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Sky Snoops: We Should Have Seen this Coming
Should have seen this one coming.
Once the federal government had rationalized its authority to violate the privacy of Americans by tapping their phones, reading their e-mail, surveying their library selections and poking through their bank records, it was only a matter of time before the Department of Homeland Security would point spy satellite cameras intended for foreign enemies into the private lives of Americans as well.
Indeed, the country is becoming so inured to the Big Brother tactics of the Bush administration, news of this intrusive new eye in domestic skies has provoked little outrage. Congress has apparently given the plan its blessing, totally abdicating its oversight role.
When they return to Washington next month, lawmakers should halt the program before it begins, and conduct hearings on the dangers of overruling the long-standing policy against using the American military against its fellow citizens.
As usual, the Bush administration is trying to sell domestic use of these sky snoops as an anti-terrorism tool, presumably aiming at those would-be offenders who are homegrown. Beyond that, officials note, these powerful satellite sensors can also be used to find drug smugglers and illegal immigrants. It's hard to quarrel with those purposes, but who says where it ends?
Spy satellites have served benign civilian purposes for decades, including mapmaking, conducting environmental studies and assessing damage after natural disasters. The administration has decided to broadly expand satellite use, however, to include not only security functions but to assist federal, state, local and tribal authorities in the enforcement of criminal and civil laws.
Effectively, there is no limit on the use of this high-tech equipment, which includes visual and nonvisual capabilities that can sense electromagnetic activity, radioactivity and chemical traces.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Congress has signed off on this expanded use of spy satellites and provided funding for it to begin this fall. An aide to the Senate Intelligence Committee confirmed the committee was aware of the program and was monitoring it. Yet, there appears to have been no plan to make it public until The Wall Street Journal broke the story last week.
Congressional acquiescence in violating the freedom of innocent Americans not to be spied upon by their government is outrageous - but somehow not surprising coming from a group of Democratic-led lawmakers who recently got rolled by President Bush on the issue of domestic wiretapping without court approval.
This Congress claims it is not going to be a rubber stamp for Mr. Bush, as its Republican predecessors were. If so, the first place to apply that principle would be to stop sacrificing fundamental freedoms for the false promise of greater security.
© Copyright 2007 The Baltimore Sun
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14 Comments so far
Show AllHopefully during this recess the Democratic leaders have found some new resistance and will be able to form a unified front in confronting the issues rather than splitting down the middle and giving the executive branch whatever they desire. We can only hope.
And while there's the Constitutional right to be secure from unwarranted searchs in our homes and possessions, Congress is also We, the People's House, NOT Pelosi's and Reid's, the BushCo-dependent cluckers and puckers! And with the campaigns of Cindy, Denny the K and other stalwarts, we mean to take OUR houses and Constitutional birthrights BACK! IMPEACH the Bushists, NOW; or ELSE We the People remove BOTH the miserepublicans and the DEM jackasses at the next Constitutional opportunity.
If a million people sign on to have unabashed sex outside, maybe it would clog up the data systems for a while. There are worse forms of "protest."
America has become the very thing which we always claimed we stood against since our founding. How is that for irony? Big Brother is watching. Be very, very careful.
How Orwellian of them.
I'm really fedup and I have decided I am going to leave. Why people continue to put up with this BS for this administration is beyond me.
Where do I sign up Sue babe?
Siouxrose,
Best damned suggestion I've seen in a long while.
"This Congress claims it is not going to be a rubber stamp for Mr. Bush, as its Republican predecessors were."
The Democrats will be appearing at the Foxwoods Resort & Casino from Sept.19 through the 21st. Join the laughter as they bring their zany brand of comedy to the famed Fox Theater. Call the box office and reserve your tickets now.
Well so the "eye in the sky" no longer only applies to casinos, but to all of us. I wonder how we could spy on them??
dcbeltway, I've left. Get out while the getting's good. Canada's nice, though cold. Australia is too much like the U.S. (world's worst polluters per capita). I chose New Zealand. It's lovely here.
The last 4 paragraphs say it all;
"Effectively, there is no limit on the use of this high-tech equipment, which includes visual and nonvisual capabilities that can sense electromagnetic activity, radioactivity and chemical traces."
