I've been tempted to do massive searches for "child pornography" and "assassination techniques" online, but I fear I'd end up on the government's blacklist, suffering the consequences of that yet unable to clear my name. At least
Google is resisting our government's fascist demands. If this doesn't mean anything to you yet, read this blurb from a recent Reuter's article.
In court papers filed on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in San Jose, the Justice Department stated that Google had refused to comply with a subpoena issued last year for one million random Web addresses from Google's databases as well as records of all searches entered on Google during any one-week period.
The government said it needed the information to prepare its case to revive the 1998 Child Online Protection Act, which the Supreme Court blocked from taking effect two years ago.
Here's the thing: I type in a ton of search terms to Google and occasionally Yahoo and it's more than a little troubling that the government, which is completely run by liars and criminals, is going to decide whether or not I'm a threat or need to be watched carefully. Also, I have passive aggressive tendencies. My natural inclination, knowing the government will be monitoring everyone in this country who uses the Internet, is to deliberately search for things that will raise a red flag. Terms like, "Kill the president", "homemade bombs" and "My Pet Goat". For fun, I'll type in, "How to have sex with a minor and get away with it" and "pedophilia support groups". I can't afford a high-priced lawyer, however, so my fun might be short-lived.
This War on Terrorism is a joke and we're never going to win it. Know why? We've already lost. When we let the government get away with spying on us in order to "protect" us, the terrorists win. And by terrorists, I mean bad people whom the government deems "bad" without actually having to try them in a court of law. If they're brown, talk funny and are hanging out in an area where something bad happened, they're guilty. Just ask Al-Marri, who might be in custody indefinitely.
Look past the fact that Al-Marri looks like Yanni with a mullet. Yes, he should probably be off our streets with that hair, but he should still be tried for whatever crimes he allegedly committed. Sometimes a scary haircut is just a scary haircut.
That said, I do feel a lot safer knowing the government is keeping dangerous people on the ground with its fool-proof No Fly List. If we're lucky, they'll take the same precious care protecting us from child pornographers.
4 comments:
Got room on that soapbox for one more?
Frank Zappa
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These are all clear violations of the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The really sad thing is that the ACLU is doing more about it than the Senate or House of Reps. You know, those elected officals that are supposed to represent the will of the people. They ain't. They won't have my vote next time around if they don't do something about it.
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
That link to the "no-fly" list was especially sad. Members of our armed forces being falsely arrested ("detained") repeatedly. This is security I just don't need.
I've got more on this but I need to wash the bile taste out of my mouth right now.
File this under "There's no such thing as bad press".
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1137822033126830.xml&coll=1
I see nothing wrong with the government monitoring what other people do. No matter what else happens there's a good chance of them monitoring me.
Why should I be single out, when I can be just one of millions?
I'll tell ya what spooks me about this - by the time enough people are alarmed at the increasing ability of our Government to violate any historical American documents (such as a little thing called THE CONSTITUTION) in the name of keeping us "Safe" it will be too late. That the response when we all learned about the unsanctioned wire tapping last month was "well Clinton did the same so lol" - were screwed. Playing one side against the other is the greatest distraction of all time in terms of putting programs in place that pretty much have no historical precident besides "9/11".
Lastly with regard to the "War On Terror" - Terror is not a place, it isn't a people - it's a philosophy. If one kid somewhere on earth says to another "gimme your lunch money or I'll bust you in teh chops", terrorism will be alive and well. I don't anticipate our ability as a Nation to stamp out a philosophy.
But if we ever get bored of losign this war, we can return to our war on drugs which is, like terrorism, neither a people or place.
Maybe if this all fails we can have a war on Obesity. Yeah that would go amiss.
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