Ten years after the devastating attacks on New York and Washington, the fundamental promises of American democracy are hanging by a thin thread. Promoted by a culture of war and fear, the US government has steadily chipped away at those legal protections that enabled 'we the people' to rule ourselves. "Ten Years Later: Surveillance in the Homeland" charts the course of this shift, exposing the rapid advent of a technologically advanced surveillance state in the shadows of the Twin Towers.
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"In addition to massive surveillance, assassinations and dirty tricks "by any means necessary" included the creation of National Security Agency (NSA) "watch lists" of Americans ranging "from members of radical political groups, to celebrities, to ordinary citizens involved in protests against their government," with names submitted by the FBI, Secret Service, military, CIA, and Defense Intelligence Agency.
The secret lists, which included people whose activities "may result in civil disturbances or otherwise subvert the national security of the US," were used by the NSA to extract information of "intelligence value" from its stream of intercepted communications."
What really pisses me off is that this is a resurgence of the bigoted lunacy of 'Tailgunner Joe' McCarthy's paranoia of sixty years ago. The message hysterically presented by the American Right hasn't changed much, except that Commies have been replaced by Muslims and Mexicans: the M&M's of cynicism and bigotry in current American politics.
2 comments:
Bigoted lunacy and raving paranoia have been flowing thru our thickened "trade" boarders into Harperland too. Watchlists, party lists, ISP lists about who is DLing music or baby pictures. Lists of regulations to be, what's the word?, harmonised. Law & Order, War on Drugs, anti-abortion rhetoric spewing at importune moments...I see lists coming up on all of 'em.
"The secret lists (from the CIA, FBI,SS,DIA and more)which included people whose activities "may result in civil disturbances or otherwise subvert the national security of the US," were used by the NSA to extract information of "intelligence value" from its stream of intercepted communications." Reading mail, tapping phones, phishing, no warrents, no oversight, no help.
If I hear one more "lefty, commie, feminazi" comment from the Harper Conbots saying, "If you have nothing to hide, what should you care?" Idiots.
My family is from NY so of course we catch a lot of US news, blogs, papers. It's heart breaking And we are watching Canada being dragged down into identical trenches. If only those folks in Ottawa and Alberta didn't look so smug, so self-satisfied everytime they announce the ripping and tearing of the fabric of Canada.
I used to think the amalgamation would not happen in my lifetime, I'm 60. Now I expect it will, but I can promise it won't happen with out a fight.
The problem is humans do not really have free will. Modern Roveners can push most peoples buttons like a gameboy.
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