The FBI 2002 budget request includes more than $13 million for Internet surveillance, $2.5 million more than this year. In justifying the budget, the FBI cybertechnology lab said the number of requests for Internet wiretaps from FBI field offices increased by 1,850 percent from 1997 to 1999.
Knowing how giving law enforcement an inch on citizen privacy rights usually ends up being miles abridging US Constitutional guarantees, are we headed in the right direction with this? Aren't you in the least bit concerned, given the history of the FBI being very shady in unauthorized surveillance? I sure am!
posted on May 6, 2001 04:44:54 AM
What am I supposed to DO?
Do you honestly think you will ever have an electable candidate who won't give the FBI whatever they want on a platter?
Do you think you have a snowball's chance in hell of revolution whether physical or ideological?
Best thing is not to do anything you can't defend in a court.
If you are not into scamming people or collecting really nasty porn that should be no great burden. If you display and interest in owning any really effective weapons you have a potential problem. Someone will be busting your door down in body armour.
I worked with a fellow who wanted to take his big boat down in the
Caribbean but was worried about dope dealers and pirates. He wanted to buy an air cooled Browning .50 he could keep in a locker and put a pintel on the rail fore and aft. If someone in a fast boat insists on closing with you a line of tracers across their bow when they are about a half mile out should get the message across. It was much too hard and expensive to get what he needed legally when he had a real legitimate need.
posted on May 6, 2001 10:50:04 AMgravid, you have some valid concerns.
As a comparison, physical torture is also an effective remedy in procuring bank account numbers from suspects, as well as anything else that a skilled torturer wants to find out., That's why so many countries employ its use. What is stopping the FBI from employing this most useful crime-fighting tool?
The same thing with surveilence. As capabilities grow, so does abuse. In order to cover their tracks, the FBI makes sure that laws get changed first to protect their actions. For laws to get changed first, that means the willingness of legislators. The legislators can be booted out or worse if a majority of voters get organized. A majority of voters that gets organized happens when enough voters agree that something needs to be done. And that only happens when there is discussiojn about it. And you can't discuss things when you stick your head in the sand, throw your arms up in the air, and rail on about how hopeless it all is!
What would you suggest as an alternative remedy as drug traffickers, pornographers, organized crime, money launderers, pediphiles, hate groups, terrorist groups, and the loner whackos make ever greater use of the Internet?
I've no love for government interference in the private lives of ordinary and law abiding citizens but a total hands off approach by the government would be catastrophic in the long run.
posted on May 8, 2001 12:31:34 PM
Sorry I am such a tired old man but I don't have the time and energy to try to limit their powers. I am look at who I would have to accept as allies and I don't like it.
If you have the energy to do it just keep in mind as you form a group that once you reach 3 members the probability that one is an informant approuches unity.
