OT - Remember liberals screaming about Big brother in the 60's and 70's?

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They needn't have bothered. Big brother is them. So what was young Bill Clinton protesting for?

Group Challenges FCC Surveillance Rules By Ben Anderson CNS Staff Writer 24 January, 2000

(CNSNews.com) - A group of communications industry leaders and privacy rights advocates have joined forces to challenge the Federal Communications Commission for the agency's 1999 rule which imposes surveillance requirements on telephone systems.

The Center for Democracy and Technology has teamed up with the cellular and wireless industry associations to ask the federal appeals court in Washington, DC, to block an FCC rule which would "turn cell phones into tracking devices and allow the government to intercept the content of 'packet' communications without a court warrant."

The FCC last year enacted a rule under the 1994 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). The rule requires telecommunications companies, cellular service providers in particular, to provide law enforcement agencies with certain information on the whereabouts of callers and their intended parties.

"The FCC unlawfully required carriers to enable law enforcement to obtain information outside the scope of CALEA, such as the location of mobile telephone users and the content of private electronic communications in certain circumstances where law enforcement lacks the requisite court order to access content information," according to the brief filed in federal court last week.

The brief also contends that the FCC rule "imposes requirements that violate the plain meaning of CALEA." According to the brief, the FCC rule, "contrary to Congress's stated purpose, will result in considerable intrusions on personal privacy, increased communications costs and barriers to technological innovation."

"Adopted with the goal of preserving government surveillance capabilities in the face of digital advancements, the law has been snarled in controversy over the FBI's attempt to use it to require expanded snooping features to be built into telephone networks," according to a statement issued on Friday by the CDT.

Like many privacy issues, the latest actions by the FCC linking communications equipment with law enforcement has brought together otherwise unlikely bedfellows.

The CDT has been joined by the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, the United States Telecomm Association, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Privacy Information Center. The Electronic Frontier Foundation also has joined the effort to combat the FCC's ruling.

Watch six and keep your...

-- eyes_open (best@wishes.2all), January 24, 2000

Answers

---some of us have changed who we vote for, but the "enemy" has remained the same. There's hardly a whit of difference between the republican and democratic parties. Sure, they TALK differently, but bottom line is just yearly a buncha same ole same ole legislation that's not needed, is oppressive, and only goes to further the aims of the huge corporations. I am of the strong opinion that the majority of legigslators get blackmailed or co-opted in some manner soon on entering office, or even during running. I believe the king is a prime example of this. I think he got co-opted way back when, when he went to russia and disappeared from view for six weeks. He's never answered one question in public about that, nor do any of the mass media reporters ever ask him about it. Same with a lot more politicians, my opinion. It doesn't take much, and the historical evidence is there. Watch how most freshman's voting records change radically after just a short time in office. Something gets to them. Money in accounts can be created without them even knowing it was done, then the threat of exposure. Drugs secretly administered in food, the next day some really unique photos are there. Strange things. Hardball. Play or else. You or your family. Car accidents. Killed pets. Little letters in the mail with telephoto pictures of your family with x's over the faces. who knows, a lot of ways.

There's a bare handful in both houses who appear to have some guts, the rest are rubber stamps for various billion dollar concerns. It'll stay that way and just keep getting worse until we as individuals say "enough". Society can't say "enough", it's up to each individual to say "enough". The "other guy" isn't going to do it for you, you have to do it yourself.

-- zog (zzoggy@yahoo.com), January 24, 2000.


A hearty AMEN, Zogg-O!

Kook

-- Y2Kook (Y2Kook@usa.net), January 24, 2000.


Agreed. Seems that "Something" gets to anyone who traipse down the halls of power. Be it their own Hubris or some darker force present, those 'in charge' seem to continually rollover for anything that assists them in controlling or manipulating the general population in their favor.

An interesting observation I had recently:
I currently reside in Massachusetts. Home to such patriots as John Hancock, Paul Revere, John Quicy Adams. This state is the foundation from which the entire concept of "America" was born. If not for the American Revolution, the world would be a much different place. Because of this, I have spent much of my spare time as of late examining the "Bay State", this cradle of revolution, the very keystone that began the "Great Experiment" oh so long ago. I find a disturbing trend here in Mass. This is one of the most draconian states in the United States of America. This state possesses some of the Harshest Gun control, substance abuse, and 'Anti-Anything-that-Smacks-of-Revolution' Laws I've ever lived in. A motto for todays Massachusetts would be "Conform or Die!"
What Happened? What in the past 200+ years turned this state from being one of the most open, freewheeling 'liberal' states in the Union to a Orwellian Nightmare? Is it intentional? Was this planned by TPTB? Not too far fetched if you think about it... Todays modern 'militia movement' has no areas or ideals like the Boston Massacre to fall back on. Sure, one could say Ruby Ridge, Waco... the problem is that these incidents are too far and too obscure to affect Joe Sixpack. That and the government controlled media playing the 'spin' just the way they want prevents the 'Militias' from forming into a cohesive force for good. Add into the mix the outright stupidity of the Timmy McVeighs of the world, (whether or not OKC was perped by the .gov or not is immaterial, Joe Sixpack thinks the militias were responsible) and the modern John Hancocks and John Quincy Adam's of the twenty-first century have no real platform to make their case from. This is why I believe that the Cradles of the Original Revolution are so 'protected' and buried under pointless restrictive legislation in order to quell any potential "Revolutionary Thought" sprouting from the seeds of the Tree of Liberty.
just IMHO.

