Surveillance

The Republican Party, the party that used to want to "get government off our backs" has led America to becoming one of the most intrusive governments in the world. We now rank right down with China and Russia as leading the world for surveillance of civilians, according to Privacy International. I should note that the study does not cover every nation, merely the EU and 20 non-EU nations including America.

Privacy International, based in London, was formed in 1990 by more than 100 human rights organizations to defend personal privacy. Here's what they have to say for themselves:

For almost twenty years Privacy International (PI) has vigorously defended personal privacy. We have campaigned across the world to protect people against intrusion by governments and corporations that seek to erode this fragile right. We believe that privacy forms part of the bedrock of freedoms, and our goal has always been to use every means to preserve it. Our campaigns are often controversial, but they always respect the primacy of truth and principle.

PI is the oldest surviving privacy advocacy group in the world, and was the first organisation to campaign at an international level on privacy issues. Its antecedents stretch back to 1987, at which time the organisation’s founders started to build an international network in response to mounting concern across the world over the changing nature and magnitude of privacy violations.

Senator Dodd was successful in postponing until January a debate over whether telecommunications companies such as AT&T should be given retroactive immunity for aiding and abetting the Bush administration in their warrantless wiretapping efforts.

This from Wired.com :

The presidential candidate threatened to filibuster and hold the Senate floor if the Senate shot down his amendment to strip immunity from the bill. That threat moved Reid to postpone a vote on the bill, so that the Senate could take up war funding bills, a massive domestic spending bill and changes to the Alternative Minimum Tax before the winter break.

[...]

Dodd spent nearly 10 hours on the Senate floor Monday, assaulting the administration's secret warrantless wiretapping program and channeling Senator Frank Church, whose investigation in the 1970s of the nation's intelligence services clandestine led to Congressional limits on government spying.

The fight is obviously not over, but at least with this stay of constitutional execution, civil liberties activists (and ... ahem ... netizens) will be able to spread the word even louder to their neighbors about how their phone and cable companies are spying on them.

See more at The Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Matt Bai's article on YearlyKos, Can Bloggers Get Real?, has some on the lefty blogosphere atwitter.

Susie Madrak, Jeralynn Merritt commented favorably about it; but it's comments by bloggers not affiliated with DailyKos like George Nemeth and Jill Miller Zimon that I find particularly important. Especially when read before Barbara O'Brien's reality check. I also liked that John Holbo picked on the same quote as I did but for purely onotological reasons.

The quote in question follows :

The Chicago Reader, an alternative weekly, recently profiled a 23-year-old law student who writes on Daily Kos’s front page under the pseudonym Georgia10, positing that she may well be the most-read political writer in the city, even though few people know her real name. (For the record, it’s Georgia Logothetis, and she lives with her parents.) In this way, Daily Kos and other blogs resemble a political version of those escapist online games where anyone with a modem can disappear into an alternate society, reinventing himself among neighbors and colleagues who exist only in a virtual realm.

When it comes to technology companies, especially Google, I take their "benefit to mankind" with a huge boulder of salt; especially with my current experience with GoogleNews. They dropped culturekitchen from their rotation because it was not "newsy" enough. Meanwhile, they go out of their way to include such beacons of truthiness like LifeNews, ScienceDaily and my all time favorite, Men's News Daily.

Seth Finkelstein is the man I read daily for all things truthy about Google. I thought I was paranoid about the run around the search company has been giving me since December --basically, since the site was switched to a new platform. Then I read his post, British national Party and Google News. Real eye-opener in view of the next two kerfuffles involving Google in the last month.

The first one being the alleged "fight for privacy rights" that many netopians claim is what behind Google's fight to not release query information to the Justice Department. Yeah, right. They are fighting for the right to privacy but not of the regular citizen :

[Note from M. Loutre: The following call-to-action essay was originally posted as a blog comment-thread header on the Democracy Cell Project website on 1/14/06. It was co-written by well-known citizen activists Karen Bradley and Dick Bell, after a morning discussion about people and groups floundering between despair and hope over the past week. Karen and Dick co-founded The Democracy Cell Project, along with a group of remarkable citizen-activists, in 2004. They live in Washington, DC.]

