Constitution

Should YouTrust Big Brother

This entry was posted in ashcroft bush Constitution Domestic Terrorism Libertarianism Privacy War on Terrorism on by

Jeralyn Merrit wonders:

We don’t know why people aren’t screaming bloody murder about this.

The this is CAPPS II, the new airline passenger screening system currently under development.
Yes, why aren’t we up in arms about this? Go read Jeralyn’s post and the related links. CAPPS II looks like Total Information Awareness is alive and well not something 5 years away as Fox News argues:

Any real development of TIA technology is more than five years away, so concerns that the technology will be abused are speculative, at best.

Well, since Fox’s 5 year forecast is clearly speculative why would we expect it not to be abused.
Gosh, just imagine, you are headed to New York next summer to provide peaceful input to the GOP convention but, oops, your color is red and you don’t get to go. What set of data in the fed files might cause this to happen?
Even though the absence of information may be as problematic as the information the feds have you just might want to start making yourself a little less visible by learning how to use cash again.

Aiding and Abetting?

This entry was posted in ashcroft bush Constitution Domestic Terrorism Libertarianism War on Terrorism on by

rumsfeld tells the world:

… opposition to the U.S. President was encouraging Washington’s enemies and hindering his ‘war against terrorism’.

Is he accusing the opposition of aiding and abetting the enemy? And will this prompt another round of talk show blathering about critics of bush policy being treasonous?
According to that great upholder of civil liberties ashcroft:

Peaceful political discourse and dissent is one of America�s most cherished freedoms, and is not subject to investigation as domestic terrorism. Under the Patriot Act, the definition of �domestic terrorism� is limited to conduct that (1) violates federal or state criminal law and (2) is dangerous to human life. Therefore, peaceful political organizations engaging in political advocacy will obviously not come under this definition. (Patriot Act, Section 802)

Just how big a step is it from rummies words to the FBI knocking on your door.
It must be time to step up the dissent even more.
Via a Scott at The Gamer’s Nook.

More Do Not Call

This entry was posted in Constitution Law Regulation Spam on by

Thudfactor is just thrilled with MCI’s telemarketers.
This is a good example why it should be made easy for us to take these folks to court and collect damages. And it is a good example why you should be able to call your local police, complain about harassment and trespassing, and have them actually do something about it.
A Do Not Call List should not be required.

Do Not Call and the RIAA

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Radley Balko questions why Julian Sanchez supports the federal Do Not Call list but opposes congress acting on behalf of the RIAA to clamp down on Peer-to-Peer applications. Balko argues that the feds should not get involved in stopping either telemarketing calls or music downloading.
I certainly agree that stuff like the Protecting Children from Peer-to-Peer Pornography Act of 2003 should not even see the light of day. This bill is as good an argument as any that the commerce clause was and still is a mistake as written and interpreted.

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