The USA PATRIOT Act 10 Years Later

[Octafish]

From the Bill of Rights' friends, the ACLU:

The Patriot Act, 10 Years Later

EXCERPT...

Since the Patriot Act was first enacted, lawmakers have authorized extension after extension, refusing to make any meaningful changes to the law. This is despite the fact that — according to Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Mark Udall (D-Colo.) — there are two versions of the Patriot Act: one that the public sees, and a secret interpretation that the government keeps to itself. Senator Wyden has stated, “When the American people find out how their government has secretly interpreted the Patriot Act, they will be stunned and they will be angry.” Furthermore, since its passage, the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General has repeatedly found widespread blatant abuse of the statute. Yet, earlier this year, Congress passed a four-year extension of expiring Patriot Act provisions, which are now set to expire on June 1, 2015.

[PETRUS]

1. Thanks for posting. K&R

[Octafish]

5. You are welcome, PETRUS. Government secrecy is most un-democratic.

After reading up on the thing, I can see why the USA PATRIOT Act was written up in secret and passed like greased lightning in the dead of night, without much debate or anything in the way of public discussion.

Obama signs extension of Patriot Act spy powers

By Andre Damon
wsws.org (World Socialist Web Site)
28 May 2011

EXCERPT...

In 2007, in the run-up to his presidential campaign, Obama called for removing the most egregious sections of Patriot Act, saying, “No more illegal wire-tapping of American citizens. No more national security letters to spy on citizens who are not suspected of a crime.”

But according to a report released by the Department of Justice earlier this month, the use of the National Security Letters that Obama claimed to oppose doubled last year, from 6,114 individuals to 14,212 individuals.

The renewal of the Patriot Act provision, this time for four years, and with the enthusiastic support of the Obama Administration, refutes once more the claims that Obama and the Democrats represent any sort of political alternative to the policies of the Bush presidency. It was particularly notable that it was left to Paul, one of the most right-wing members of the Senate, to posture as the defender of civil liberties against the Democrats and Obama.

The Patriot Act was a cornerstone of the Bush Administration's policies, which, based on the claims it was engaged in a “war on terror,” laid the foundation for perpetual war, and the essentially unlimited dominion of the state over civil liberties. This entire framework, from the war on terror, to the policy of torture, to illegal detention and wiretapping, was appropriated completely by the Obama Administration.

CONTINUED...

http://wsws.org/articles/2011/may2011/patr-m28.shtml

Increasingly, the nation feels like it's under lockdown.

[WillyT]

2. Thanks Octafish !!! - K & R !!! - Bookmarking !!!

:yourock:

:hi:

:kick:

[Octafish]

6. Anytime, WillyT! DUer SCUBA hepped me to this new bill we all should know about...

Senators demand the military lock up citizens in a "battlefield"

Like Benjamin F said way back when: "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."

[Festivito]

3. Absolute power for a case involving terrorism would not corrupt people ...

What? Zero terrorism referrals?

Oh, crap.

So, are they listening in to inside information on stocks, political opponents, devastating investigations, or all of the above and more.

[Octafish]

8. The abyss thing Frank Church warned us about, back in '75.

Frank Church and the Abyss of Warrantless Wiretapping

“That capability at any time could be turned around on the American people and no American would have any privacy left, such is the capability to monitor everything: telephone conversations, telegrams, it doesn’t matter. There would be no place to hide. If this government ever became a tyranny, if a dictator ever took charge in this country, the technological capacity that the intelligence community has given the government could enable it to impose total tyranny, and there would be no way to fight back, because the most careful effort to combine together in resistance to the government, no matter how privately it was done, is within the reach of the government to know. Such is the capability of this technology.

I don’t want to see this country ever go across the bridge. I know the capability that is there to make tyranny total in America, and we must see it that this agency and all agencies that possess this technology operate within the law and under proper supervision, so that we never cross over that abyss. That is the abyss from which there is no return.”

-- Sen. Frank Church (D-Idaho)

That was in 1975, the NSA had superduper ELINT jazz. Imagine what's changed since then?

As you said, Festivito, with all the info, let alone dirt everyone has in their closet, it's pretty darn hard to mount any kind of opposition to the national security state -- the Empire.

[hootinholler]

4. 143000 letters yielded 53 cases?

That's an amazing success rate, eh?

[valerief]

7. Well, we don't really know what they're REALLY using the data for.

The obvious reason would be to keep power with the currently powerful. That's power broker vs. power broker. Evidence of crime is incidental.

We're termites. The powerful are Terminix.

[Octafish]

10. Zero convictions of terrorists.

...for a perfect record of futility.

OTOH, USAPA has had an effect on Civil Rights:

--------------------

ACLU Releases Comprehensive Report On Patriot Act Abuses

March 11, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: [phone]; [email protected]

WASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union released a comprehensive report today examining widespread abuses that have occurred under the USA Patriot Act, a law that was rushed through Congress just 45 days after September 11. In the almost eight years since the passage of the controversial national security law, the Patriot Act has led to egregious government misconduct.

