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Author Topic: US: Federal judge orders domestic spying stopped immediately
Michelle
Moderator
Babbler # 560

posted 17 August 2006 04:16 PM      Profile for Michelle   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
A federal judge on Thursday ruled that the U.S. government's domestic eavesdropping program is unconstitutional and ordered it ended immediately.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said the Bush Administration disagrees with the ruling and has appealed.

"We also believe very strongly that the program is lawful," he said in Washington, adding that the program is "reviewed periodically" by lawyers to determine its effectiveness and ensure lawfulness.


CNN story


From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
CWW
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 9599

posted 17 August 2006 04:19 PM      Profile for CWW     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
It's about time. Why there hasn't been a large scale revolt against this blatant invasion of privacy is beyond me.
From: Edmonton/ Calgary/Nelson | Registered: Jun 2005  |  IP: Logged
Michelle
Moderator
Babbler # 560

posted 17 August 2006 04:27 PM      Profile for Michelle   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Amazingly, a lot of people subscribe to the "if you're not doing anything wrong you have nothing to worry about" school of civil liberties. I don't get it either.
From: I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell. | Registered: May 2001  |  IP: Logged
josh
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 2938

posted 19 August 2006 08:05 AM      Profile for josh     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:

Even legal experts who agreed with a federal judge’s conclusion on Thursday that a National Security Agency surveillance program is unlawful were distancing themselves from the decision’s reasoning and rhetoric yesterday.

Discomfort with the quality of the decision is almost universal, said Howard J. Bashman, a Pennsylvania lawyer whose Web log provides comprehensive and nonpartisan reports on legal developments.

“It does appear,” Mr. Bashman said, “that folks on all sides of the spectrum, both those who support it and those who oppose it, say the decision is not strongly grounded in legal authority.”

The main problems, scholars sympathetic to the decision’s bottom line said, is that the judge, Anna Diggs Taylor, relied on novel and questionable constitutional arguments when more straightforward statutory ones were available.

. . . .

Cass R. Sunstein, a law professor at the University of Chicago, predicted that the plaintiffs would win the case on appeal, but not for the reasons Judge Taylor gave.

“The chances that the Bush program will be upheld are not none, but slim,” Professor Sunstein said. “The chances that this judge’s analysis will be adopted are also slim.”


http://tinyurl.com/fbbvf

[ 19 August 2006: Message edited by: josh ]


From: the twilight zone between the U.S. and Canada | Registered: Aug 2002  |  IP: Logged
Proaxiom
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 6188

posted 19 August 2006 11:16 AM      Profile for Proaxiom     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
quote:
Originally posted by Michelle:
Amazingly, a lot of people subscribe to the "if you're not doing anything wrong you have nothing to worry about" school of civil liberties. I don't get it either.

My answer to that is always:
"Good, so if you're not doing anything illegal in your shower, you won't mind me installing a webcam in there, right?"

People don't understand the immense value of privacy. Everyone gives up their personal information far too easily.

Whenever there's a discussion over how biometrics will improve security in some place or another, I point out that if a store required a fingerprint and retina scan to buy a pack of batteries or cigarettes, the vast majority of people would do it. That gives me enough information to impersonate them to any biometric sensor.


From: East of the Sun, West of the Moon | Registered: Jun 2004  |  IP: Logged

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