USAPATRIO Act

[kojikun]

anyone ever read this steaming pile of horse shit? 250 pages on how to strip freedom faster then an exotic dancers clothes. And it even has a nifty acronym which stands for "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required To Intercept And Obstruct Terrorism".

http://www.eff.org/Censorship/Terrorism ... t_act.html

An analysis can be found here:

http://www.eff.org/Privacy/Surveillance ... lysis.html

I propose Congress's new motto should be "Assraping your rights like never before."

[Montcalm]

It looks like the message of this act is you can kiss the constitution goodbye screw freedom long live dictator bush.

[weemadando]

Wow. Just about every civil liberty I can think of is thrown on the bonfire in that beauty.

*edit* As I continue reading, I might as well add every priviledge and right granted by the hallowed US constitution is pretty much toastied as well.

*edit (again)* THIS piece of legislation (I use that term hesitantly) was actually passed by the US government?

*edit* (yet again)* You know, not since I read DarkStars site have I EVER had such an unbelievable urge to urinate on my own monitor.

*(another) edit* I believe that the combined rotation in graves of the founding fathers, George Orwell and nearly every political philosopher who ever lived is in danger of slowing the earth rotation to a standstill.

*(still more) edit(ing)* Speaking of which, I saw a trailer for The Core, that movie looks like it might blow as many goats as this document.

*edit (etc etc etc)* Under that act, what I have written in this post entitles the US government to abduct me, hold me without charge, then torture me for months on end and finally put me up on a show trial before sentencing me to death.

*edit (sigh)* Well, if that isn't representative of the bastion of democracy and the free world, an example for all to follow, I don't know what is.

*edit* (yawn)*

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN INVESTIGATIONS OF MONEY LAUNDERING, FINANCIAL CRIMES, AND THE FINANCES OF TERRORIST GROUPS.

Most of that passage just looks like a great big steaming excuse to slap trade tariffs on other countries under the justification of "to do otherwise would support terrorism". The rest of it looks like a way of opening up the books of every foreign oil company to scrutineering while keeping the books of the American owned ones firmly closed.

*edit* Aaaaaaaaaah (splashing noises in background)....

[Illuminatus Primus]

I want to burn it. There should be massive official petitions on the Net.

We need to send some sort of message. Mass critique and email it to the Justice department or some talkshow just to see if and what response we get.

[Robert Treder]

This is pretty fucked up right here.

I scrolled down to a random point in the document, and can find numerous examples of stupid bullshit. Observe:

Title I, SEC. 102. SENSE OF CONGRESS CONDEMNING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ARAB AND MUSLIM AMERICANS.
...
(2) The acts of violence that have been taken against Arab and Muslim Americans since the September 11, 2001, attacks against the United States should be and are condemned by all Americans who value freedom.

How and why do they say this? All Americans who "value freedom" condemn violent acts against Arabs and Muslims? We condemn these acts because we value freedom?! I value freedom, and I don't condemn the acts because of that...I condemn the acts because they're pointless and racist. Where does a piece of legislation get off dictating the feelings of the American people?

(6) Many Arab Americans and Muslim Americans have acted heroically during the attacks on the United States, including Mohammed Salman Hamdani, a 23-year-old New Yorker of Pakistani descent, who is believed to have gone to the World Trade Center to offer rescue assistance and is now missing.

Why the fuck is it important to put this in there? This is an example of a heroic muslim...would somebody mind telling me what the FUCK that has to do with anything? It's like they're starting the whole thing out by saying, "Look, I'm not racist, but..."

Jesus Christ. This is all bullshit, and I only read one fucking section of the thing.

[ben]

you have to remember when this was written and passed Jr. and his cronies could have written any law and have it passed because the congress are too chicken shit afraid to challenge the legislation, after 9/11 no legislator is going to challenge the white house lest be labelled un-patriotic

[The Yosemite Bear]

I guess it's time to remind people that HUAC was a BAD thing and it's supporters were a bunch of fucking NAZI's

[The Duchess of Zeon]

I guess it's time to remind people that HUAC was a BAD thing and it's supporters were a bunch of fucking NAZI's

What exactly did HUAC do that was unconstitutional? Did you know that Senator McCarthy was never on HUAC? He was a loose cannon that entire time. Granted, HUAC was a poor thing to have in a free country; but the idea of massive human rights abusives by it is far-fetched.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

I don't really see any problems with the act. Some of it is disturbing, and like most legislation these days it is typically and pointlessly oversized and dryly technical. But we're at war, and in time of war, the law falls silent. Indeed, that's my biggest problem:

Why put this into legislation at all?

Why not just declare martial law?

With martial law, when the emergency is over, things go back to normal (With an armed citizenry to make sure they do).

Instead we have this heap of legislation which expires after a period of time, sections of which may be retained.

Unfortunately, however, it does indeed appear necessary. Again, these are times of War; and in War, certain things must be done. Likewise, though the USA is a free country, freedom is still a state that is governed by Law, and these laws though severe, are for severe times, and do not infringe upon the basic foundation of the freedom of the citizenry.

Free though they are, they are not entirely free -- for law is their master, whom they fear far more than your men fear you. Whatever their law commands, that they do; and it commands them always the same: they are not allowed to flee in battle from any foe, however great the numbers, but rather they are to stay in their ranks and there conquer or perish.

- Herodotus, The Histories (7.104)

One must always remember that the strength of our society and our ability in conflict comes from Law; and so, if to wage war is to give over the power of certain things through Law, let it be done. We understand our rights and our processes, and on these, the appropriate recourse has still been maintained. Likewise, should all else fail, the final recourse yet avails us.

[Coaan]

*edit (sigh)* Well, if that isn't representative of the bastion of democracy and the free world, an example for all to follow, I don't know what is.

Just for the record...America isn't a democracy, it's a republic....never in it's three hundred years has it ever been a democracy...they are kidding themselves if they think they are

[HemlockGrey]

Those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither liberty nor security.