“From the gagging of our nation’s librarians under the national security letter statute to the gutting of time-honored surveillance laws, the Patriot Act has been disastrous for Americans’ rights,” said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “In the panic following the events of 9/11, our nation’s lawmakers hastily expanded the government’s authority to a dangerous level and opened a Pandora’s box of surveillance.”

The American Civil Liberties Union’s report, “Reclaiming Patriotism,” authored by policy counsel Michael German and legislative counsel Michelle Richardson, was delivered to congressional offices on Capitol Hill, as well as posted to the newly re-launched site www.reformthepatriotact.org. The report is being released in anticipation of the upcoming congressional debate surrounding three Patriot Act provisions due to expire on December 31, 2009. The ACLU has been working within the halls of Congress and the courts to introduce Patriot Act reform legislation. In December of 2008, as a result of an ACLU lawsuit, the gag order contained in the Patriot Act’s National Security Letter (NSL) provision was struck down.

“Reclaiming Patriotism” reveals that in the years since its passage, the Patriot Act has paved the way for the expansion of government-sponsored surveillance including the gutting of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and a recent revamping of the Attorney General Guidelines to allow law enforcement to conduct physical surveillance without suspicion. Indeed, over the last eight years, numerous expansions of executive authority have worked in tandem to infringe upon our rights. Only by understanding the larger picture of the combined effects of Patriot Act, the amendments to FISA, the guidelines for physical surveillance and other expansions of power can Congress make an informed, consistent and principled decision about whether and how to amend all of these very powerful surveillance tools.

“The fallout we’ve seen from the Patriot Act being rushed through the legislative process is a dramatic example of the dire need for proper and deliberative congressional oversight,” said Fredrickson. “Congress should use this year’s Patriot Act reauthorization as an opportunity to reexamine all of our surveillance laws. Our lawmakers have, over time, built a massive surveillance mechanism bit by bit. Now is the time take it apart, examine each piece and develop wiser policies.”

To read the ACLU’s report “Reclaiming Patriotism” and learn more about the three Patriot Act provisions up for expiration this year, go to:
www.reformthepatriotact.org

# # #

-------------

Strange what passes for success these days, Hoot-san.

[hootinholler]

17. Worse than 0 convictions is

ZERO referrals. There were ZERO cases related to terrorism resulting from this anti-terrorism law.

Um, that we know of :rofl: there might be thousands in that secret court.

BTW, how long has Bradley Manning sat in jail without a hearing? Has the government established successful habeas corpus grounds?

[Rex]

18. Right, that we know of.

They could have thousands of cases they are working on for super secret court. Supposedly, habeas corpus was re-established after Obama entered office. Sure doesn't seem like it though.

[msongs]

9. the Bush/cheney agenda marches on under "new" management - transparency was a campaign lie nt

[Octafish]

11. Now's the time to speak up.

Why I worry:

Obama Confidant's Spine-Chilling Proposal

and...

Everybody knows Rush Limbaugh. Who ever heard of Phil Zelikow?

It's getting more troubling every day.

[darth marth]

12. why doesn't grover norquist want to drown this in the bathtub?

and Homeland Security

and the TSA

and all the other BIG GOVERNMENT that Bush started?


Who do these hypocrites think is going to pay for all their big government, while they pay no taxes?

But by all means, keep blaming the victims stuck on welfare for all the nation's problems....

[Octafish]

21. USAPA is how fascists like Grover can make anyone they want into an 'Enemy of the State'

Very useful when it comes to eliminating political opposition, like Liberals, Progressives, Democrats and anyone who opposes the gangsters who seem to be in charge of how the money is spent and whether the nation makes war on countries that are no threat.

Excellent observation, yours. Grover and his turd horde can smell a buck and war on the innocent, but they know nothing else.

PS: A hearty welcome to DU, darth marth.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. Are we safe yet?

[AntiFascist]

14. K&R n/t

[Johnny2X2X]

15. Not about Terrorism

The Patriot Act has little to nothing to do with terrorism as evidenced by the lack of terror related cases it has generated. When debating this with anyone that is the 1st thing I say, "the Patriot Act has nothing to do with terrorism."

It's simply a power grab by law enforcement so they can continue to fund the prison/court system/law enforcement industrial complex fueled by a heightened police state.

Land of the Free?

[lonestarnot]

16. K & R

[Electric Monk]

19. k&r

[Solly Mack]

20. k/r

[lunatica]

22. You'll be interested to watch Rachel Maddow and Richard Engel's documentary

Day of Destruction Decade of War

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44292512/vp/44380544#44380544

It's a real eye-opener and explains a lot of the police reaction to the OWS.