----------


CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS WATERS RISING FAST

The understanding that Bush has provoked a "constitutional crisis" is taking root and spreading. Al Gore is expected to deliver a speech on Monday that is going to focus on this. (We will be there and hope to do a little live blogging, if possible.)

We think we are entering a period of extreme fluidity; Bush's ability to control the many dark forces that he has unleashed is diminshing by the day. But, this is a time of both great danger and great opportunity. Watching Americans slowly coming to grips after years of indifference is not a pretty picture, but it is movement in the right direction. In American history, we know that there are periodic convulsions in which the forces of evil sometimes get the upper hand. (i.e. The Alien Sedition Acts of 1798, the red scare of the early 1920's, the internment of Japanese-Americans in WWII, McCarthy, decades of J. Edgar Hoover's illegal actions, COINTELPRO, and now Bush, the NSA, and the Patriot Act.)

In each of these dark times, the ideals on which the country was founded appeared to be headed for the junk heap of history. But time and again, the American people have ultimately returned to the arms of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. The ability of the American people, again and again, to find ways to transcend these efforts to subvert freedom and liberty is the true exceptionalism that has made America a beacon of hope for lo these two centuries.

History shows that we can do what we need to do; the biggest obstacle is persuading enough people that all is not lost, and that by working together, as our ancestors have done repeatedly, we can win this fight.

As one of the spirituals would have it, "Freedom Is A Constant Struggle."

In practice, we need first to keep on keeping on with what we have been doing; second we have to be ready to act boldly and seize the opportunities that we know are coming as Bush's criminal enterprise unravels. History being the elusive prognosticator that it is cannot tell us where the openings will be. What revelations are still to come that could light such a fire for impeachment that even the Republican House would at least have to hold hearings? Jack Abramoff may implicate enough Republican members to switch the House of Representatives all by himself! And then, of course, there is Iraq, as well as the deepening crisis over Iran's nuclear weapons intentions.

No matter how bad things get, however, Bush will never voluntarily surrender an iota of the power he has grabbed. Our energy has to go into organizations, be they existing organizations, or brand-new ones that we found, to push Bush and his congressional support out of power as soon as possible. These are opportunities and they abound.

Organizations such as AfterDowningStreet, Code Pink, the World Can't Wait, United for Peace and Justice, Progressive Dems of America, MoveOn and many many other groups sponsor town meetings, rallies, petitions, mobilize, march, and conduct nonviolent civil disobedience and street theatre, or run serious vigils and gatherings; PACS raise money to support candidates, blogs report new findings faster than the mainstream media -- all of this is worthy because we simply do not know the threshold or when critical mass will be achieved.

Neither of us is suggesting there is a need to choose BETWEEN actions or that any of these groups have THE answer. The solution is in our daily actions, saying "yes, and..." to all the opportunities. We each need to contribute, in the largest sense of that word. It could be a simple as forwarding an email that you know has truth. It could be as complicated as building an online community for a cause or a candidate. It probably needs to be "all of the above."

In business, managers and consultants are always talking about "capacity building" -- growing the organization to the right size so that more growth can happen, building on the infrastructure set in place. We each must build our own capacity for taking action, making sure the infrastructure is in place, contributing to the hands reaching out for us, and joining them.

We don't have to say yes to everything asked, but saying no brings the effort to a halt. Offer something back -- a suggestion, a small check, a networking moment, a hug of encouragement.

Think of it as being a good citizen.

----------

To read this essay in its natural habitat and to read or post comments on it there, please visit it in situ on the Democracy Cell Project's blog.

