|
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend Bookmark this thread |
This topic is archived. |
Home » Discuss » Editorials & Other Articles |
struggle4progress (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore | Wed Jul-14-04 04:27 PM Original message |
Feeling safer? Rein in the Patriot Act |
Originally published Tuesday, July 13, 2004
EDITORIAL Members of the House of Representatives missed a key opportunity to reign in portions of the Patriot Act last Thursday when they failed to pass a resolution that would have made it more difficult for the government to snoop into the reading habits of everyday citizens. The bill failed by a 210-210 tie. That failed legislation was designed to repeal portions of the controversial USA Patriot Act that allow federal investigators to obtain a citizen's library and bookstore records without using standard search warrants or grand jury subpoenas. Supporters of the bill ranged from Vermont socialist Bernie Sanders to the very conservative Republican Butch Otter of Idaho. Congressmen such as Otter and Sanders, along with thousands of average citizens around the nation, are concerned that the Patriot Act is treading on the Bill of Rights. Fears of an intrusive government that could invade the privacy of Americans are among the issues that compelled this nation's Founding Fathers to pen the Bill of Rights -- and today's debate over the Patriot Act. <snip> Federal investigators certainly need maneuvering room for their investigations of terrorists. Yet caving in to short-term fears by relinquishing civil rights will eventually destroy the long-term civil liberties that have made the United States unique among nations. Terror or no terror, the more power governments have, the more abusive they eventually can become. Portions of the Patriot Act should be repealed or revised so they do not allow governments to invade the privacy of citizens and curtail other basic civil liberties. Even if today's U.S. government was perfect and entirely composed of honest people who scrupulously adhered to the Bill of Rights, who is to tell what sort of people will assume powerful positions in the future? <snip> http://www.theithacajournal.com/news/stories/20040713/opinion/832001.html The headline may be better than the editorial |
Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top |
Ranok (2 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore | Sat Jul-31-04 08:38 AM Response to Original message |
1. The Patriot Act II Reviewed by CPC/CA |
This article is from the CPC website www.cpc-net.org and www.cyberarmy.net
The USA Patriot Act II (Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003) Table of Contents 1. What is the USA Patriot Act? 2. What is the USA Patriot Act II? *Section 101 *Section 102 *Section 103 *Section 106 *Section 109 *Section 110 *Section 111 *Section 122 *Section 123 *Section 126 *Section 127 *Section 128 *Section 129 *Section 201 *Section 202 *Section 205 *Section 301 + 306 *Section 303 *Section 311 *Section 313 *Section 321 *Section 322 *Section 402 *Section 403 *Section 404 *Section 408 *Section 410 *Section 411 *Section 421 *Section 427 *Section 501 3. Who wrote the USA Patriot Acts and why? 4. How would the Patriot Act II affect us? 5. What can we do about it? 1. What is the USA Patriot Act? The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (U.S.A. P.A.T.R.I.O.T.) Act, submitted to Congress shortly after the terrorist attack of September 11th 2001, and passed on October 27th 2001, provides the United States Government with the means to extensively use a number of privacy-threatening methods and technology in order to spy on anyone inside and, in certain cases, outside the US. During the procedures of the passing of this legislation, no member was allowed to read any article of this bill, but was simply forced to accept it and put it forth into functioning. Articles of the first USA Patriot Act established the new meaning of the term 'Domestic Terrorism', defining it as involving 'acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any state', a term which is very broad and may encompass practically thousands of law articles written in the past and today. Based on the above definition, not only may any criminal be considered a terrorist and be made subject to anti-terrorist penalties and laws of punishment, but certain sections of the USA Patriot Act, the FBI, NSA, CIA, and even urban Police may use email filters, spy ware, electronic surveillance, or any other method they see fit in order to detect and apprehend 'terrorists'. To view the full bill, please visit: http://www.epic.org/privacy/terrorism/hr3162.html. 2. What is the USA Patriot Act II? - The second USA Patriot Act was stamped 'Confidential ** Not For Distribution' and there were attempts to pass the legislation in exactly the same manner as the first bill: no person of Congress was allowed to read it, and 'no debate would be tolerate by the House and Senate Leadership'. The USA Patriot Act II was an enhancement of the first Patriot Act, and was brought forth to Congress on the grounds that the first Act was not broad enough to cover certain cases of Domestic Terrorism. Here follows a summary of the more disturbing sections which threaten privacy and every day life (http://www.infowars.com). SECTION 101 will designate individual terrorists as foreign powers and again strip them of all rights under the 'enemy combatant' designation. SECTION 102 clearly states that any information gathering, regardless of whether or not those activities are illegal, can be considered to be clandestine intelligence activities for a foreign power. This makes news gathering illegal. SECTION 103 allows the Federal government to use wartime martial law powers domestically and internationally