What is Digg?72 Comments
- 16x9, on 10/12/2007, -1/+57Senator Leahy is right on the money. And frankly I'm growing tired of some people assuming that it's only the tinfoil hat crowd who are interested in protecting their privacy,
- kremvax, on 10/12/2007, -11/+33Mad Props to the Democrat from Vermont!
On the other side of the aisle, however, rust never sleeps:
Bush Appoints Warrant-less Domestic Wiretapping Czar to head CIA
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/08/washington/08cnd-cia.html?hp&ex=1147147200&en=17831373a7cd254d&ei=5094&partner=homepage - p9s50W5k4GUD2c6, on 10/12/2007, -0/+21Nail the bastards, Leahy!
Maybe these judges can help you: http://digg.com/technology/Judges:_Fed_s_Net_Wiretapping_Plans_Are_Ridiculous_ - ahhell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+18Wow...a politician fighting back against the government??? Call me crazy but what's the catch?
Anyhow....this gets a digg from me. - there, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18
"Tinfoil hat", "lame", etc... is meaningless buzzword ad hominem rhetoric used to deflate arguments when a speaker has nothing intelligent to add to an argument. The idea is to turn everyone that questions if government has the right to spy on us without a warrant or public debate-- into a crackpot.
Those that have been arguing about privacy since the Patriot Act came into being aren't the paranoid and irrational ones.... quite the opposite actually. The paranoid are the people that won't be satisfied until every piece of telecommunications is monitored and archived by the state. We need to fear these people because every time a bomb goes off they'll say "see"-- and take one more of our rights away or intrude a little further into our daily lives.
(I've actually come to believe that communists and fascists are actually the same group of obsessive individuals and are only divided philosophically because they arbitrarily picked a side of ultimate righteousness)
Although the Republicans are largely to blame the Democrats haven't put up meaningful resistance either so this isn't a partisan thing and should be fought on a congressman by congressman level. (ie, Don't vote for a congressmen that is going to spy on you and do vote for ones like Rep. Arlen Spector or Dem. Russ Feingold. Don't play politics... vote the issue and let these fools that have lost touch with the public know you don't appreciate being handled like cattle. - Beautyon, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17Privacy, like any freedom, is not something handed out like candy by legislators. You must TAKE your privacy, your private data, back from those people who have stolen it from you. That means using multiple identities, not enrolling in any national ID card scheme, like the radical dehumanizing slave grid that the UK is trying to roll out, or REALID in the USA. It means encrypting all your phone calls, and getting off of the old Bell system. You do know that AT&T have trillions of call logs going back to the '70s? There is no reason to use their network anymore, period.
If you dont take this revolutionary stance, you will never get your privacy back. And for all those who say, 'who cares; they already know everything about me' well, if people like you were around in 1776, there would be no USA at all. You are the worst kind of human garbage, manufacturing tyrrany by your brain dead apathy.
You can have privacy if you want it...you just have to TAKE it, like the founding fathers TOOK their freedom from the British. - aliengoods, on 10/12/2007, -7/+20Boo to the netiquette nazis. While you are correct, have you nothing better to do than point out errors in others? Thank god their wasn't poor grammar or spelling.
On a related topic, I have nothing better to do. I'm at work. - anarchocap, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12You mean beside being the primary author of the US Patriot Act? And his clear inability to influence any of his peers to his defense of privacy.
Instead of calling investigative sessions perhaps he could get busy on putting some of those sunset clauses into action or repealing his beautiful defense of privacy known as the Patriot Act. He's a puppet, the administration needed unilateral support for the Act and Leahy was their man. Congrats oh great benevolent defender of privacy, I bow before thee.
If you are looking for information about a person, specifically information that may not shine in the greatest light, I would suggest looking elsewhere than his own congressional website. - Saintlink, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11This totally smacks of election year talk. None the less, if any serious action comes from it then it will be worth all the words. He can't stand alone on this, either he gets some support and soon otherwise privacy will be a quaint idea of years gone by. Even if he isn't up for re-election, his party needs points. More action, less talk please.
- p9s50W5k4GUD2c6, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11While I don't agree with your garbage comment, I do agree with the rest.
But this is about more than just privacy.
- It's about warrant-less search and seizure
- It's about freedom of expression and speech
- But mostly, it's about living in a society where we are NOT under micro-surveillance by government agencies we pay for thru taxation.
- I am sick and tired of these power hungry creeps using fear-based political excuses to pad their own power base.
The time to take a stand and (legally) fight back is NOW. - hometoast, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11Saintlink et al, Leahy is not up for re-election this year.
- crobcary, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11Although one must keep in mind that we are the ones constantly giving it away, whether it be through apathy towards ever-encroaching laws, posting private stuff online like myspace and facebook, etc. I think that lawmakers are only one-half of the equation, whilst personal responsibility makes up the other.
- wvdavis, on 10/12/2007, -5/+13@ but what's the catch?
