Posted on 06/06/2013 1:03:39 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Those crazy American conspiracy theorists who live up trees with guns and drink their own pee don’t seem quite so crazy anymore. It turns out that a “secret court order” has empowered the US government to collect the phone records of millions of users of Verizon, one of the most popular telephone providers – a massive domestic surveillance programme and a shocking intrusion into the lives of others. For the first time in history, being an AT&T customer doesn’t seem such a bad thing after all.
Of course, it isn't the first time that a US administration has spied on its own people. The origins of this particular order lie first in the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and then in Section 215 of the Patriot Act, backed by George W Bush and passed by Congress after 9/11. Normally, domestic surveillance only targets suspicious individuals, not the entire population, but in 2006 it was discovered that a similarly wide database of cellular records was being collected from customers of Verizon, AT&T and BellSouth. There was plenty of outrage and plenty of lawsuits, but the National Security Agency never confirmed that the programme had been shut down. It would appear that it’s still in rude health: the latest court order for collecting data runs from April 25 to July 19.
A few observations. First, America is so conscious and proud of its history as a beacon of liberty that it often overlooks the tyranny that occurs on its own shores in the name of safeguarding democracy. The national security state has expanded to the point whereby it now functions outside of democratic control and with clear disregard for the Constitution.....
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.telegraph.co.uk ...
I want to be angry at the Telegraph for pointing out our hubris, but I just can’t. I want to point fingers at the Left for this, but I can’t even do that. So all I can do is eat my rage and frustration that this happened and most of the “citizenry” doesn’t even know much less care. “Land of the free home of the brave” indeed. My ulcers amd acid reflex are getting worse.
Great piece! I read this paper, instead of American ones. Also the Daily Mail. Our MSM is a closed shop.
Just listening to Mark Levin on Neil Cavuto .
...he is very upset about this. .
They’re spot on. It is alarming.
1984 was published 64 years ago today.
Even the Obama-loving NYTIMES is running with these reports today. Wonder if the TIMES and WAPOST are beginning to see that by ignoring big stories that impact negatively on Obama in the past...may well have enabled him to do even more damage to the Constitution?
Nah...they don’t get it.
You got that right.
Its just a pool of information(data&voice trans),we don’t monitor it,its just there incase we NEED to listen then we can”....
No F’en way shut this shit down
We should all be very upset about this.
The war on terror is over and Al-queada defeated....why then does the NSA want the phone records of millions of innocent Americans. It is becoming less and less necessary to get that roll of aluminum foil these days, especially in light of the IRS/tea party scandal.
Confidential communication by Americans it seems must now take place via snail mail ( at leas you can tell if they opened your letter) or smoke signals.
If by "order" the author intends the court order that dropped the dragnet on a broad segment of the population who have nothing to do with terror, then it is a BS article.
As someone has argued elsewhere, this is a massive invasion into "being secure in their papers", etc.
Now the IRS is able to indentify and intimidate every American who may have contacted any of the various Tea Party groups. Or any other political group who might resist a totalitarian government.
Exactly!!!
I doubt its limited to Verizon, in fact there have been numerous reports of all the carriers being involved with this.
Goodbye Free America...we loved you.
1. There is NO way that Verizon is the only company involved.
2. Do not forget the 80,000,000 medical records from CA, again we only know of these records.
3. Reporters phone records.
4. Tea Party IRS 501 (c) debacle.
What we are seeing is only the tip of the iceberg, we have already lost our liberty, we are all slaves to the collective, little worker bee’s having our earnings stolen from us to feed the fascist machine.
All thanks to a narcissistic media selected-boy-king wannabe.
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