Overnight the US Senate inched closer to granting the NSA a mass surveillance Death Star by ending debate on the FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act.
The Senate vote tightened in the evening hours, as the Senate’s privacy hawks worked to drum up support for further debate around the surveillance bill, opening the door for amendments that could limit the government’s ability to use the loophole to surveil American citizens without first obtaining a warrant. Unfortunately for privacy reformers and anti-surveillance lawmakers, the Senate just voted to close that door, moving a bill forward to extend Section 702 surveillance for six more years. A full vote on the bill, which is widely expected to pass, could happen as soon as mid-week.
Effectively it allows the NSA to use key words for mass surveillance of all communications and it allows for warrantless spying on US citizens.
It shreds any pretence of privacy and gives vast powers to the FBI who would under this legislation be able to search any NSA database without a warrant.
Democrats helped the NSA gain this victory as well…
It is an enormous blow to civil liberties and cements vast unchecked powers to the Deep State. With NZ reliant upon America for it’s own 5 Eyes mass surveillance powers, it is entirely possible and probable that NZ communications would be included in this wide spread net.
This is 1984 without the charm.
The US becomes more like China every day. Great model, NOT. Worrying trend.
Surely you mean the US becomes more like Nazi Germany every day….the US being a fascist police state, whereas China is a pseudo-communist police state.
+1
Oh Lord!
You could call it a tea party if you wanted. The result feels exactly the same.
What tires me most is that everyone’s acting as if this were all a recent development. Us elderly types know from experience that this has always been the case with the US…
+111
That cartoon is so on point about Pelosi’s value to progressive politics. Damn good likeness too! Seems to me that while I can’t abide Rand Paul’s views on things like healthcare, he’s the best they’ve got when it comes to opposing mass surveillance and deep state overreach in the senate.
Unfortunately, Jones, all that means is that without appropriate healthcare Americans will die in their own homes, UNSEEN
No much consolation when you can’t afford healthcare
Oh exactly, it’s what I find so depressing about Ron and Rand Paul. The way they talk about healthcare makes them seem less concerned about people dying or suffering than they are about the philosophical implications of requiring a doctor to treat patients under the conditions required by a state healthcare system at the expense of their potential earning capacity in the private sector (a straw man argument of course – state healthcare systems aren’t 16th century pirate ships going around press ganging people into forced employment).
Of course, they content that a pure free market healthcare system can deliver better outcomes at lower prices, but I find this is usually argued with a skew towards serious illnesses. I do accept the argument of those who have shown free market healthcare systems with better cancer survival rates, for instance, but most people don’t need cancer treatment. They need to go to see their GP for common ailments or ongoing conditions which require treatment or medication, they need to make sure their sick children just have a cold and aren’t coming down with meningitis, etc.
Social democratic health systems are still the best for the bulk of public health needs. I just wish the two senators (Paul sr. & jr.) who have had the most principled stances on US mass surveillance and foreign warfare could see this.
The Israelis call theres Hasbara and have an entire military unit dedicated to social media surveillance, Trump and Clinton both had their own dedicated units during social media. I’m not surprised NSA want there own version of Putin bots.
My favourite one: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7a/c3/2c/7ac32c77e50e99e04f173cbea6a9d683.jpg
No way can we get involved in any power struggle between two behemoths like theUS a China. Let them bash each other to oblivion, it’s not our battle.
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