Up-coming Re-election - Meshyf, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12Yeah who dropped a couple grand in this guy's wallet?
Could it be there is hope for elected officals after all? please please please! - sremick, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10As a Vermonter, I'm very proud of our Mr. Leahy.
Leahy has for quite some time really "gotten it" with all things computer/internet related. Read more here:
http://leahy.senate.gov/issues/internet/index.html - Artifez, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8 It isn't the tin foil hat crowd who should be afraid of the powers that be, it should be everyone. I'm trying to start a blog where people submit conspiracy theorys for review and comments for entertainment value but man some of the real news lately is scarier.
Governments should fear their people. - adml_shake, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9hmmm..well I did get this mask, hat, and cloak in the mail the other day.
- guht, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8I dont have a tin hat.. I dont consider myself a paranoid orwellian. Im middle of the road when it comes to politics. I think Leahy is right on the money also, and it will be interesting to monitor where this goes! What if anything can we do as a community to support this and bring it to fruition?
- there, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6@tonicboy
The point is directed at all the people that want to turn America into a surveillance state monitored by secret police. (This is no exaggeration) They will say practically any statement to appease their paranoia and it doesn't matter if history proves too much surveillance is actually a negative thing. Israel has been trying to fight terrorism for 50 years and in case anyone is paying attention-- it appears they've had little luck with the same "get tough" approach and attitudes Bush now suddenly thinks "will work".
The problem is people don't realize these "temporary wartime measures" have about the likelihood of getting repealed as other "temporary wartime measures" (i.e income taxes). Every time a bomb goes off some nitwit politician-- trying to show how righteous and strong they are-- is going to extend this power further until we have guys with machines guns trotting around everywhere like Israel. Not only is it not helping but I believe it's one of the WORST things they can do-- as all this does is create additional distrust of the government (i.e breed even more discontent) Let's not forget the lessons of Tim and Waco.
The funny thing about freedom is that it can't be imposed at the tip of a machine gun or because police are watching everything you do... not because a government can don't that but because in that scenario it's not freedom anymore. (I'm sure citizens under Stalin all said they were "free" too)
My thinking is money can be better spent in ways that might actually be effective in warding off terrorism..... improving foreign policy, education, smaller less intrusive government, more foreign assistance and giving all politicians courses on toning down self-righteous disrespectful rhetoric that's only good at generating and perpetuating hatred and wars. - Demarche, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I'm honestly curious to know what makes you say this. Within moments of reading this article I was browsing Senator Leahy's website to learn more about him. As someone not particularly familiar with Senator Leahy, is there some specific issue that you're referring to?
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6do you care more about the rule of law or keeping this country safe
do you care more about not having a dictator or keeping this country safe
I like most americans dont mind if they tap the terrorists to their hearts content
but these are just people and people are flawed and i want them to follow the law when doing it.
Lets say someone said we are going to not have trials for child molesters but shoot each one in the head and save money. Sounds great and they promiss only to do it to child molesters... but how can they be reasonaly sure without a trial?
AS for suspected terrorists, we all are... I am still not sure why you have to ignore a ruber stamping court, that recently increased the amount of time you can wiretap before even telling the court. NO amount of ticking bob hogwash can convince me the need to bypass the courts... ESPECIALLY when the courts already give you a method to temporaily bypass them.
Last monitoring green peace, anti war protesters and quakers does nothing to keep this country safer.. it only allows them a heads up so they can counter the protesters message.
I personally WILL NOT give up liberty for security. ANd it is a false sence of security anyway. - realfinkployd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Leahy was a co-author of the USA PATRIOT ACT. I understand the average Amercian has a roughly 1 month attention span when it comes to politics, but let's not make this man out to be a hero for making (what is so far) a symbolic gesture at fixing the problem he helped create in the first place.
Almost nobody in congress has the integrity or courage to actually effect any kind of change. The Bush whitehouse has the current Republicians and (actually moreso) Democrats wiped into shape. A full scale flush of everyone in congress would probably be the best thing. Sadly most of us are going to go out and vote the same straight party line we do every election and then complain about it after the fact. - Saintlink, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6It is about party loyalty. He's got to make it look like the Democrats in general are actually doing something on this issue. Where have they been since the PATRIOT act was signed? Deadly silent. It just like Congress pretending to do something about the oil crisis. Are we seriously buying it? If we actually get an investigation going to the privacy issues, then I'll revise my statement. As it stands currently, both parties don't have the balls or political willpower to do the right thing and put this program under scrutiny.
I'm now a registered indie and have never looked back. The Republicans are throwing away the 4th Amendment and the Dems are to cowardly to do anything about it--until we realize they need an issue to run on--just like the gas tax plans and the GOP rebates. Prepare yourselves for another cycle in the spin machine. - streetstealth, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I'm concerned that, like so many legislators, Leahy's going to conveniently forget about his words when it comes right down to the line.
