Originally posted by Becker44
reply to post by take0ver89
OK Gotcha. I'm a little slow.
Soooooo. What's this invasion of your privacy you are concerned about. I don't see how this particular bill has any effect on your personal
freedoms. Are you willing to let the intelligence community eavesdrop on suspected terrorists?
Becker
Ah yes, The Straw Man arguement that the producers of this commercial want everyone to focus on!
We Must Protect Ourselves from The TERRORISTS!
Heaven forbid anyone do some research on thier own, lest they dicover the real reason the Administration is so eager to get the
Senate version
of this bill passed:
Telecom Immunity.
Rather than cave-in to the Administration's desire to protect its "friends" (and MAJOR political contributors) in the telecom industry by
"Grandfathering-in" civil immunity from prosecution for those telecoms that aided the government in its, likely ILLEGAL, use of warrantless wiretaps
(in violation of the FISA law governing wiretaps); The House of representatives decided to table their discussion of the Senate version, and
recess.
The only thing that has expired is the
Temporary enhancement to the government's surrveillence powers.
The FISA law, which allows the government to wiretap to their heart's content
As long as it can convince a FISA judge to issue a
Warrant!, is still in effect.
Which leaves one to wonder:
If what the involved Telecoms did at the government's behest was legal, why would they need immunity from prosecution?
Need it so desparately in fact, that the President of the United States would feel compelled to lobby for them?
On the other hand, if what they did
was illegal, why
should they be granted immunity?
Generally, society works better when those that break the laws of the society are punished for their bad acts; even if they claim, once caught, that
they "were only following orders".
The commercial in question, from what I have seen, cleverly omits the
reason why the House "failed to pass" the bill in question, and
instead, raises the old bugaboo of "scheming terrorists".
