ACLU Launches Nationwide Action Against NSA Snooping on Americans’ Phone Calls

Don't Spy On Me is the message from the ACLU. Follow this link, read the article, and then click the big telephone icon and add your name to the list of pissed-off people who don't think our government should be spying on us. It's illegal, yes, but more importantly it's immoral. Frankly, my phone conversations could be posted to the web and nobody would give a flying shit. However, I resent the fact my phone company has given the information out to begin with. Everyone's pissed off except, apparently, our elected officials who are supposed to do something about it. Don't stand for it. Speak up. Just send an e-mail already.

I don't always agree with the ACLU but this time I do. The Bush administration has been out of line for ages, but now they're just paranoid. If you believe they're just looking for terrorist, you're deluded. They're just like our beloved Mr. Nixon who compiled records on people who disagreed with him. In short, they're looking for us.

Another Reason Why Bush Scares Me

The headline is only a bit misleading. He's always scared me because he has neither a conscience or a soul. However, his latest gambit, surveillance of all Americans without due process required by law is just the final straw in a mountain of straws.

From the AP story you've all read "President Bush has acknowledged authorizing the super-secret NSA to eavesdrop on international phone calls and e-mails of people within U.S. borders without the approval of a court, as required by existing surveillance and wiretapping laws."

Yes, apparently he feels he is above the law. All us anti-Republicans (which includes all other parties and many people around the planet -- possibly even French people) always knew he felt that way, but the fact he has acknowledged this has even appalled the Republicans. His own party realizes this is a political bombshell that will blow up. I cannot believe a government that tried to impeach Bill Clinton over oral sex -- which had nothing to do with the governance of the country, hasn't impeached Bush over this offensive attack on our personal liberties and freedoms.

Further, the EFF "sued AT&T Inc. on Tuesday for its alleged role in helping the National Security Agency spy on the phone calls and other communications of U.S. citizens without warrants. The EFF claims the San Antonio-based telecommunications company not only provided direct access to its network that carries voice and data but also to its massive databases of stored telephone and Internet records that are updated constantly."

There are so many terrifying things in that last quote I don't even know where to start. The italicized and bolded part above trouble me the most. If they don't trouble you, that's a telling thing. How would you like it if I kept those records? You wouldn't of course. Why are you comfortable that AT&T, a private company, does? Do you trust these large corporations to have your best interest at hand? I hope note. There is only one thing they care about: profit.

Our Government Is Comprised of Morons

Today I was planning on writing a tirade on the much maligned -- and rightfully so -- Patriot Act. Nobody seems to be willing to take any sort of stand on creating a balance between Security and Stupidity. I like my privacy, and while I really don't care if anyone gets a list of what I bought at Amazon.com, it's also nobody's business. Ditto for e-bay. (For those concerned, it's actually pretty easy to figure out what any e-bay user has been recently buying or selling. And on Amazon, many people actually list what they've bought -- even I do that sometimes.) The question is why the government needs a law to accomplish this. They've always had the power to request a subpoena to get anything they need for a specific case. What they've done, however is made a mess.

Here's an example. Let us say, for instance, one of my employees at work is telling a joke about Fidel Castro. Someone is walking by and hears him saying something complimentary about Fidel. He doesn't realize it's part of a joke. So he reports a tip that this person is a communist sympathizer. Next thing you know, this person is being investigated for no valid reason. Sound silly, doesn't it? Now replace the word "communist" with "terrorist" and you have modern day Patriot Act. The Patriot Act is an evil thing, and so is the primary champion of the Patriot Act: George Bush -- he of less intelligence than your pet dog.

Like I said, I was going to write about the Patriot Act, but I just wrote a few comments because this proves our government is run by people who are almost as dumb as your president. (He's not my president because I certainly didn't vote for him.)

Four year old boy on don't-fly list. Yes, you heard right. Our government in its infinite wisdom and in an effort to protect us all from Osama BinLadin has decided four year old children are a threat to your safety and liberty. Of course now that the media has gotten ahold of it, they have stated "there are no children on the don't fly list" even though, quite clearly, there is one on the list. They suggested the airline just ignore it, but they neglected to mention that ignoring the don't fly list deliberately can be theoretically prosecuted as an act of treason. The airline, and I understand their position, wanted someone else to make the decision. So instead the four year old on his way to visit his grandmother gets the third degree. It makes you ever so proud to be an American.

I can picture the headlines. "Republicans Protect American From Four Year Old Terrorist."

Someone has to bring some measure of sanity to our security.

Say, which reminds me. Did you hear the one about Fidel Castro.......

Your Printouts Identify You

For details go here: http://www.eff.org/Privacy/printers/

Yes, that's right. Many color printers print a microscopic identification code which can be traced to you. Next time you send the ransom note, keep it in mind. I'm not sure I like this idea.