This week’s seismic report that the federal government received “unlimited authority” to access millions of personal phone records from Verizon Wireless customers – including “the numbers of both sides of a call along with location data, call duration and the time of the call” – is a major bombshell, people.
It’s probably the most egregious assault on liberty we’ve seen from the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama, which is obviously saying something in light of the extent to which these Chicagoland thugs have been trampling on our freedoms lately.
Anyway, to read our liberty desk editor Amy Lazenby’s report on the Verizon phone scandal, click here.
Of interest to us, though, is the way the American mainstream media – which watched a British publication beat them to this story – has rushed to defend the government’s actions.
Seriously, take a look at all of the top stories on Google News right now. Each one of them directs readers to a report which highlight the legality of this action.
Take a look …
Then there’s the political analysis of the situation by reporter Chris Cillizza of The Washington Post, who fired off a quick column in the aftermath of the Verizon revelation entitled “In the battle between privacy and security, security always wins.”
“Fear is a very powerful motivator when it comes to public opinion,” Cillizza writes, adding that “most Americans, while they value their privacy, tend to view themselves as people with little to hide.”
So there it is … according to the MSM spin, government has every right to spy on your phone records the same way it spies on the phone records of mainstream media reporters.
And the mainstream media is just fine with that …. and apparently so are you.
Seriously, this is the current state of affairs in the “Land of the Free?”
Scary, scary, scary stuff …
***
60 comments
straight up BULLSHIT!
straight up BULLSHIT!
It was OK to pass this legislation under the Bush Administration. You remember, the Patriot Act!! Its been going on since then. Someone leaked the info the the Guardian.
It was not OK and never will be OK.
Where did all the freedoms go? Will the ACLU be in prison (privatized, of course) next? Are we allowed to say the terrorists have won? Patriot Act and NDAA was passed and written by both parties…at least those assholes can agree on something, I guess.
“No Room On the Spectrum: Why the ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ Are Only Two Wings of the Same Bird of Prey”-Butler Shaffer
lewrockwell.com/shaffer/shaffer104.html
“Will the ACLU be in prison…?”
One could only hope.
While the ACLU generally pick up cases that support the libitard agenda, they actually (very, very) occasionally pick up a case worth having. They did on one of these stories recently. Verizon I think.
God forgive me, Please? I’m a drone. Story just broke and I gotta search the internet to verify. Fuck Me.
I guess there’s no reason to give a shit about voting, watching/reading news, or for damn sure, who we’ll be at war with next. Turn on Honey Boo Boo because it’s time to say fuck it.
Honey Boo Boo isn’t taking your fucking money, killing people with drones, fucking up the economy, making our young people go to undeclared wars, regulating everything from how your toilet flushes to what insurance you are forced to buy…so there’s that.
Hell yeah, turn on the fucking Honey Boo Boo and pass me a beer!
Hell yeah! Let’s make it a case.
It was OK to pass this legislation under the Bush Administration. You remember, the Patriot Act!! Its been going on since then. Someone leaked the info the the Guardian.
It was not OK and never will be OK.
Where did all the freedoms go? Will the ACLU be in prison (privatized, of course) next? Are we allowed to say the terrorists have won? Patriot Act and NDAA was passed and written by both parties…at least those assholes can agree on something, I guess.
“No Room On the Spectrum: Why the ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ Are Only Two Wings of the Same Bird of Prey”-Butler Shaffer
lewrockwell.com/shaffer/shaffer104.html
“Will the ACLU be in prison…?”
One could only hope.
While the ACLU generally pick up cases that support the libitard agenda, they actually (very, very) occasionally pick up a case worth having. They did on one of these stories recently. Verizon I think.
God forgive me, Please? I’m a drone. Story just broke and I gotta search the internet to verify. Fuck Me.
I guess there’s no reason to give a shit about voting, watching/reading news, or for damn sure, who we’ll be at war with next. Turn on Honey Boo Boo because it’s time to say fuck it.
Honey Boo Boo isn’t taking your fucking money, killing people with drones, fucking up the economy, making our young people go to undeclared wars, regulating everything from how your toilet flushes to what insurance you are forced to buy…so there’s that.
Hell yeah, turn on the fucking Honey Boo Boo and pass me a beer!
Hell yeah! Let’s make it a case.
Buck Farack
Buck Farack
FAR FAR MORE SERIOUS, and Gestapo-Communist like is Obama Targeting Political Enemies w/ the IRS. And: Obtaining personal info. on reporters not in cahoots with his radical leftwing onslaught against the American people…
This is serious, but it can also serve as a smokescreen because they can blame it on Bush…and the idiots will fall for it…It takes the heat off the IRS NAZIs…
If the media and the courts do not prosecute IRS and FOX-News Gate, the people need to MARCH on Washington, and DEMAND Obama Answer…
We Know who you are and we are coming for you!
This is a veritable Pandora’s box that was opened by Congress. If you can’t trust the executive branch to not abuse such powers (and no one should regardless of who is president), then the judicial branch either has to strike down said power (which they haven’t, and won’t) or the legislative branch has to remove said power (which they won’t). Since the people don’t get much of a say in the judicial branch, and very little influence in the executive branch, the legislative branch should be the main goal to change. How about voting against any congressman who voted for the Patriot Act, or NDAA?
