Threat Level - Wired Blogs (re: NSA spying inside US borders)

["Dave Farber" <dave () farber net>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Andrew C Burnette [mailto:acb () acb net] 
Sent: Saturday, August 11, 2007 3:56 AM
To: David Farber
Subject: Threat Level - Wired Blogs (re: NSA spying inside US borders)

Amazing how this law got through this congress in the first place.

Less impressive that the administration has no concept of precedence or 
just plain and simple "when" the new law took effect.

Apparently, this does not effect any of the "room 461A" lawsuits 
regarding wide ranging interception and analysis of domestic data 
(a.k.a. the dragnet approach).

As to another IP'er's question as to "why" this is tolerated, follow the 
money trail and the typical budweiser consuming "average joe smith."

1- [insert agency name] have loads of cash to burn.  carriers won't turn 
down easy cash. most folks won't, and in an industry (including data 
centers, colo hotels, carriers, NSP's, ISP's, etc) which suffered much 
economic damage in the past decade (thanks Bernie Ebbers, among others), 
None of them could give a rats tail as to any individual's rights under 
the constitution.

2- no one in congress wants to be seen as soft on 
crime/terrorism/tollhouse cookies. (note that it's been almost half a 
century since we have had anyone elected president from either side of 
congress; there's simply too much in their records to beat them with). 
Thus, they tolerate and assist in order to look tough. Appearance is 
more important, and easier to achieve than doing the hard work.

3- The average citizen out there doesn't get it. "I have nothing to 
hide, so why should I worry about this?"  is the sentiment. Repeat the 
sentence in 1935 germany, or 1953 in the US during the mccarthy hearings 
among many other notable points in history. History repeats itself, and 
folks just aren't that bright to begin with. Perhaps simply apathetic. 
Or both.

Cheers,
andy burnette

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/08/citing-four-day.html

Four days after President Bush signed controversial legislation 
legalizing some warrantless surveillance of Americans, the 
administration is citing the law in a surprise motion today urging a 
federal judge to dismisss a lawsuit challenging the NSA spy program.

The lawsuit was brought by lawyers defending Guantanamo Bay prisoners. 
The lawyers and others alleged the threat of surveillance is chilling 
their First Amendment rights of speech, and their clients' right to 
legal representation.


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