and Navy [1]. At the time it was considered a superior cryptomachine, intended to keep high-level communications absolutely secure. It was used throughout WWII and was so reliable that it was used well into the 1950s, when it was replaced by machines like the KL-7. As far as we know, SIGABA was never broken.
The US managed Purple and SIGABA without the UK.
What would you think if the Grauniad had published a history of Bletchley Park, Enigma cracking, and its methods in 1940? There would be a considerable butcher's bill to pay, wouldn't there? By the 1970s the bill was depreciated to next to nothing. The bill for Snowden's leaks isn't clear yet, but since the leaked information is decades too early in coming it may not be a cheap one. Is there any toll that would make you think that it wasn't a good thing? Or do you think it was worth knowing now regardless of the price?
You seem to be suggesting that intelligence agencies are wrong to engage in spying. I like the bit about "disinfect with sunlight" as a touch of irony. Spy agencies work in the shadows. Apparently you don't want them to work at all. You may be missing some other pieces as well.
George Washington, Spymaster
Benjamin Franklin
The Second Continental Congress created the Committee of Secret Correspondence in 1775, which was charged with gathering intelligence and "corresponding with our friends in Great Britain and other parts of the world" to gain information that would be helpful to the American cause and to forge alliances with foreign countries. Benjamin Franklin was one of the original members of this committee, which was the forerunner of the CIA.
There are other Java implementations than Oracle's.
Woolsey references a document" "The European Parliament's recent report on Echelon, written by British journalist Duncan Campbell"
So, get that document and see if what he says about it is correct.
Did Microsoft similarly impair your willingness to code in C++? (Interesting notion, a company tainting a language.)
It looks like we're past whistleblowing and on to the compromise of intelligence methods.
The NSA has been involved in signals intelligence since the 1950s. The US isn't a "third-world country" and isn't "the world's Gestapo."
All things considered, doesn't anyone see it ironic that Russia has stood tall for freedom over corruption in the US?
After it has resumed the former Soviet practice of regular air and sea probes by bomber, warship, and submarine, of US and NATO defenses, and brought Russian spying up to Cold War levels, Russia has taken this opportunity to stick a finger in Washington's eye by receiving and shielding someone that stole 1.7 million Top Secret US intelligence documents. It is unclear to what extent there was contact between Russian intelligence and Snowden in Russia, but Snowden's lawyer is in the public council of the FSB, formerly the KGB, and Snowden was in contact with the Russian government before coming to Russia. Snowden stayed at their embassy in Hong Kong, and had his birthday party there. Contrary to reports at the time it was no surprise to Russia that he was coming. You're fooling yourself if you think this is about Russia "standing tall for freedom over corruption." If you believe that you understand little about either the situation or Russia.
I would say that the racist has been adequately disparaged by mendax so I have no need to further disparage him. Twain is a nice touch.
As an American, I can't help but feel so ashamed of the country that I love so much.
Yes, so you've said. Repeatedly.
It's a shame there isn't a function for most people to be able to start from the beginning of a user's posting history and read forward. I'd be interested to see if you became "ashamed" since 1998. I'm not sure I would bet on it.
The United States of America is fast becoming the United States of Fascists.
No, not as such. We'll have a pretty good test within the next few years with the coming elections. If the government changes has by election, as it has for hundreds of years, fascism isn't here yet.
I will grant you that the US does have a problem with a cult of personality at the moment.