It's important that people know this is how he's talking, so that we hold him to acting accordingly! - p9s50W5k4GUD2c6, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7"Why does Senator Leahy hate America?"
You need some brainjuice, 'brainjuice'! - hometoast, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5and I may retract my statements after I read this: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/03/24/bush_shuns_patriot_act_requirement/.
Sure he's a co author of the patriot act, but he's been pushing for more oversight; he c-authored with the intent to include some sort of rational interpretation of the laws. - Beautyon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5The recent NSA wiretapping was extralegal. That means, behind your back, they did it, just like AT&T stored yours and your parent's call logs without your consent or any real need. No legislative approach will solve this problem because these guys are increasingly operating beyond any law, using fear generated by synthetic terrrorism to turn americans into sheeple.
If your state (not New Hampshire, a state of real americans) adopts REALID, what are you going to do? Not drive? Not fly on aircraft in your own country? It will become a fact that if you want to live as a real, free american in your own country, you will have to become a criminal, just like the founding fathers did.
It would be much better if it was not like this, but this is the way that it turned out. You've got to face it, and make a decision. At the very least you can encrypt all of your communications...at least start somewhere! Going to the law is pointless clearly, and every second you spend trying to do that takes effort away from solving the real root problem. - jumjum, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6I'm not a fan of Leaky Leahy, but finally he's gotten something right.
- hometoast, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6strictnein ain't far off, as is anarchocap above. Even though Leahey's not up for relection this year, his track record is not good for privacy in general.
- meanreal, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I believe it is important for the US people to push that further
- jav1231, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I'm a Republican and I can agree with that. Clean house. Make them all 1 term.
- mandarin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Wasnt that quote in V for Vendetta
- kremvax, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4On the whole, politicians are more or less like a particularly stupid breed of dog. Greedy, hungry, traveling in packs, loyal to those who are currently feeding them, and forgetful.
You have to praise them when they're good, and smack em when they're bad.
In this case, the Sen. deserves a biscuit. - zbeast, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6The trouble with spying on your citizens,
well the "non-law abiding ones"
all you have to do is redefine what law abiding it.
That lets you spy on who ever you want. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Yeah, only this won't be reported with all the hype that usually follows Senators outlining Flaws in the nature of the administration as maybe a report on the war on Iraq, and the amount of freedom we need to give up in order to "Get the terrorists" for they are everywhere, and anyone, and even us. So, given the nature of this war, I guess that makes all of us suspect, hithero subject to no rights.
Thanks, Democracy. - chopsuey, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6I am very happy to read this, we need more Senators like him.
- strictnein, on 10/12/2007, -5/+8Leahy, a "hero"? Give me an f'en break. 99% of the time Leahy is an absolute douche bag. 1% of the time (like with this nonsense) he's looking to score politcal points.
- 16x9, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3> two of there's key points: ""Tinfoil hat", "lame", etc... is meaningless buzzword ad hominem rhetoric used to deflate arguments when a speaker has nothing intelligent to add to an argument."
> and: "Although the Republicans are largely to blame the Democrats haven't put up meaningful resistance either..."
I couldn't agree more. - AbortedFetus, on 10/12/2007, -6/+8This man is a hero. We need more men like this in Congress.
- anarchocap, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Heroes, good guys, or privacy advocates do not co-author anything titled "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism". Please
- darkecho, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3have fun with that... if it ever catches, it wont be long till they pull it down.. unless that is, you place it on a server outside the US ... muwahahaha...
If leahy is legit about this, good for him, and he just gained some popularity.. while i hope this is the case, we must remeber that he is a politician.. - Red_Eye, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2If he did that, there wouldnt be enough photop's or a chance for folks to get out their check books.
- darkten, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I was actually going to say something similar to brainjuice:
Senator Patrick Leahy "hates America".
Notice that *I* didn't forget the quotation marks ;)
-D - willcode4beer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Leahy, against NSA spying but in support of MPAA spying.
oh well, I guess one out of two isn't bad - sremick, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Also worth reading this:
http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/48/18104 - willcode4beer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Lets not forget his actively pushing bills for the MPAA and RIAA
- dropkickninja, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1this has nothing to do with votes. leahy doesnt need to work about getting reelected. leahy has always been good at taking the administration to task when it does something wrong. hes a very good senator and im glad he represents my state.
- AngryPenguin47, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Mad Props to the demi's on this one. That is how you win for re-election, jump on the privacy bandwagon, not that that's a bad thing. If any politicians are wondering how to get re-elected, this is how ya do it. w00t!
- CosmicJustice, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1He's a US Senator. Why is he calling for a "summit"? He can write a privacy bill and present it for a vote.
- Kitsune818, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Privacy will endure as long as the factors of a large prime number are not easily determined.
One of my greatest fears is that someone, somewhere has quietly come up with a way to quickly factor primes.. and they are keeping that information to themselves. -
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