Not Tech Dirt. Sorry, my bad. But from that article:
"The FBI's long history of misconduct illuminates the necessity of judicial oversight. Requiring strict adherence to due process is the only way to promote accountability and ensure that our law enforcement agents are not abusing their authority. There is already evidence that law enforcement agents have misused information from data brokering services."
When you begin to break the law to enforce the law where do you draw the line? Illegally purchasing phone records as a means of circumventing the judicial process bypasses our system of checks and balances. That was my point.
There was an arricle on Tech Dirt today about this that went on to say that the FBI and some local law enforcement agencies had been purchasing data from the same sources. Aren't the buyers as guilty as the sellers?
"Despite the benefits, and despite the fact that the data is available to everyone, the use of illegally obtained records in a law enforcement investigation is highly dubious and fundamentally antithetical to the principles of due process. Privacy and civil liberties advocates point out that purchasing private phone records allows law enforcement agencies to circumvent judicial oversight and other applicable constraints."
Well, if it's good enough for the Bush administration and the NSA, it's good enough for your local gendarme. Nice job, break the law to enforce the law. In the post 9/11 era, we've finally adopted that old Marxist maxim that the end justifies the means and two wrongs actually do make a right.
I get tired of saying that we can't pretend to uphold the constitution with one hand while trampling on it with the other.
A most excellent point. IMHO, Americans in general are isolated in their thinking and attititudes nearly to an extreme. You just don't see this in other countries like you do in the US. I have in-laws in Colombia who are vrey much better informed about current world events than almost anyone that I know here in the States.
I've also travelled quite a bit through Europe with tour groups and I have always noticed that while people from other countries embraced the cultural differences and wanted to sample new foods, the Americans generally couldn't wait to go trotting off to the McDonalds or KFC. Some of my richest experiences while travelling were during times when we sampled the local cuisine and got to know a little more about the culture around us. Most Americans really don't care about this much.
Add these proclivities to the fact that we do not generally receive nearly as many paid holidays as the rest of the Western world and it's no surprise that we on this side of the pond 'just don't get out much'. You could also make a strong argument that this phenomenon leads to our tolerence and even support of some disastrous foreign policy in recent years (and I'm not just talking about the current administration).
Trouble is, by an large they are not n00bs. They're the entrenched establishment. Anyone who is naive enough to think that we in the US have a representative form of government anymore is delusional.
"something that looks fresh, something that is not cluttered...but not too expensive. Oh, and a second one over here for a kind of split level effect. Then you must create all of your CSS pages with.....(wait for it)
I just don't know what to think anymore and it's very easy to become cynical. The problem as I see it is that there seems to be so much corruption in government at all levels that it makes you think we will never recover.
As to the angry mobs, I'd welcome them but unfortunately I don't see that happening anytime soon. There will be some backlash in the next elections, but it won't amount to much. It is sad to say but more people care about who is on American Idol than who is running the government.
Your post tickled me, but did you only read the first line of mine? I actually did get the joke and was attempting some humor of my own about the numbers...being bogus...from Diebold machines? *sigh* Yeah, maybe it wasn't funny after all. That will teach me to PBGMC (post before getting my coffee).
You didn't notice the "oh wait. Nevermind" at then end where I started using capitAl letters again? My (perhaps too) subtle way of saying the same thing you did. But thanks anyway and thanks to AC poster for having my back.
i'm anti-capitolist too! i think we should decentralize government and not have any capitols at all. we should also do away with all upper case letters.
"Was Diebold involved with this software, by any chance?"
I think we can safely say No to this question. If Diebold had been involved, there would have been like 30,000 bombs on the screen when there actually wee none. Take it from me, I live in Florida. We know about these things.
Slashdot Mirror
Not Tech Dirt. Sorry, my bad. But from that article:
"The FBI's long history of misconduct illuminates the necessity of judicial oversight. Requiring strict adherence to due process is the only way to promote accountability and ensure that our law enforcement agents are not abusing their authority. There is already evidence that law enforcement agents have misused information from data brokering services."
When you begin to break the law to enforce the law where do you draw the line? Illegally purchasing phone records as a means of circumventing the judicial process bypasses our system of checks and balances. That was my point.
There was an arricle on Tech Dirt today about this that went on to say that the FBI and some local law enforcement agencies had been purchasing data from the same sources. Aren't the buyers as guilty as the sellers?
I meant to respond to something else (slinks off into corner of cubicle).
