We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.
Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]
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This should be interesting! I just noticed this:
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has won its four-year Freedom of Information Act lawsuit over secret legal interpretations of a controversial section of the Patriot Act, including legal analysis of law enforcement and intelligence agency access to census records.
Well, well, this should be interesting.
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What will be interesting will be the lies and bullshit the government shovels to pretend it doesn’t have any of that information, and if it did, it would be illegal for the EFF to have it. Oh, and we’re auditing all your tax submissions for the last five years.
To be honest, I’m surprised the IRS hasn’t gone for them already, Ellen. Too well-known among the Silicon Valley righteous crowd for any plausible deniability, presumably. A few Tea Party organizations can be explained away, but if they went after the EFF, real people might start asking questions.
It may be due to the fact that the laws and regs investigated by the EFF, such as the Patriot Act, were not initiated by the Obama Administrations, they are only keeping them up, so the latter do not take them as “personally” as the Tea Party types and the like. Plus, matters of civil liberties are held dear by many Democrat voters (unlike, say, 2nd Amendment issues), so this Administration cannot afford to be as spiteful when it comes to these.
It took them four years for a ‘win’! This could be one of them there Phyrric victories. How long before the next one?
It’s almost as if government does not actually believe itself to be in the service of the people.
“…secret legal interpretations…”
The US seems to have had a lot of problems with that since a Constitutional “Professor” promised his way INTO office, and “appointed” the company he keeps to…um… “administer” the tending of the Chamber pots.
This is good news. I’m waiting to see the actual legal opinions (EFF says it will post them on its website) to learn just how broadly the Bush/Obama administrations have corrupted an already bad law.
Note that this probably wouldn’t have occurred but for the Snowden revelations, which ultimately forced the release of hundreds of documents, orders, etc., that the government had sought to keep secret. Chalk up another victory for the American people thanks to Edward Snowden.
There should be no place in an (allegedly) free society for secret laws or secret interpretations of them. There should also be no place for secret courts (meaning the FISA court), but I don’t see that going away any time soon.
Dead link?
FD
And now it is back…
FD
Does this mean those torture photographs will at last be available?
The United States of Torture; it’s undeniable.
But the good news is that Israel has replaced the US as most hated nation. But Britain still holds third place. Suck it up Britisher pals.
Oh do pay attention, a key facet of being British is not giving a shit what those funny little foreigners think.
Oh do pay attention, a key facet of being British is not giving a shit what those funny little foreigners think.
So True, Oh so True 😀
korblimee