without Congress declaring that a state of war exists. SECTION 106 is bone-chilling in its straightforwardness. It states that broad general warrants by the secret FSIA court (a panel of secret judges set up in a Star Chamber system that convenes in an undisclosed location) granted under the first Patriot Act is not good enough. It states that government agents must be given immunity for carrying out searches with no prior court approval. This section throws out the entire Fourth Amendment against unreasonable searches and seizures. SECTION 109 allows secret Star Chamber courts to issue contempt charges against any individual or corporation who refuses to incriminate themselves or others. This section annihilates the last vestiges of the Fifth Amendment. SECTION 110 restates that key police state clauses in the first Patriot Act were not sunsetted and removes the five year sunset clause from other subsections of the first Patriot Act. After all, the media has told us: 'this is the New America. Get used to it. This is forever.' SECTION 111 expands the definition of the 'enemy combatant' designation. SECTION 122 restates the governments newly announced power of 'surveillance without a court order.' SECTION 123 restates that the government no longer needs warrants and that the investigations can be a giant dragnet-style sweep described in press reports about the Total Information Awareness Network. One passage reads, 'thus the focus of domestic surveillance may be less precise than that directed against more conventional types of crime.' (Note: Time and time again, in subsection after subsection, the Patriot Act II states that its new Soviet-type powers will be used to fight international terrorism, domestic terrorism and other types of crimes. Of course the government has already announced in Section 802 of the first USA Patriot act that any crime is considered domestic terrorism.) SECTION 126 grants the government the right to mine the entire spectrum of public and private sector information from bank records to educational and medical records. This is the enacting law to allow ECHELON and the Total Information Awareness Network to totally break down any and all walls of privacy. The government states that they must look at everything to 'determine' if individuals or groups might have a connection to terrorist groups. As you can now see, you are guilty until proven innocent. SECTION 127 allows the government to takeover coroners and medical examiners operations whenever they see fit. See how this is like Bill Clintons special medical examiner he had in Arkansas that ruled that people had committed suicide when their arms and legs had been cut off. SECTION 128 allows the Federal government to place gag orders on Federal and State Grand Juries and to take over the proceedings. It also disallows individuals or organizations to even try to quash a Federal subpoena. So now defending yourself will be a terrorist action. SECTION 129 destroys any remaining whistleblower protection for Federal agents. SECTION 201 of the second Patriot Act makes it a criminal act for any member of the government or any citizen to release any information concerning the incarceration or whereabouts of detainees. It also states that law enforcement no longer has to release the names of any detainees. SECTION 202 allows corporations to keep secret their activities with toxic biological, chemical or radiological materials. SECTION 205 allows top Federal officials to keep all their financial dealings secret, and anyone investigating them can be considered a terrorist. This should be very useful for Dick Cheney to stop anyone investigating Halliburton. SECTIONS 301 and 306 (Terrorist Identification Database) set up a national database of 'suspected terrorists' and radically expand the database to include anyone associated with suspected terrorist groups and anyone involved in crimes or having supported any group designated as 'terrorist.' These sections also set up a national DNA database for anyone on probation or who has been on probation for any crime, and orders State governments to collect the DNA for the Federal government. SECTION 303 sets up national DNA database of suspected terrorists. The database will also be used to 'stop other unlawful activities.' It will share the information with state, local and foreign agencies for the same purposes. SECTION 311 federalizes your local police department in the area of information sharing. SECTION 312 gives immunity to law enforcement engaging in spying operations against the American people and would place substantial restrictions on court injunctions against Federal violations of civil rights across the board. SECTION 313 provides liability protection for businesses, especially big businesses that spy on their customers for Homeland Security, violating their privacy agreements. It goes on to say that these are all preventative measures ** has anyone seen "Minority Report"? This is the access hub for the Total Information Awareness Network. SECTION 321 authorizes foreign governments to spy on the American people and to share information with foreign governments. SECTION 322 removes Congress from the extradition process and allows officers of the Homeland Security complex to extradite American citizens anywhere they wish. It also allows Homeland Security to secretly take individuals out of foreign countries. SECTION 402 is titled 'Providing Material Support to Terrorism.' The section reads that there is no requirement to show that the individual even had the intent to aid terrorists. SECTION 403 expands the definition of weapons of mass destruction to include any activity that affects interstate or foreign commerce. SECTION 404 makes it a crime for a terrorist or 'other criminals' to