"A Bush administration proposal for a network of anti-terrorism tipsters is being overhauled, thanks to harsh criticism that it would encourage Americans to spy on one another."
Overhauled but not eliminated is the message.
“This looks like public relations damage control -- the Department of Justice has scaled back its program of government-sanctioned peeping toms, but has done little to fix the underlying problem,” said Rachel King, an ACLU Legislative Counsel.
“While it is a relief that utility workers or letter carriers will not be recruited to snoop on private activity in our homes, it is still troubling that armies of truckers, dockworkers and railway personnel - untrained in the demands of our civil liberties - will be enlisted to snoop,” King said. “America should never be a place where citizen is pitted against citizen.”
posted on August 12, 2002 01:03:21 PM new
At best, it's a silly program; at worst, dangerous. I'm beginning to think that the majority of people have more sense than I feared was the case for several months.
posted on August 12, 2002 01:39:56 PM new
Right!!! Even Congress seems to be perking up mentally...expressing themselves well and becoming aware of their surroundings!!!
posted on August 12, 2002 03:07:11 PM new
That's only because it's getting close to election time and they are taking a short break out of their busy schedules to attend to our concerns. After the elections, they'll go right back to the life graft, deciet, and an unwavering support for the rich and eletie in this country. When will you all realize that both parties support the fascist corporate estate? Once you do, most of you'll all vote independant instead and KICK OUT these GD Criminals!
posted on August 13, 2002 11:06:22 AM newEven Congress seems to be perking up mentally...expressing themselves well and becoming aware of their surroundings!!!
You're right, of course, Borillar. Only a postponement. Still, it's good to appreciate whatever stays present themselves along the way.
posted on August 13, 2002 06:50:29 PM new
These politicians are no different than the Mafia. They enrich themselves at the expense of the public, they make rules that make it legal to do things that would bring down the RICCO Anti-Racketeering Act on you or me, and they made themselves immune to investigation and accountability. They even go so far as to throw it into our faces each election when one criminal scum is offered in one party and the criminal scum being offered in the other party is even worse! It's not even a choice between bad and worse anymore, it's a total outrage! They make all the rules on third parties which ensures that there are none; make sure that any independent politician is totally ignored and powerless, so why bother to vote one into power; they blatantly flaunt the laws, common sense, and mere Goodness that we all expect from each other in an open society. And what? We're supposed to clap and cheer when they give us the *ABSOLUTE MINIMUM*ATTENTION*! around election time -- which is the ONLY time which they pay any attention to our needs? Worse yet are these damned criminals coming out to the voters to see what platform to have: the Democrats haven't a clue and are going around asking voters, but give them only a list of traditional choices: education, housing, minimum wage, etc. and the Republicans are busy TELLING their voters what they hell it is that they want! And not a one of them is asking: what about Bush? What About the "President's Personal and Private Endless War on Terrorism"? What about the extreme dictatorial powers Bush has grabbed? What about the corrupt Supreme Court that we now have? What about the Patriot Act that effectively cancels out our Constitutional Rights? What about the Gestapo-cloned Office of Homeland Security without oversight or accountability to the public? What about Enron and letting those creeps steal billions of dollars? And the Fake Energy Crisis in California a year ago? And On and On and On === REAL ISSUES!! And you don't hear that on their lists. The Democrats have been so out of touch with the public for so many decades now that they can't even organize a method to discover what the hell it is that the public DOES want! And the absolute arrogance of the Republican Party for being so mean as to simply go TELL people what they want! And WE'RE SUPPOSED TO CHEER AT THEM???