The Democracy Cell Project is a learning- and action-directed community of dedicated citizen activists, one which I'm proud to be an active part of. I encourage you to visit the DCP's website and learn more about its mission and its activities, and I invite you to join in the ongoing conversation that centers around the site's blog area. (Trust me -- if you like it here, you'll like it there too.)

----------

all that is necessary for evil to fail is for good persons to do something,
Otter

Last night I had the special treat of discussing the Samuel Alito hearings with Normal Siegel at the New Democratic Majority monthly meeting.

Normal Siegel is a constitutional lawyer, former head of NYC ACLU and one of the true progressive liberals left in the political landscape here in New York City (and maybe the country). He ran (and lost) for Public Advocate of New York City in the last elections with the support of NDM, DFNYC and other grassroots organizations.

We spent almost 2 hours discussing these hearings and the implications of Samuel Alito becoming a justice of the supreme court.

The task of wading through the nominees 15 years of documents and records is absolutely daunting, but for the hard-core researchers, you can go to the National Archives :

http://www.archives.gov/news/samuel-alito/

That's why I have to thank People for the American Way for the amazing work of collecting, collating and analyzing at their Save the Court website the nominees paper trail.

I have though been more focused on the public discourse around Alito; especially in light of what has been bothering me since the Robert's hearings. Both Robert and now Alito claim they will respect the rule of law and legal precendents first and foremost. I have been having problems articulating why I find these statements problematic until Siegel's presentation last night.

(1) Does this mean then that he would not review the rulings that have made the patenting of DNA legal and have turned the human genome into a commodity to be owned by multinational genomic corporations?

DNA Patent Database
http://dnapatents.georgetown.edu/

DNA Patents Create Monopolies on Living Organisms
From the Council for Responsible Genetics
http://www.actionbioscience.org/genomic/crg.html

(2) Let's say a majority of "red" states are successful at passing laws that restrict abortion to the point of making it impossible for poor women and sexually-mature minors to exercise their reproductive autonomy. Does this mean that he would use that as base for a judicial review under stare decisis and, in effect, overturn Roe vs. Wade?

New law could mean death penalty for doctors
http://www.pphouston.org/site/News2?id=9640

Bill would ban abortion in Indiana
Lawmaker would want to appeal law to the Supreme Court.
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/news/local/13565202.htm

More on this. I have to take the kids to another class. Which brings me to a tangent : How can citizens in this country be involved in the political process if these hearings are held during normal working and school hours? Our political and governmental system is designed for people not be engaged, not to have easy access to the decision process.

It's a challenge for new media pioneers like us bloggers (who were excoriated by a member of the Judicial Committee today but for whom I do not have a name). We need to figure out how to use this technology to augment the political process virally into people's work and school structures.

I have some ideas; but I really have to go now.

Blog you later.

Domestic spying, as expansion of presidential powers lost because of the Nixon crimes. Whatever. We all know it's bullshit, and I don't need to go into the reasons why here.

But, I do want to say something that has been bugging me since fearless leader's admission that he was spying. And, for those of you who know me, you can perhaps guess where I'm about to go with this. Yep. Gender.

What's gender got to do with this? Everything and nothing. There have been a lot of harsh words thrown at those of us who, like Cassandra, have been wailing, keening, prophesying, yelling, that the right to privacy is about more than a woman's right to choose. The right to privacy is about being able to live your own life without feeling someone's bony fingers pushing and poking where their fingers are not welcome.

But, when those of us who think the right to privacy is one of the core principles at the heart of a free society and have thus raised another goddamned fuss when we see it being threatened, we have been accused of being harpies, of being one-issue voters who were going to bring down the Democratic party by our refusal to open the tent flaps and let the anti-choice zealots in out of the rain.

Sorry. Still can't go there. Perhaps the fact that Bush and his cronies have been actively spying on American citizens will finally trigger the kind of outrage that leads people to demand the right to privacy for all of us--not just those whose private activities we approve of. Then again, maybe not. Will it be a sign that, really? People don't give a shit, and we should all just sign up for our 15 minutes of fame on "Jerry Springer" so that everyone gets a chance to digitally and electronically rape us.