use encryption in the commission of a crime. SECTION 408 creates 'lifetime parole' (basically, slavery) for a whole host of crimes. SECTION 410 creates no statute of limitations for anyone that engages in terrorist actions or supports terrorists. Remember: any crime is now considered terrorism under the first Patriot Act. SECTION 411 expands crimes that are punishable by death. Again, they point to Section 802 of the first Patriot Act and state that any terrorist act or support of terrorist act can result in the death penalty. SECTION 421 increases penalties for terrorist financing. This section states that any type of financial activity connected to terrorism will result to time in prison and $10-50,000 fines per violation. SECTIONS 427 sets up asset forfeiture provisions for anyone engaging in terrorist activities. SECTION 501 (Expatriation of Terrorists) expands the Bush administrations 'enemy combatant' definition to all American citizens who 'may' have violated any provision of Section 802 of the first Patriot Act. (Section 802 is the new definition of domestic terrorism, and the definition is 'any action that endangers human life that is a violation of any Federal or State law.) Section 501 of the second Patriot Act directly connects to Section 125 of the same act. The Justice Department boldly claims that the incredibly broad Section 802 of the First USA Patriot Act is not broad enough and that a new, unlimited definition of terrorism is needed. Section 501 says that a US citizen engaging in lawful activities can be grabbed off the street and thrown into a van never to be seen again. The Justice Department states that they can do this because the person 'had inferred from conduct' that they were not a US citizen. Remember Section 802 of the First USA Patriot Act states that any violation of Federal or State law can result in the 'enemy combatant' terrorist designation. 3. Who wrote the USA Patriot Acts and why? - The most obvious answer to this question is the Bush administration. Further discussions have been made as to who else may have participated and assisted in the presenting of these Acts, but no other conclusion is 100% accurate. The reasons for the passing of such legislation as the Patriot Act, as stated by the government, was to ensure that no other tragedy such as 9/11 or similar attacks could ever take place again in the United States of America, or any other country in the world, were other countries to share such laws. There have nevertheless been proposed other reasons that are not so pure and noble. The establishment of a police state where the government can control any and all activity is one reason. To intercept and take advantage of any deals the US government might benefit from is another. The conspiracy list is long but all suggestions are valid in at least one aspect: the time that it took for the 9/11 terrorist attack to take place and the US government to draft-write, write and pass bill on the first Patriot Act is absurdly short ** the only explanation is that the USA Patriot Act had already been written before the attack of 9/11. 4. How would the Patriot Act II affect us? - The sections mentioned above are quite detailed, but to summarize what effects the USA Patriot Act II would have on our lives: A. No online transaction would be private. B. Emails sent back and forth among simple Internet users would each be scanned and scrutinized. C. Information would be on a strict leash by the government, as anyone who believed and exercised his or her right to freedom of information through the Web would be considered a terrorist and could be apprehended, arrested and locked up without even needing a court order. D. Taking a walk through the park during late-night hours could be considered 'suspicious terrorist activity', resulting in your apprehension in order to be questioned by local or government authorities. E. The basic amendments set down by US citizens for US citizens to enjoy their freedoms go out the window ('Land of the Free' ** indeed). 5. What can we do about it? Stay informed. Use any information left on the Web to free more information. Fight for yours and other peoples right to privacy. Join the Cyberarmy.net community. Most importantly, read anything you can from magazines, news papers, and online articles. Be aware of the people chosen to be in government. Be a conscious citizen and member of your community. Respect the privacy of others, in hope that they will respect your privacy as well. government can control any and all activity is one reason. To intercept and take advantage of any deals the US government might benefit from is another. The conspiracy list is long but all suggestions are valid in at least one aspect: the time that it took for the 9/11 terrorist attack to take place and the US government to draft-write, write and pass bill on the first Patriot Act is absurdly short ** the only explanation is that the USA Patriot Act had already been written before the attack of 9/11. |
Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top |
newyawker99 (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore | Sat Jul-31-04 02:59 PM Response to Reply #1 |
2. Hi Ranok!! |
Welcome to DU!! :toast:
|
Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top |
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) | Thu May 02nd 2024, 03:23 PM Response to Original message |
Advertisements [?] |
Top |
Home » Discuss » Editorials & Other Articles |
Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators
Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.
Home | Discussion Forums | Journals | Store | Donate
About DU | Contact Us | Privacy Policy
Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.
© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC