Comments on: Congress demands DoJ explain prosecution of Aaron Swartz http://boingboing.net/2013/01/29/congress-demands-doj-explain-p.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Thu, 23 May 2013 08:16:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: pjcamp http://boingboing.net/2013/01/29/congress-demands-doj-explain-p.html#comment-1640786 pjcamp Wed, 30 Jan 2013 03:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209343#comment-1640786 The problem is this is just grandstanding by Darrell Issa, who wants to embarrass the administration for a few news cycles. There is a scandal in here which is, as Orrin Kerr at Volokh pointed out, this treatment is pretty standard for prosecutors and is abetted by a Congress given to passing overly broad and vague laws (RICO anyone?) which they then entrust to prosecutors (sieze your car to fill out this month's budget?). But no Republican is ever going to touch that. Fixing the law is hard policy. Collecting one prosecutor's scalp is not. The problem is this is just grandstanding by Darrell Issa, who wants to embarrass the administration for a few news cycles. There is a scandal in here which is, as Orrin Kerr at Volokh pointed out, this treatment is pretty standard for prosecutors and is abetted by a Congress given to passing overly broad and vague laws (RICO anyone?) which they then entrust to prosecutors (sieze your car to fill out this month’s budget?). But no Republican is ever going to touch that. Fixing the law is hard policy. Collecting one prosecutor’s scalp is not.

]]> By: That_Anonymous_Coward http://boingboing.net/2013/01/29/congress-demands-doj-explain-p.html#comment-1640664 That_Anonymous_Coward Tue, 29 Jan 2013 23:55:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209343#comment-1640664 Will this be as hard hitting as when they asked them why no one at the top on Wall Street was ever indicted let alone brought to justice? Will this be as hard hitting as when they asked them why no one at the top on Wall Street was ever indicted let alone brought to justice?

]]> By: Kimmo http://boingboing.net/2013/01/29/congress-demands-doj-explain-p.html#comment-1640651 Kimmo Tue, 29 Jan 2013 23:42:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209343#comment-1640651 Well actually, he was a well-off college-educated internet <i>hero</i>. And however ulterior the motive for bringing the DoJ goons to task is, at least some part of the government is ostensibly saying that shit was not cool. That's something, at least. And perhaps it can be leveraged and pursued, with the merest glimmer of hope of some DoJ reform. Well actually, he was a well-off college-educated internet hero.

And however ulterior the motive for bringing the DoJ goons to task is, at least some part of the government is ostensibly saying that shit was not cool.

That’s something, at least. And perhaps it can be leveraged and pursued, with the merest glimmer of hope of some DoJ reform.

]]> By: GawainLavers http://boingboing.net/2013/01/29/congress-demands-doj-explain-p.html#comment-1640451 GawainLavers Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:32:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=209343#comment-1640451 Congress: "Did our embarrassment with SOPA play any role in the Justice Department (which has nothing to do with us) aggressively prosecuting Aaron Swartz?" Justice Department:  "Uh, no.  Why the hell would we..." Congress: "Oh, okay, then.  But SOPA was totally not our fault." Totally fucking pointless.  This isn't about specific politics, this isn't about "teh gubmint" vs. "internet heroes".  This is about general politics: this is how you climb the prosecutoral ladder, by going after soft targets and crushing people underfoot to show how "tough" you are.  It just happened that this time it wasn't some poor black kid from the projects having his life ruined on a stupid weed charge, it was a well-off college educated guy with a large number of internet friends. Congress: “Did our embarrassment with SOPA play any role in the Justice Department (which has nothing to do with us) aggressively prosecuting Aaron Swartz?”

Justice Department:  ”Uh, no.  Why the hell would we…”

Congress: “Oh, okay, then.  But SOPA was totally not our fault.”

Totally fucking pointless.  This isn’t about specific politics, this isn’t about “teh gubmint” vs. “internet heroes”.  This is about general politics: this is how you climb the prosecutoral ladder, by going after soft targets and crushing people underfoot to show how “tough” you are.  It just happened that this time it wasn’t some poor black kid from the projects having his life ruined on a stupid weed charge, it was a well-off college educated guy with a large number of internet friends.

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