Comments on: Congress decides every aspect of your electronic life can be spied on without a warrant and you can't know how much spying is going on

By: wysinwyg

wysinwyg — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 20:04:00 +0000

Disagreeing with hate speech laws and disagreeing with the US gov’ts encroachments on civil liberties are not mutually exclusive. Also, criticizing hate speech laws because one disagrees with them is not the same as “criticizing Europe” except that Europe becomes a convenient example of what a society with hate speech laws looks like.

By: wysinwyg

wysinwyg — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:53:00 +0000

There are lots of legitimate reasons for civvies to use encryption. For example, I think the fact that HIPPA is law establishes that concern for health privacy is a legitimate justification for use of encryption. No one is actually going to ask why you’re encrypting your email but if someone did I can’t think of any sort of “gotcha” response to saying “I was communicating about sensitive health issues and that’s as much as I am willing to say.”

By: donovan acree

donovan acree — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:29:00 +0000

In a (media enforced) 2 party system, the only real option is to always vote out the incumbent. No exceptions. Ever.

If a good politician does exist, they can simply re-apply next term. We can no longer afford to foot the bill for level of corruption Washington used to enjoy. We need a constant turn over in order to keep the corruption at a manageable level.

By: donovan acree

donovan acree — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:23:00 +0000

-vote against the incumbent. There, I fixed that for you.

By: jtgans

jtgans — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 03:47:00 +0000

And you’re not the one I was telling to go serve. =o)

Seriously, I salute you for doing what you could. I did the same as you and found it to not be the best fit, either, but by just sitting back and voting and donating, we allow otherwise incompetent and corrupt representatives to continue their own way. There are many ways of participating in our democracy, serving is but one. Donating and voting the preselected ballots are the least participatory options and leads to what we have now.

Or, put another way, we cannot be like the Postman, waiting for someone else to take the yoke of leadership from us — we must be the leaders we want.

By: Cowicide

Cowicide — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 02:24:00 +0000

…or chase your own tail, which is about just as effective. ^_^

By: awjt

awjt — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 20:34:00 +0000

I did. I served for two years. It’s not the best fit for me. I choose to follow my list instead.

By: Austin Williamson

Austin Williamson — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 07:37:00 +0000

encrypteverything.ca
^ ’nuff said.

If a “normal civvy” uses encryption, you _might_ draw attention. If you’re part of a corporate team, you can always claim “protecting the corporate secrets” – moreso if you’re in command.

By: Bobby Martin

Bobby Martin — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:36:00 +0000

The problem is a system that sets us up in a dilemma, voting for one of only two choices, virtually always both representing the moneyed interests.

Approval voting is a vast improvement over plurality voting systems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Approval_voting#Other_issues_and_comparisons

By: Navin_Johnson

Navin_Johnson — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 19:32:00 +0000

Two states renowned for their so-called opposition to “big government”……

By: jtgans

jtgans — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 15:06:00 +0000

Voting isn’t enough anymore due to gerrymandering and lack of choices. We must participate fully in the democratic system — don’t donate. That just funds more corruption. Stand up and /run/ for the damn office.

By: ffabian

ffabian — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 11:22:00 +0000

When I read such things I wonder why most of the USians still have the gall for criticizing Europe for their limits on free speech (banning Hate speech) – telling everyone that the US is the epitome of liberty and freedom. You have fewer limits on free speech and guns but all the rest of your freedoms and civil rights we (still) enjoy here in Europe are gone – privacy, due process, bodily integrity etc. History is full of irony.

By: MB44

MB44 — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 06:59:00 +0000

Some of us realize that the “true fight” began years ago. This isn’t the movies sir. Things will not come to a head. Our rights have been slowly snuffed out for a long time. Saying that there is redemption on the horizon is a delusion that I am unwilling to partake in anymore. This is of course, my opinion and nothing more.

By: FoolishOwl

FoolishOwl — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 06:24:00 +0000

I’m trying to find something to feel, other than despair.

By: EH

EH — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 03:48:00 +0000

Either vote against the incumbent or for the minor-party candidate that agrees more with your ethics.

By: EH

EH — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 03:47:00 +0000

As valid as voting could possibly be, even the stupidest person would be able to serve their fellow citizens by voting for change. Power always benefits from a status quo if only because the alternative creates a moving target.

By: EH

EH — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 03:45:00 +0000

Ultimately (eventually, at least) discoverable, and with names and such. It’s just better to have something than nothing, especially when what it was can be lied about. It fixes a situation in time, place, and population, so to speak, to whatever degree.

By: awjt

awjt — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 16:12:00 +0000

Organize or perish.

By: WinstonSmith2012

WinstonSmith2012 — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 14:28:00 +0000

“Makes me wonder how long until there is some incident of abuse so egregious that congress finally decides to investigate the matter and fix the laws.”

ONLY if THEY were affected by that incident would you see that happen.

By: WinstonSmith2012

WinstonSmith2012 — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 14:26:00 +0000

”By way of comparison, a rubber-stamp requirement would be a mere speed-bump in the road.”

At least they were speed bumps.

By: WinstonSmith2012

WinstonSmith2012 — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 14:25:00 +0000

”Warrants create paper trails, that’s why they don’t want even a rubber-stamp requirement.”

Great point, although any paper trail would be classified (conveniently) for “national security” reasons.

By: WinstonSmith2012

WinstonSmith2012 — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 14:24:00 +0000

”So you want warrants. How high a bar is that? Some judge to rubberstamp a warrant.”

Yep, the FISA court was effectively a rubber stamp court. But at least the effort to present a case to them limited the number of surveillance cases. Without warrants, there will be no limit of any kind.

By: WinstonSmith2012

WinstonSmith2012 — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 14:22:00 +0000

The problem is not fraud. The problem is the VAST majority of ignorant and propagandized voters.

“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” — Thomas Jefferson.

By: WinstonSmith2012

WinstonSmith2012 — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 14:20:00 +0000

“Vote OUT the Senators and Reps who don’t have your interests at heart”

That would be like 98% of them. And a few INFORMED votes are more than canceled out by the vast majority of ignorant, propagandized voters.

By: WinstonSmith2012

WinstonSmith2012 — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 14:18:00 +0000

That’s just one huge building of many:

NSA’s Utah Data Center

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=22705217

NSA’s Texas Data Center

http://cyberwarfaremag.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/nsa%E2%80%99s-new-data-center-in-san-antonio/

By: awjt

awjt — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 13:42:00 +0000

Also, forgetting.

By: JG

JG — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 11:17:00 +0000

It strikes me as largely meaningless to worry about warrant vs warrantless, though I strongly prefer the former on the basic principle that it isn’t supposed to be easy for law enforcement. Still, if they merely submit a request to your ISP, or they get a rubberstamp and then submit a request to your ISP, in the end, you’re not likely to know about it. Making them have to either actively monitor all your IP traffic or hand you a subpoena substantially raises the bar and reduces the ease of any fishing expeditions. By way of comparison, a rubber-stamp requirement would be a mere speed-bump in the road.

By: Gareth Pullen

Gareth Pullen — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 10:49:00 +0000

We’re not laughing but we’re definitely somewhat worried. You can guarantee that civil liberties are already being breached across boarders as well. And it’s safe to say no only by America, the UK etc. It will get worse before it gets any better..

By: Xploder

Xploder — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 09:21:00 +0000

Damn straight! Do it! Do it!

By: jimh

jimh — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 04:19:00 +0000

Don’t forget comments!