COLLECTIVE MADNESS
“Soft despotism is a term coined by Alexis de Tocqueville describing the state into which a country overrun by "a network of small complicated rules" might degrade. Soft despotism is different from despotism (also called 'hard despotism') in the sense that it is not obvious to the people."
Bush Authorized Domestic Spying
ReplyDeleteWashington Post Staff Writer
Friday, December 16, 2005
President Bush signed a secret order in 2002 authorizing the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on U.S. citizens and foreign nationals in the United States, despite previous legal prohibitions against such domestic spying, sources with knowledge of the program said last night.
The super-secretive NSA, which has generally been barred from domestic spying except in narrow circumstances involving foreign nationals, has monitored the e-mail, telephone calls and other communications of hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of people under the program, the New York Times disclosed last night.
The aim of the program was to rapidly monitor the phone calls and other communications of people in the United States believed to have contact with suspected associates of al Qaeda and other terrorist groups overseas, according to two former senior administration officials. Authorities, including a former NSA director, Gen. Michael V. Hayden, were worried that vital information could be lost in the time it took to secure a warrant from a special surveillance court, sources said.
But the program's ramifications also prompted concerns from some quarters, including Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (W.Va.), the ranking Democrat on the intelligence committee, and the presiding judge of the surveillance court, which oversees lawful domestic spying, according to the Times.
The Times said it held off on publishing its story about the NSA program for a year after administration officials said its disclosure would harm national security.
The White House made no comment last night. A senior official reached by telephone said the issue was too sensitive to talk about. None of several press officers responded to telephone or e-mail messages.
Congressional sources familiar with limited aspects of the program would not discuss any classified details but made it clear there were serious questions about the legality of the NSA actions.
Some interesting economic numbers, tomorrow. Especially, the Unemployment Claims. G'night. :)
ReplyDeleteYou want to go into diatribes calling people that you disagree with “anti-semites”, you have a forum at your own blog. You’re not getting away with it here. That says it all...
ReplyDeleteThe first Republican presidential debate will feature no fewer than 10 candidates. That's according to guidelines released Wednesday by debate hosts Fox News and Facebook ...
ReplyDeleteWhat could be Robert "Draft Dodger" Peterson's favorite nation and one of his least, joining with China and Russia in the newest effort to end US hegemony ...
ReplyDeleteIndia and South Africa acknowledged the significance of the role played by BRICS in achieving “more representative and equitable global governance,” and agreed to continue to work together to augment trade, investment and financial cooperation between BRICS nations.
The two agreed to strengthen the BRICS mechanism, aiming to improve global political and economic governance and to make voices of emerging markets and developing countries heard in international affairs.
During the most recent 6th BRICS summit in July 2014, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa established the $100 billion New Development Bank (NDB). The NDB is expected to rival Western dominance in financing development and become a key lending institution.
The 7th BRICS summit will be held in the Russian city of Ufa in Bashkortostan this year.
BRICS nations account for nearly $16 trillion in GDP and 40 percent of the world's population.
http://rt.com/business/260513-brics-india-south-africa/
Wang Dong, a professor of international relations at Peking University, counters that China's military still falls way behind other countries in technology and capability.
ReplyDelete...
The move to increase missile capabilities comes as China shows increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea, which is claimed by several Asian nations. The United States has said it will send ships and surveillance planes to the region in response to the territorial disputes over the potentially resource rich waterway.
...
The technology to equip missiles with multiple warheads was limited in the SALT II treaty, signed in 1979. American and Russian submarines still carry missiles with multiple warheads; France and Britain also have missiles with this capability.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteIran is not fighting for 'civilization'.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteThere is this most wonderful passage in Ed Abby, where he has the old rancher out in Nevada, presenting his ID/business card -
ReplyDeleteIt says:
Ah have listened
To all you've said
An' considered it well
An'
Fuck You Just The Same
I love that American down home attitude !!!!!
Fuck Philly Deuce.
ReplyDelete