Tag Archives: Freedom

An organization I tend to keep a close tab on, known as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), through up a report about a memo related to warrantless wiretapping in our nation. I know, I’m not a news site, but I brought links! ^_^

This is just the weird sort of thing that makes me very concerned about what has been and is going on in our country. In case some of you have been living under a rock for the past couple of years, let’s have a look-see at some of the reports that have been popping up in the news. It does sound a little odd, I guess. It may even seem a little unbelievable, and there is always the person that says, “If you have nothing to hide, you shouldn’t be concerned.” Well, I don’t have anything to hide; however, I don’t want someone rummaging through my life trying to make sure I don’t!

Now, I’ve been a rather partial individual to Socialism, but not in the way that people tend to associate it. I am not however, a fan of having something like the KGB or Stazi, or informants running around reporting on every little thing someone does and then that individual disappearing off the face of the planet for long stretches of time. Our system of government actually has a few hallmarks of Socialism; however, I would be most displeased to suddenly be living in the worst parts of Soviet-era Russia or SS monitored Germany.

It sounds like something out of a book in my personal opinion, but here is the kicker..trust me you’ll love this. The Bush Administration has this fancy new keen idea (well not really new, but bear with me) that the Constitution doesn’t apply. Seriously…read for yourself. You can find the link at the top (report) or you can find it here.

I’ve never been much for that term, “What’s a little insert some item here amongst friends?” It always reminded me of a car salesman or something like that. They tell you that of course your buddies and this thing that they want from you, in the case of salesmen, money should easily be parted with. The FBI apparently feels the same way about our freedoms. Take the Patriot Act, which is basically an extension of laws we already have in order to broaden the scope of investigative powers, and how that just doesn’t seem to be enough. The FBI, back in 2007 admitted to abusing the Patriot Act to obtain information in a blanket manner.

I know that a lot of people called the Patriot Act (interesting name) the beginning of a slippery slope. I happened to agree at the time. Now, I think we’re getting to see why everyone was disturbed by responses to the Patriot Act like, “If you have nothing to hide it won’t effect you.” That’s obviously false. The FBI actually puts the figure of terrorists to be in the neighborhood of 1 in 300 people. Interesting, I’m not sure if I should be proud or if I should be concerned. I mean, weren’t the American forefathers terrorists? I’m sure they were looked at with just as much contempt and fear.

I’m very concerned about the report that was published though. The FBI has sought records for information it isn’t even allowed to have under the law. I don’t remember reading about it in the news, so one must wonder how much the FBI has asked for and gotten illegally (I guess I should say, in an unauthorized manner) and we do not know about?

The letters that the FBI uses to accomplish these goals are apparently vital or integral to the war on terrorism; however, they are grossly misused. I know that no one wants to be the victim of a terrorist plot, but I am not feeling a sense of urgency so great that proper ethics and procedures can’t be followed.

Giving them the benefit of the doubt, one would think that in their haste to fix mistakes that were made prior, they would proceed to follow the law a little bit better. Well that didn’t happen. In fact, the FBI lied about the situations in which they were asking for information that didn’t need to be gathered in the first place. Even after reform was made, the FBI continued to violate the law according to a report that at the time of the article would be released Thursday (the 20th I believe). In an attempt to cover up the transgressions, the FBI sought retroactive subpoenas that bent the truth just a little bit. Interesting times, interesting times.

I’d be interested to know how much data they’ve actually captured and what type of information it contained, considering there was also a report that at least one ISP gave the FBI more information than they even asked for lol. How’s that for having your privacy violated? The FBI called it a miscommunication, but given their track record, was the ISP told to cover it up to keep backlash off of the FBI or was it really just an honest mistake? Maybe I need to buy a tinfoil hat. ^_^

1. FBI Admits Abuse
   
2. Blanket Demands of Phone Records
3. FBI Covers Up Patriot Act Abuses