Comments on: Your FISA adviza

By: rec

rec — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:34:42 +0000

I rememeber back in early 2003, listening to this episode of This American Life in which I heard of FISA for the first time (Act Three). Back then it seemed outrageous that the government would hold these hearings in a secret court like some kind of third world dictatorship. Well, it only took five years, but now the same FISA court with expanded authority seems like the paragon of good judicial oversight. Way to shift the Overton Window.

By: Zorro

Zorro — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:26:54 +0000

There is a goofy pic of Junior at Washington Post. Please go there and create a caption which will be posted immediately and anonymously.

By: dalton periphery

dalton periphery — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:40:00 +0000

THE point is- the illegal wiretapping (including the telecoms’ involvement) began BEFORE 9/11, back when Bushco had no interest at all in terrr-ism, when they were in fact ignoring all warnings about Bin Laden. What, then, was the point in illegal spying? The whole defense-against-terrorism excuse is just that, an ex post facto alibi. Who were they spying on and why back when they didn’t believe in the Muslim boogeyman?

By: EH

EH — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 06:12:42 +0000

As to the IPhone element of this discussion, if you use a security code on your phone the police (or anybody else) can not force you to give up your code without at least a court order. This goes also for BIOS passwords on computers, partitions, or other protected areas.

By: kenmeer livermaile

kenmeer livermaile — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 02:44:59 +0000

“I know, these are koans best left for future generations to pull out of their asses.”

I think the segue from aliens bursting from stomachs to koans being pulled from asses is a tad too abrupt, aesthetically speaking.

By: ignobility

ignobility — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 02:28:18 +0000

Bu..bu..but if you have nothing to hide….

And I noticed that Reid was one of the senators who voted against their version of the bill (that included immunity). If he didn’t want it, why did he allow it to come up for a vote? Isn’t he like in charge of that sort of thing?

By: The Editors

The Editors — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 22:42:16 +0000

Bush/Cheney have not exactly earned our trust, to make the understatement of the century.

More to the point: without oversight, anybody at NSA can wiretap you. The interns can do it. What would stop it?

By: Davis

Davis — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:45:10 +0000

Wiretapping without a warrant? But it’ll only be used when really, really necessary. Bush/Cheney have not exactly earned our trust, to make the understatement of the century.

By: Phoenician in a time of Romans

Phoenician in a time of Romans — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:13:27 +0000

Hmm – how difficult would a PGP applicatoon be for an iPhone, preferably one which allowed people to send out their (very large) public key at the touch of a button?

By: demkat620

demkat620 — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:11:56 +0000

I think I fainted when I heard our democrats had told Bushie to go Cheney himself. I just couldn’t process what had happened.

Can they do it again? Cause it felt really good the first time.