Constitution

Stalking with Lawyers

This entry was posted in Constitution on by

You all have likely already run across this but if not head over to Eschaton and read about it in this post and subsequent posts.
It seems Donald Luskin, self proclaimed Krugman stalker, has taken offense with one of Atrios’ posts and some of the comments therein:

You chose the unfortunate caption �Diary of a Stalker� for your link. More importantly, your readers, in responding to your invitation to comment, have posted numerous libelous statements regarding Mr. Luskin. Picking up on the theme you introduced, several have made false assertions that Mr. Luskin has committed the crime of stalking. Such a statement constitutes libel per se, an actionable tort subjecting both the author and the publisher to liability for both actual and punitive damages.

I haven’t been able to scrounge up the offending comment thread to read but I have no doubt some of the folks might have been a bit rude toward Luskin. Tsk. Tsk.
I suspect this is more a publicity stunt on Luskin’s part then anything else. And he will get his publicity but at what cost? I think Winds of Change nails it here:

And pundits who use slings ought to be able to take a stone or two, and the fact that Mr Luskin can’t – the fact assuming that the letter Atrios posted was genuine (and the lawyer’s name does check out on the firm website) – certainly drops him a few kilometers below credible in my view.

Will the luskin stalker meme top fair and balanced? Watch and enjoy.
Atrios provides a lengthy list of links to commentary on this here.
Via Skippy.

Senate Supports Spammers 97-0

This entry was posted in Capitalism Constitution Culture Domestic Terrorism Economics Federal Government Internet Libertarianism Marketing Spam on by

Well, it sure looks this way to me.
For instance,

the bill now includes a provision, supported by some opponents of spam, that directs the Federal Trade Commission to come up with a plan for a no-spam registry.

I think the off shore spammers will love this one: a list comprised of mostly good email addresses! Yea, I know that the spammers are supposed to send in their lists for scrubbing but I suspect joes p*rn shop won’t be sending in their list.

(more…)

Wal-Mart Illegals

This entry was posted in Constitution Domestic Terrorism Economics Immigration Law on by

Surely no one is really surprised by this:

Federal officials are sweeping Wal-Mart stores across the United States as part of an effort to arrest some 300 illegal workers by Thursday evening…..
Officials say investigators are concerned about a pattern of Wal-Mart using contractors who employ illegal aliens and that Wal-Mart has, in fact, continued to use contractors who have been convicted of hiring aliens in the past.

Or that Wal-Mart would try to hide behind the ‘contractor’s employees’ argument:

“They arrested a number of members of the floor cleaning crews.” Williams emphasized the workers are employed by contractors, saying, “they’re not Wal-Mart associates.”

If Wal-Mart really did not know then there are some management types who need to be fired for failure to do due diligence in hiring the contractors.

Bad MATRIX

This entry was posted in Constitution Culture Domestic Terrorism Drug Laws Law Law Enforcement Patriot Act War on Terrorism on by

Some of you may have thought I was being a bit paranoid in my earlier post Canadian Big Brother. Especially since congress cut off funding for Total Information Awareness.
But ashcroft’s Justice Department figures to hell with congress. If we can’t get TIA we’ll go for MATRIX or in normal speak: Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange. Justice and Homeland Security are providing funding for what started out as a state based system in Florida:

The U.S. Justice Department recently provided $4 million and the Department of Homeland Security has pledged another $8 million to expand the MATRIX program nationally. Homeland Security will also provide the computer network for information-sharing among the states.

Still not bothered? Try this:

Phil Ramer, special agent in charge of Florida�s statewide intelligence told a Washington Post reporter in early August that the system could be intrusive and pledged to use it with restraint. “It’s scary. It could be abused. I mean, I can call up everything about you, your pictures and pictures of your neighbors.”

Whew, I feel quite comforted by Phil’s promise to use the system with restraint. But what about Ralph or Mary tomorrow?
Why not link in the Canadian’s Bar Watch info, or, you take your pick of the information source. If Matrix, TIA or other similar systems stay in place their operators will figure out a way to include that information.
Yep, use cash. Start becoming as invisible as you can.