Authority to Spy on Americans Unclear as Patriot Act Expires

Authority to Spy on Americans Unclear as Patriot Act Expires

abcnews.go.com

Rushed into law by Congress just weeks after Sept. 11, 2001 three controversial provisions of the Patriot Act granting officials far-reaching surveillance and seizure powers in the name of national security, are due to expire this New Year's Eve.

With full support from the Obama administration, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill last month reauthorizing the law that has in recent years sparked much controversy over rights to privacy protected under the Constitution, with some mino

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This critical legislation protects our national security, as well as our civil liberties, and the clock is ticking," said Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wisc

Invading your privacy and liberties is protecting it?

Ya... not really.

As for the abuse of the secret letters issued by the FBI, the Obama administration said it sees room for more oversight. U.S. Inspector General Genn A. Fine said in testimony to the Senate:

"As Congress considers reauthorizing provisions of the Patriot Act, it must ensure through continual and aggressive oversight that the FBI uses these important and intrusive investigative authorities appropriately."

Let's see what happens

abcnews.go.com
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This all seems like smoke and mirrors to me.

The entire patriot act and all it's provisions need to be eradicated. It was a kneejerk reaction.

Originally posted by Seiko
It was a kneejerk reaction.

far from a kneejerk reaction

my guess is that the patriot act was being planned even before the 911 attack.

do you know how fast it got passed?

they got it passed before even finding out who the enemy was.

Solution before a problem. That's a problem.

The very name itself is insulting to the notion of Patriotism as the founding Patriots shed blood and gave their lives to make sure that these types of intrusions into the lives and freedoms of citizens would never be tolerated.

That the government and it’s sinister play on words propaganda arm which supplants common sense with political correctness derived entirely though word play that disguises the true nature of acts and laws and institutions would have the sheer audacity to call such an unconstitutional set of provisions Patriotic is perhaps the clearest sign the despotism now rules the land that one could ask for.

I have twice in the last eight years written my Senators and Congressmen asking they not vote for it to receive a form letter back every time telling me how glad they are I wisely support it as they do.

The Senate and Congress don’t even consider nor acknowledge what the citizens of this nation think or feel anymore. Their agendas and plans are long decided before they ever cast their votes to make them official.

The only way I fear we will be rid of the unconstitutional Patriot acts is should real Patriots reappear and do that which ever is necessary to see it’s infamy abolished to the halls of shame and infamy for all time.

Patriots would never support anything that violates or runs contrary to the Constitution and true Patriots know when we most need and benefit from the Constitution is in times of crisis that tempt lesser people to abandon it’s lofty and wise principals for foolish and defeating ones.

Eleven trillion dollars of war debt and sectarian and internal violence still rife in Afghanistan and Iraq eight costly long years later clearly demonstrates it is a self defeating fools endeavor to ever abandon our Constitutional principals for a minute let alone going on a decade.

The Patriot Act needs to meet it’s end one way or the other.

I'm afraid it will be in place firmly, as long as those pesky terrorists (us) are all over the place....under your bed, behind the fence, in your closets, you name it. They are here to stay. (that would be US) because we are the new breed of terrorists.

The White kind.

Are they worried about enemy foreign terrorists? Hell NO. Not any more. That was a practice run. It is now the general population of the West that needs to be looked at.

They're everywhere!!!!!!!

Originally posted by ModernAcademia

Originally posted by Seiko
It was a kneejerk reaction.

far from a kneejerk reaction

my guess is that the patriot act was being planned even before the 911 attack.

do you know how fast it got passed?

they got it passed before even finding out who the enemy was.

Oh, no doubt of it! How often is a 900+ page Act brought out, from scratch, ready to be signed (no dickering allowed) in under one month!?! Never.

It took at least a year of heads banging together to discuss, write, discuss, rewrite, etc. 900+ pages. Maybe two. Maybe five.

But then, 9/11 was on the slate for a long time, too.

reply to post by dgtempe


They are everywhere, and they shouldn't be

however, as opposed as I am to this form of imperialism two things I will say.

If it wasn't for the U.S., North Korea and China would have already either destroyed south korea or at least have broken it, also after that victory probably China would also invade Taiwan and kill the KMT "shanghai nights" style.