- Look for this to be used in the "drug war" also.
"According to the Department of Homeland Security, Congress has signed off on this expanded use of spy satellites and provided funding for it to begin this fall. An aide to the Senate Intelligence Committee confirmed the committee was aware of the program and was monitoring it. Yet, there appears to have been no plan to make it public until The Wall Street Journal broke the story last week."
- the real reason why Mr. Murdoch bought the rag - to close another leak in the right wing ship of lies.
"Congressional acquiescence in violating the freedom of innocent Americans not to be spied upon by their government is outrageous - but somehow not surprising coming from a group of Democratic-led lawmakers who recently got rolled by President Bush on the issue of domestic wiretapping without court approval."
- violating freedom? Raping is more accurate. That's what BushCO does best
"This Congress claims it is not going to be a rubber stamp for Mr. Bush, as its Republican predecessors were. If so, the first place to apply that principle would be to stop sacrificing fundamental freedoms for the false promise of greater security."
- translation = Congress IS IN FACT a RUBBER STAMP for BUSH - regardless of party affiliation.
Freedom... On the March!! If this keeps up we'll need to change the song to God F'd America... Land that was raped... hold her down while she tries to get away... la da da... la da da... la da da...
How can a people who continue to choose to live in terror possibly win a war on terror?
Let's see...what domestic treachery has been left out of the equation when it comes to the administration's dirty laundry...Torture, terror, mass imprisonment, brain washing? Check, check, check, check. The only thing left is what's happening to the bees...mass extinction. Don't put it past their psychopathic desperation.
Siouxrose says: If a million people sign on to have unabashed sex outside, maybe it would clog up the data systems for a while. There are worse forms of "protest."
All I want to know is where to I sign up!
When I couldn't get to DC for one protest, I told a man friend about this idea. He's a great guy, except married to a client of mine! He said he's been "trying to get into my pants for 10 years." Of course, this act of defiance would be sheer sacrifice for a patriotic cause (LOL). We have to start somewhere..; shock therapy is great, and since the right wing is taken aback by sex (Clinton) rather than war, killing, rape of environment, egregious business practices, etc ad nauseum, this crazy idea is probably quite sane in these "fair is foul and foul is fair" times. So we pick a date. I lived in Key West for almost 10 years and that sharp cookiei town had festivals every month to ensure the all-mighty tourist dollar. A cycle of hurricanes did their system a negative fisca twist. In any event fantasy fest was (is) held around Halloween and many costumes bring to life the axiom, "less is more." I have also seen SEX on some floats... yep, part of the parade. So in a way, this idea would be a mix of KING OF HEARTS and Fantasy fest hitting DC... if enough people DID IT it would be too strong an event for the media (which loves bare breasts for one thing) to pass off... a naked peace initiaive? make love not war? other? My vote... Scorpio time, anywhere from October 24-November 22... unless the weather gets TOO cold. Worth a shot... the shot sent round the world. Any one here do u tube?
Reality: The opening for these tactics to become commonplace was 9/11. Plans, however, were in place long before. At the time, many many people rolled over and allowed the renaming of our country as das "Homeland" (Sieg Heil!)permitting the "Patriot Act" and erosions of freedom. Bit by bit, we are less free, in the name of security. Of course, these losses of freedom are not aimed at us, but at "them", to protect "us". Right.
Yes, there are bad people out there who want to do bad things. But, every time I have to remove my shoes at an airport checkpoint, I understand that one idiot made this ill-advised "security" measure a burden on all of us,to the joy of desk-bound functionaries. ("Look! We actually DID something!)
Watch: the bad guys will do another really bad big thing, and the nation will roll over, spread its legs, and whimper "We need more protection, and we'll submit to anything!"
How can we claim to be "tough" Americans when we can't even stand up to the wimps we semi-choose to elect? When was the last time you voted "for" and not "against"? Do you sincerely believe our government is "of the people, by the people, for the people"? Do you think we have representation for our taxation?
Someone recently asserted to me that she "supported our President, no matter what!"
I told her that it must be so very pleasant to float through life without stirring a brain cell.
The response: "Huh?"
There's the problem.