posted on August 13, 2002 11:04:18 PM new
These elections are all a bunch of smoke and mirrors that try to pretend that we mean something to these politicians. It hasn't made any sense to vote for a Democrat since President Kennedy. Voting for Republicans is an act too stupid to be realized when you aren't one of the Rich and Elite, as they don't represent anyone but the Rich and Elite, no matter how bald-faced they lie about it. And since Kennedy, the Democrats have been bald-faced lying to us as well! With the New World Order, the Democrats and Republicans became One Party with two faces (how fitting!) The purpose of these two faces is keep us - We The People, off balance by trying to fight one another over perceived and often non-factual differences among us. Get rid of the Democrats by voting in the Republicans to put someone Decent into our government. Then get rid of the Republicans by voting in the Democrats back to put someone decent into our government. Back and forth, forth and back ~~ and voters NEVER FIGURE IT OUT!! They've fixed it up so that no third party can win, no independent politician can get anything done. And why do you think that Jeffords quit the GOP? I mean, really think? I'll tell you why: the Republican-Democrat's agenda to destroy the US Constitution was going to happen too fast for certain politicals! Too fast, as the Bush Regime and their corporate masters wanted it, and The People would revolt and tear them down! Patience! Do it more slowly! So they paid/bribed/threatened Jeffords to go independent to slow down the agenda. Do you remember how "furious" Trent Lott was? Crap! I don't believe it for an instant, as he's one of the major players! And Tom Daschele does so much crap FOR corporate interests and AGAINST the Public Good (meaning US!) and they try to make him out to be some kind of hero??
It doesn't matter who you vote for, unless we ALL vote in a new party with new, dedicated politicians! Don't bother to vote Demo-rat or Republi-Klan, because you will ONLY MAKE IT WORSE! And if there is no viable third party on the horizon, then Democracy is Dead ~~ which it is, as I've said.
1) YOUR VOTE DOESN'T COUNT, BECAUSE THERE ARE NO TWO PARTIES ANYMORE. 2) YOU CAN'T VOTE IN A THIRD PARTY, BECAUSE THE ONE-PARTY SYSTEM IS LOCKED UP! 3) THERE IS NO WAY TO VOTE OUT THE CREEPS AND NO WAY TO VOTE IN NEW BLOOD, SO WHAT WILL YOU DO TO RESTORE DEMOCRACY AND OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS ONCE MORE?
posted on August 14, 2002 06:19:33 AM new
I was talking to a guy about how this country was shaping up. Here was his attitude which I beleive is the attitude of most Americans today. Everyday on his way to work he got a Egg McMuffin and an Orange Juice at McDonald's. It was his belief that meant all was right with his world and to hell with the rest. Most Americans have the same attitude, as long as they don't THINK it affects them, they do not worry about. They are neither D or R, they vote for the last name they heard as long as it doesn't sound TOO foreign.
.
Reality is a serious condition brought on by a lack of alcohol in the system
posted on August 14, 2002 06:44:22 AM new
But all is not right with the world of a rapidly increasing number of people now. Lost employment, lost retirement funds, lost civil liberties, are waking some people up. When body bags start arriving from Iraq we will see even more awakenings.
I'm really disillusioned with the Democratic represenatives that we have in congress right now. Their wimpish behavior under the rule of Bush is disgusting.
posted on August 14, 2002 09:28:52 AM new
That's right, Helen, I'm glad that you see that. It isn't some political ploy or other assessment that we've heard here: it's the fact that they want to play ball with the Cororpate Fascist State just as much as the Republicans do and really, they have little interest in us, other than to get re-elected. I think that we should ALL vote Independant ONE TIME and in the same election! -THAT- is the only way for us to shake up the process, short of an armed revolt.
posted on August 14, 2002 01:25:17 PM new
As long as the public buys that they have a real choice they can be controlled by offering A or B. With the schools and the churches training everyone what a wonderful thing their vote is I don't see it changing.
They still think it matters which they choose. If they ever understand it is - Would you like raped by A or B? It might change.
But if even just 5% of the people voted but still picked a Dem or a Republican they would declare it valid wouldn't they?
posted on August 14, 2002 07:00:13 PM new
From what I understand, gravid, is that the politicos think that if the percentage of voters versus non-voters drops to a certain figure, it means a revolution is in progress; usually radical political change. So, if only 35% of Americans vote in the next election, it shows not so much that we don't care, but that we know that it won't make a single difference who you vote for. When it gets down to 20%, I suppose there are hardened bunkers with politician's names on 'em on Washington, and they will need to evacuate the premise before the mobs cathc up to them. If, as you suggest, it ever got down to 5%, I think the other 95% would be doing a French Revolution and chopping off the heads of the Rich and Elite and the politicans and others in government who have been so busily and unabashedly screwing us over!