Good luck with that shit.
This is a veritable Pandora’s box that was opened by Congress. If you can’t trust the executive branch to not abuse such powers (and no one should regardless of who is president), then the judicial branch either has to strike down said power (which they haven’t, and won’t) or the legislative branch has to remove said power (which they won’t). Since the people don’t get much of a say in the judicial branch, and very little influence in the executive branch, the legislative branch should be the main goal to change. How about voting against any congressman who voted for the Patriot Act, or NDAA?
Good luck with that shit.
Have you guys been living in fantasy world or are you just playing politics. How could you not have known this was occurring. Have you totally forgotten what happened when the NSA under Bush was caught illegally intercepting the phone calls and emails of millions of Americans with the help of the wireless companies? They fixed the law to make it legal and to retroactively protect the wireless companies.
This type of surveillance has been going on for a decade. Its not spin to say its routine, because it is. If you want to fix it and restore privacy, repeal the “Patriot” Act and the NDAA.
Nonetheless, why are you bitching? According to the far right the constitutional right to privacy is a figment of the imagination of Progressives. Strict constructionist know there is no such right in the Constitution. That right is a creation of the activist judges. Those who have nothing to hide need not fear the light. Right?
I guess that’s only true when a Republican is in office.
You are a very immoral person and a liar. The media may have told you Bush was doing something illegal. But You are full of CRAP…
The media would have Crucified Bush at even the appearance of illegality…
You will not account for your own REAL and indefensible Corruption, and you accuse innocent and TRUE Americans of fantasy wrongs that are not anywhere near the Filth you perpetuate…
You represent the WORST of our Country…and you’re doing this a day after D-Day’s anniversary…you really make me sick..you are Communist and NAZI…Our best have have fought and died to erase the dishonest and freedom-hating like you……
Calm down, Frothy the Rabid Rottweiler.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9986716-38.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/17/AR2006081700650.html
The internet never forgets.
A Federal Judge in Detroit ruling against something Bush’s underlings ADMITTED they wanted to do: That’s NOT illegal…That’s actually FOLLOWING the Law…
Also: If a judge had ruled on it as not permitted, then…Obama has NO Excuse..so he IS GUILTY of BREAKING THE LAW..
How’s it feel to get busted by your own defense of corruption and your Stupidity????
Grand Tango: Did you read Jan’s link. It appears to me that he has proven his claim. Yet, you blither on….making a fool of yourself.
If the claim is that you and Jan are F#@Kin Brain Dead idiots…you are correct…
I fucking love this guy!^^^
Lol!
Big T, you are as dumb as a box of birds. They changed the law after Bush’s spying. It was illegal at the time he did it, because the NSA was required to get a FISA Court warrant. They did not because they knew the court would not give them such a warrant under the law as it existed; so they just ignored the law. Even John Ashcroft refused to sign off on their actions. After what they were doing was discovered they changed FISA so the government could continue what they were doing illegally before and retroactively protected the wireless companies from liability. This has been going on ever sense.
I absolutely oppose this type of spying. I firmly believe we have a right to privacy. But if we want it to stop we have to change the law, No one should be surprised this is happening.
Oh, hell…I smell a fact. You smell that, Big Boy? Fact probably smell like farts to you since you recoil as fast.
Spot on Jan. Wow. Never thought I’d say that about ya.
Good post. +5
Have you guys been living in fantasy world or are you just playing politics. How could you not have known this was occurring. Have you totally forgotten what happened when the NSA under Bush was caught illegally intercepting the phone calls and emails of millions of Americans with the help of the wireless companies? They fixed the law to make it legal and to retroactively protect the wireless companies.
This type of surveillance has been going on for a decade. Its not spin to say its routine, because it is. If you want to fix it and restore privacy, repeal the “Patriot” Act and the NDAA.
Nonetheless, why are you bitching? According to the far right the constitutional right to privacy is a figment of the imagination of Progressives. Strict constructionist know there is no such right in the Constitution. That right is a creation of the activist judges. Those who have nothing to hide need not fear the light. Right?
I guess that’s only true when a Republican is in office.
Spot on Jan. Wow. Never thought I’d say that about ya.
Good post. +5
First they came for the communists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.
Then they came for the socialists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.
Remind me who said that….
Martin Niemöller
got it, thanks….
First they came for the communists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.
Then they came for the socialists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.
Remind me who said that….
Martin Niemöller
got it, thanks….
Not ALL the MSM is buying into it. The New York times, which is usually a reliable water-carrier for Obama, is now saying–and I quote– “The administration has lost all credibility.”
Not ALL the MSM is buying into it. The New York times, which is usually a reliable water-carrier for Obama, is now saying–and I quote– “The administration has lost all credibility.”
Who’s the hot chick in the dryer?
Who’s the hot chick in the dryer?
and men never landed on the moon…;what utter bullshit
and men never landed on the moon…;what utter bullshit