[vinman]

For those that care about such things, here is another nail in the coffin of the REPUBLIC.

Quote:

Privacy-crushing language was quietly incorporated into the intelligence authorization bill that passed the Senate on Tuesday and the House on Wednesday. Critics say the legislation “blesses the warrantless collection, dissemination and five-year retention of everyday Americans’ phone and Internet communications.”

A surprised Rep Justin Amash (R-MI) rallied to block the Intelligence Authorization Act at the last minute, saying it would give congressional backing to an antiquated decree that gives the president broad surveillance authority.

Amash described the measure on his Facebook page as “one of the most egregious sections of law I’ve encountered during my time as a representative” and warned the measure “grants the executive branch virtually unlimited access to the communications of every American.” The congressman circulated a letter and demanded a roll call vote so that supporters would be forced to go on the record. The measure passed 325-100.

At issue is section 309 of the bill, which allows “the acquisition, retention, and dissemination” of phone and internet data. Nextgov explains: “That passage will give unprecedented statutory authority to allow for the surveillance of private communications that currently exists only under a decades-old presidential decree, known as Executive Order 12333.”

“This whole thing is so upsetting to me,” says John Napier Tye, a former State Department Internet policy official and whistleblower.

Tye warns that U.S. spy agencies can evade congressional oversight and use the order to scoop up vast amounts of American communications routinely routed through foreign cables and servers.

“It is good that Congress is trying to regulate 12333 activities,” Tye says. “But the language in this bill just endorses a terrible system that allows the NSA to take virtually everything Americans do online and use it however it wants according to the rules it writes.”

It’s not only Rep. Amash who is upset about the sneaky language.

“If this hadn’t been snuck in, I doubt it would have passed,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat who voted against the bill. “A lot of members were not even aware that this new provision had been inserted last-minute. Had we been given an additional day, we may have stopped it.”

Lofgren also pointed out the language was “the exact opposite of what the House passed this summer. Congress is authorizing something very questionable constitutionally.”

Amash’s chief of staff, Will Adams, said there will be pushback next session against the executive order. “All of this surveillance is done without any legal process,” Adams said. “It’s interesting that this provision gets rushed through the same week the same committee puts out its torture report that documents unsupervised and very troubling actions by our intelligence community,” Adams continued. “It’s an inopportune time to give the intelligence community even more surveillance power without court supervision and without congressional oversight.”

The language in question is believed to have been drafted and inserted into the bill by the Senate Intelligence Committee.

[Dr. Howard]

[TheWastelander]

What we need is another large government agency to police the NSA. And if they go rogue, we need an agency to police the NSA-policers.

[Simeon_Strangelight]

They pass all kind of shit silently and occupy the people with trivial stories like Ferguson.

This is the shit connected with the climate scam and the new driving taxes that are being rolled out step by step. So far 1.5 cents per mile, but you can bet your ass off, that it might be 1,5$ / mile in 20 years.

http://theconversation.com/cap-and-trade...ises-31876
https://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/...05098.html
http://www.govexec.com/state-local/2014/...ile/88258/
http://farmfutures.com/story-usda-announ...e-0-120428

All the steps in the links will make energy much more expensive until some families might have trouble with the heating bills. The TV stations barely mention that little tidbit.

More taxes: http://www.hcn.org/articles/chevrolet-ju...n-market-1

Constant surveillance is already a fact - they just don't share the info with anyone. The surveillance is not for anti-terrorism, war on terror or other fake causes - it's there to keep a tab on all of us for power preservation.

[Sp5]

Should still be unconstitutional, though, as Rep. Lofgren said. It takes a court challenge to stop it and those have been hard.

But it's tough to get standing to sue. If Joe Schmoe sues about being monitored, the courts say he has no reason to believe he's being monitored and dismiss his case. But if he asks the government if he's being monitored, he won't be told: it's secret.

[Wutang]

Any idea on who was behind this being snuck into the bill at the last minute?

[VolandoVengoVolandoVoy]

(12-12-2014 01:49 PM)TheWastelander Wrote:  

What we need is another large government agency to police the NSA. And if they go rogue, we need an agency to police the NSA-policers.

That's what North Korea does. Three intelligence agencies, which in addition to their specific portfolios, all spy on each other.
And if you are even suspected of disloyalty, you, along with 3 generations of your family, all get sent to labor camps where "rectal hydration" is the least of your worries.
We are falling behind!!!
We must not allow a torture gap!

*** In all seriousness though, when the government passes a law like this, it is usually to provide cover for something they are already doing and would have continued doing anyway.

[TheWastelander]

(12-12-2014 05:21 PM)Sp5 Wrote:  

Should still be unconstitutional, though, as Rep. Lofgren said. It takes a court challenge to stop it and those have been hard.

But it's tough to get standing to sue. If Joe Schmoe sues about being monitored, the courts say he has no reason to believe he's being monitored and dismiss his case. But if he asks the government if he's being monitored, he won't be told: it's secret.

Which is why we need more Edward Snowdens.

[monster]

What exactly was snuck in. All OP posted was a quote that "“blesses the warrantless collection, dissemination and five-year retention of everyday Americans’ phone and Internet communications.”

But what specifically?

[monster]

(12-12-2014 05:21 PM)Sp5 Wrote:  

Should still be unconstitutional, though, as Rep. Lofgren said. It takes a court challenge to stop it and those have been hard.

But it's tough to get standing to sue. If Joe Schmoe sues about being monitored, the courts say he has no reason to believe he's being monitored and dismiss his case. But if he asks the government if he's being monitored, he won't be told: it's secret.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't