Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Patriot Act set to be renewed for another four years

Call it crony capitalism, corporatism, pseudo-capitalism, criminal capitalism, whatever.  Big business and big government conspire together to strip average citizens rights in an ever increasing authoritarian regime.

This title pretty much says it all, great article too:
Protecting Us from Our Freedoms: Congress Set to Renew Patriot Act Spy Provisions by Tom Burghardt.

A couple of quotes:
As Salon columnist Glenn Greenwald writes, "the way a republic is supposed to function is that there is transparency for those who wield public power and privacy for private citizens."
 As this filthy system continues to implode amidst an orgy of financial and political corruption that would make a Roman emperor blush, the capitalist oligarchy is hell-bent on shielding themselves from any meaningful oversight or accountability, thus ensuring that the secret state's war on democracy itself continues.
To sum up what's being renewed:
  • roving wiretaps.
  • business records provision, warrant for any tangible thing.  e.g. financial, medical, phone records
  • "loan wolf" provision, allowing surveillance on individuals with the wrong ideological thinking
The Patriot Act is being renewed very quietly with bipartisanship and without debate.  The Patriot Act represents 'old surveillance powers' which are just so 2002.  The current government has been busy expanding its surveillance powers instead of disseminating them.

You can read all about that here:
It's funny that when the current government party was not in power they were dead set against the Patriot Act.  Now that the roles are reversed, the descent comes mostly from the opposition - the party who enacted the Patriot Act to begin with.  The articles clearly show how democracy has been hijacked in the US and in particular the senate.

I save the last article for our president who has flip flopped so badly on this issue (and others) that it leaves us with little hope (more Glenn Greenwald):
This country badly needs political reform (executive, judicial and legislative branches), economic reform and even constitutional changes but we're never going to get them as long as our congressmen and congresswomen are beholden to large corporations.  We can support political action groups and fight these issues one by one:
Or we can pledge not to vote for candidates who accept large donations or corporate donations.  It doesn't matter if the candidate is Democrat, Republican or other.  Vote for candidates who work for the little guy.  Also, don't support political action group if they in turn support candidates who accepts large donations or corporate donations.

We cannot become disillusioned and give up.  We cannot become complacent with the status quo.  We must not become disheartened and stop voting.  Vote for the candidates who take the pledge.  Call us, 'United Citizens for Peace and Prosperity'.

One final note, exposing war crimes is not a crime.  Free Bradley Manning.  http://www.bradleymanning.org
Posted by at