-- Billy Boy (Rakkasan101st@Aol.com), January 24, 2000.


You think Bill Clinton is a liberal? BWAAAHAAAAAAHAAAAA.

-- Mara (MaraWayne@aol.com), January 24, 2000.

Liberals responsible,don't be silly.It's the same Wall Street Gangsters and Corporate Criminals,holding Money in one Hand and a Dagger in the other,that are terrorizing our scared to Death elected #######.Why else would that above mentioned Riff Raff(Millionaires and Billionaires) put a Jerk like Bush for President?Their Hope is that he will lose,so that the upcomming Mess can once again be blamed on the "other Guys".

-- Liberator (feeding@the trough.com), January 24, 2000.


Zog and Billy Boy, excellent posts. That about covers it, huh?

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), January 24, 2000.

Just a few comments, if I might. The New World Order, so called, is not something that is coming soon to a town near you---you have been living it all your life. And it's not a conspiracy; the proper term these days is 'networking'. Now, NWO may the mother of all labor:management disputes and the ultimate in class warfare, but you've done your part to make it a success in the West. Might I recommend "Promoting Polyarchy: Globalization, US Intervention, and Hegemony" by Prof. Wm. I. Robinson, Cambridge University Press. Excellent book for explaining how we got here and where we're going, you and I. Look on pg 384,385: "It is estimated that by the year 2000, some 400 transnational corporations will own about two-thirds of the *fixed* (emphasis this writer) assets of the planet. This makes transnational corporations, the institutional agents of transnational capital, more powerful than any government in the world." Fortune Magazine has its Global 500. What extra percentage of these fixed assets does another 100 corporations own? I don't know, but the figure that I privately use is 75-80%. The owners and their agents *are* NWO/TPTB. I see/read/hear all these discussions/arguments/disputes about Democrats/Republicans, liberals vs. conservatives, hawk vs. dove. There are no such things: these people are *all* agents of TPTB. Clinton and Bush work for the *same* people. They are the leaders of Dr. Robinson's 'competing elites'. They only get where they are by serving the interests of the owners. Can anyone who has followed Mr. Clinton's career doubt that he was plugged into and connected with these people at a very early age? He has been groomed almost his entire life to serve these interests, and he must be the best public spokesman that they have ever had. The only way to get into the highest positions in our government is to be connected with them in one way or another. Corporations are 'individuals', and they have their own special needs just the rest of us. It is the owners' *duty* to see that those needs are met---cheap land, labor, and natural resources, and a population that goes along to get along. If they have to use methods and means of which you don't approve, just remember this: It's nothing personal; it's just business.

-- Barry Taylor (beezee@statesville.net), January 24, 2000.

Well said, Barry. And "absolute power corrupts absolutely."

-- Craig (sofpj@netscape.net), January 24, 2000.

A new movie coming out soon -- "SKULL". The title derives from "Skull and Bones" (search on internet). This is a college (multi-campus) secret society from which future "movers and shakers" (establishment "leaders" -- actually, rulers) are selected. Will be interesting to see the Hollywood slant on this.

-- A (A@AisA.com), January 24, 2000.

I saw a fantastic movie over the weekend -- "Titus". You want to know the reality of politics and see how NOTHING has changed in over 2000 years?

Screenplay based on Shakespeare's play "Titus Andronicus"
Plenty of bood, guts (literally), intrigue, treachery, heroism, costumes with a unique melding of ancient and modern settings and accoutrements ...

Shakespeare's script (not movie script)
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~rbear/shake/titus.html

-- A (A@AisA.com), January 24, 2000.



Bill Clinton is an amoral politition who, for public consumption, responds to innumerable polls. Privately, he is a One-World, New World Order devotee. The person second-in-charge at the State Department, Strobe Talbott, (and Madeleine Albright, too, probably)is a particularly outspoken proponent of eliminating U.S. sovereignty.

The situation bears a lot of watching - - since the final world government will have the same appearance. On the surface, it will look great, but it will eventually be particularly oppressive.

"By their fruit you will know them."

-- Connie (hive@gte.net), January 25, 2000.


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