"Despite the benefits, and despite the fact that the data is available to everyone, the use of illegally obtained records in a law enforcement investigation is highly dubious and fundamentally antithetical to the principles of due process. Privacy and civil liberties advocates point out that purchasing private phone records allows law enforcement agencies to circumvent judicial oversight and other applicable constraints."
Well, if it's good enough for the Bush administration and the NSA, it's good enough for your local gendarme. Nice job, break the law to enforce the law. In the post 9/11 era, we've finally adopted that old Marxist maxim that the end justifies the means and two wrongs actually do make a right.
I get tired of saying that we can't pretend to uphold the constitution with one hand while trampling on it with the other.
I know, I can't wait until my neighbor upgrades so I can check this out. :P
It's definitely time for my coffee...I first read that as "I made my girlfriend out of Play-Doh".
Just don't try to snort it! "Look, it's turning blue!" (I forget what movie that was from.)
Funny, I just received an article in my mailbox today from a security newsletter that I subscribe to titled: "IE 7.0 and Attractive Alternatives"
Which to me was a bit like saying "Rosie O'Donnell and Attractive Alternatives". Of course, I haven't yet bothered to read either of TFA's.
A most excellent point. IMHO, Americans in general are isolated in their thinking and attititudes nearly to an extreme. You just don't see this in other countries like you do in the US. I have in-laws in Colombia who are vrey much better informed about current world events than almost anyone that I know here in the States.
I've also travelled quite a bit through Europe with tour groups and I have always noticed that while people from other countries embraced the cultural differences and wanted to sample new foods, the Americans generally couldn't wait to go trotting off to the McDonalds or KFC. Some of my richest experiences while travelling were during times when we sampled the local cuisine and got to know a little more about the culture around us. Most Americans really don't care about this much.
Add these proclivities to the fact that we do not generally receive nearly as many paid holidays as the rest of the Western world and it's no surprise that we on this side of the pond 'just don't get out much'. You could also make a strong argument that this phenomenon leads to our tolerence and even support of some disastrous foreign policy in recent years (and I'm not just talking about the current administration).
"LEGO has officially announced that the firmware for the Mindstorms NXT will be open source."
So, a Lego Vista release is now out of the question? : p
A spokesman for the Allman Bros. stated that he feels like he's been "tied to the whippin' post".
Trouble is, by an large they are not n00bs. They're the entrenched establishment. Anyone who is naive enough to think that we in the US have a representative form of government anymore is delusional.
Will this also work on yellow sheep? Inquiring minds need to know.
"worse thing for his song that anyone could do"
How was that a bad thing again?
"smithcodeJaeiextostpsacgreamqwfkadpmqz = "Can't we all just get along?" "
That's funny, because it's not what I got. I got: "O.J. is guilty as hell. He should fry"
You sound like one of the Knights who say "Ni!"
"something that looks fresh, something that is not cluttered...but not too expensive. Oh, and a second one over here for a kind of split level effect. Then you must create all of your CSS pages with.....(wait for it)
A HERRING!"
Of course.
The Wine version of the NAG will be called "Whine".
"Puts on flame retardinate uniform"
Um, just curious. Is this what one uses when the short bus catches on fire?
I just don't know what to think anymore and it's very easy to become cynical. The problem as I see it is that there seems to be so much corruption in government at all levels that it makes you think we will never recover.
As to the angry mobs, I'd welcome them but unfortunately I don't see that happening anytime soon. There will be some backlash in the next elections, but it won't amount to much. It is sad to say but more people care about who is on American Idol than who is running the government.
Your post tickled me, but did you only read the first line of mine? I actually did get the joke and was attempting some humor of my own about the numbers...being bogus...from Diebold machines?
*sigh* Yeah, maybe it wasn't funny after all. That will teach me to PBGMC (post before getting my coffee).
"OK, go on then, if you don't live at home, where do you live? "
I guessing maybe some people might not consider their parents' basements "home"?
Let's see them survive a /.ing. THEN I'll be impressed.
You didn't notice the "oh wait. Nevermind" at then end where I started using capitAl letters again? My (perhaps too) subtle way of saying the same thing you did. But thanks anyway and thanks to AC poster for having my back.
i'm anti-capitolist too! i think we should decentralize government and not have any capitols at all. we should also do away with all upper case letters.
oh, wait. Nevermind.
"Was Diebold involved with this software, by any chance?"
I think we can safely say No to this question. If Diebold had been involved, there would have been like 30,000 bombs on the screen when there actually wee none. Take it from me, I live in Florida. We know about these things.