Posted on 07/06/2013 9:00:30 PM PDT by chessplayer
The 11-member Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, known as the FISA court, was once mostly focused on approving case-by-case wiretapping orders. But since major changes in legislation and greater judicial oversight of intelligence operations were instituted six years ago, it has quietly become ALMOST A PARALLEL SUPREME COURT, serving as the ultimate arbiter on surveillance issues and delivering opinions that will most likely shape intelligence practices for years to come, the officials said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Honestly, no. But how did the Father of the Patriot Act -- George W. Bush -- react? Did he bend over or give them the keys to the car?
Advice: FIND NEW FRIENDS.
Snowden single-handedly "Saw something and said something -- JUST like their "concerned" Constitution-Abusing .guv recommended. Snowden is unique in that HE did what we've expected rest of the Patriots to do: EXPOSE those who are secretly destroying America brick by brick.
Meanwhile, Statist cowards and enablers are banking their respective 30 pieces of silver in exchange for zipping their mouths as the Founders' Republic dies without a fight.
This is why we are not a dictatorship. We have openness and accountability.
You forgot the sarc tag.
Knew what? That there are now a dozen .guv agencies that can now abuse your Constitutional Rights under the guise of "national security"?
I find it odd that both a "Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court" (FISA) and the "Council on Foreign Relations" (CFR) both contain the word "foreign," as both conspire against national security while superseding oversight of We The People.
decided that their jurisdiction is a wee bit larger.A wee bit of an understatement, there.HA!
Freedom of speech or religion? Weve a secret court for that.
Second Amendment? Weve a secret court for that.
All your rights have been revoked. Dont like it? Theres a secret court for that.
But...but....then all your suggestions of "secret," smokey backroom/basement arrangements wouldn't be "transparent," would they? And as we know, this .guv operates above board and wouldn't tolerate that kind of subterfuge or unconstitutionality.
Rumor is they even swear oaths on a Bible or Koran. And anyway, a gravely concerned John McCain and the rest of our "Representatives" would lodge "strong objections" on the floor of the Senate over any of that kind of thing.
Have you the latest memo on the extent of implanting bugs up our azz? And number, size, and reason?
Inform us, oh Great Oz. Thanks.
Your "perception" is Reality. And we all know it. Swowden merely dropped the dime on not what not one single "Patriot" was willing to do.
I don't buy that one must acquiesce in the erosion of one's God-given rights to maintain "security." In my long lifetime, we have never had "security" - but in my youth we had Freedom. Freedom is all that matters - without it, there is no life, at least for me!
Amen!
Tis 100% true. Doesn't seem to bother many, does it?
But here's the disgrace: Another reality is that the .guv is the largest employer in the nation. Any sworn oath (the violation of which is no longer taken seriously from the Top on Down) is a mere formality, superseded by...next week's paycheck and tonight's pizza, beer, and episode of 'Dancing With Stars.'
Ye Olde English Star Chamber Court we have now in contemporary America that does not call witnesses or allows defense arguments that meets in secret, hears only the government side and makes decisions that are stamped “Top Secret” and not shared with the citizens.
America: A free country?
I think not.
Semi-free country with the “semi” part disappearing daily.
ImJustAnotherOkie: I catch hell from my friends for not condemning Snowden.What makes you think there is no local commissar?chessplayer: Those patriots would be all too happy to report you to the nearest commissar if we had them.
Let’s see, Snowden could instead have gone to a member of Congress with his concerns. Oopsy, no, that wouldn’t work, since most of them think the FISA court is A-OK.
OK, then, he could have filed a lawsuit in Federal court. No, no, not that either since they would have deferred to the FISA court.
What we have with the FISA court’s expansion into domestic affairs is nothing short of a coup. Politicians know another major attack would reflect badly on themselves, so they conspire with judges to keep unconstitutional executive actions secret. What that does is cancel out any political accountability.
So, not only are you deprived of your rights as to government intrusion without a warrant, but you can’t make an informed decision on who to vote for since any inquiry is screechingly responded to with “do you want another attack?”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Foreign_Intelligence_Surveillance_Court
I have known of the existence since about 1983. The power and scope of the court got a big boost under W and has exploded under 0. Tin foil guys have been on to it since the beginning.
>>Hang that traitor Snowden! sarc/
Comrade Snowden, like Bwadley Manning, is a reflection of the self-serving inbred TSSCI-LIFER bureaucracy that created, and failed to vet them.
When you mention this to folks, they look at you like your nuts.
For years I'd hear of this sort of stuff. Surveillance this, FEMA that. All kinds of left field stories.
It appears that it's really not so nut Jobi's sorta stuff any longer.
Surveillance drones being deployed throughout America (we have one right here in Montgomery co. Texas. Cameras being installed everywhere. Militarization of local law enforcement, secret courts, law abiding citizens being spied on, credit card / phone records seized w/o a warrant.
DHS, Patriot Act, NDAA, TSA shaking folks down. Law enforcement pulling folks out of their homes and frisking them at gun point during the whole Boston fiasco.
King street patriots, a tea party group in the Houston area had their private business scrutinized by the IRS, FBI, EPA and OSHA.
I dunno...seems like more of a police state to me. Maybe not full blown yet, but it appears to be heading this way.
Yeah! I have attracted the attention of one of Feinstein’s disciples by stating was a hero. I explained the reason that I said that was because Feinstein called him a traitor, and knowing what I knew about Feinstein, if she thought he was a traitor, he must be o.k.
Well said.
Government overreach / post-911 overreaction bump for later...
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