Oh, and the Funeral Oration of Pericles? Here's the relevant part of it.

There is no exclusiveness in our public life, and in our private business we are not suspicious of one another, nor angry with our neighbor if he does what he likes; we do not put on sour looks at him which, though harmless, are not pleasant. While we are thus unconstrained in our private business, a spirit of reverence pervades our public acts; we are prevented from doing wrong by respect for the authorities and for the laws, having a particular regard to those which are ordained for the protection of the injured as well as those unwritten laws which bring upon the transgressor of them the reprobation of the general sentiment.

Honestly, today is one of those days when I do not know how to start but this bit of news from Spain's El País caught my eye because it sums up the world-wide web of repression that is being built around us : [via Condenado a seis años de cárcel por descargar de Internet manuales para fabricar explosivos - ELPAIS.es - Tecnología]:

El argelino Abbas Boutrab, supuestamente vinculado a la red Al Qaeda, ha sido condenado a seis años de cárcel por delitos de terrorismo por el Tribunal de la Corona de Belfast. A Boutrab, de 27 años, se le condena por de descargar de Internet manuales con instrucciones para elaborar explosivos con fines terroristas.

Boutrap fue arrestado hace dos años y medio en la localidad norirlandesa de Newtownabbey por delitos de inmigración, pero la Policía encontró después en su domicilio 25 disquetes informáticos con manuales para la fabricación de bombas caseras en aviones.

El tribunal que lo ha juzgado afirmó que la información hallada en su poder, descargada de Internet desde un ordenador de la Biblioteca Central de Belfast el 23 de enero de 2003, podía ser usada por terroristas.

El juez instructor del caso, Ronald Weatherup, aseguró que ese material "son instrucciones para la construcción de explosivos improvisados, cuyo objetivo es derribar un avión y acabar con la vida de todos aquellos a bordo".

El magistrado recordó, además, que las modificaciones efectuadas por Boutrap en el circuito electrónico de un radiocasete delataban su intención de cometer acciones delictivas. La Policía norirlandesa (PSNI) también halló en el domicilio del terrorista instrucciones para la construcción de un silenciador de rifles de asalto, así como varios documentos de identidad y pasaportes falsos.

[...]

El argelino es el primer supuesto miembro de Al Qaeda juzgado en Irlanda del Norte de acuerdo con el sistema de tribunal sin jurado conocido como "Diplock", con el que hasta ahora se ha venido procesando a terroristas republicanos y unionistas.

Abbas Boutrab was found guilty of intent to commit terrorism. He was arraigned 2 years ago on illegal immigration charges but when the Northern Ireland police did a search of his flat, they found 25 CD-ROMs filled with instructions on how to make homemade bombs for airplanes. They also found information on silencers for assault rifles, various ID papers and false passports.

The tribunal says he is guilty because edits made on a section on one of the CDs betray his intent to commit illegal activities. Here's the kicker: All of this judging was done by a juryless tribunal created by the English government. Called "Diplock", this tribunal was created by the United Kingdom and it was set up in Northern Ireland to handle Irish republicans terrorist activity; but since its inception it has actually spent quite some time labor union activity as well.

Here's what's just come in from the BBC:
[via BBC NEWS | UK | Northern Ireland | Al-Qaeda terror suspect is jailed]:

"I am satisfied that his possession of the material was not out of curiosity but was for terrorist purposes," the judge said.

The FBI built a bomb at a Virginia test centre using the instructions and illustrated the devastation it could cause on a plane.

At Tuesday's sentencing, the judge said Boutrab should be deported once he is released from prison in Northern Ireland.

"Now we find the terrorism threat is subsiding (in Northern Ireland) and a new threat is emerging," said the judge.

"This new threat has an added horror because the terrorist stands amongst the innocent men, women and children.

"That's a feature in the material that was recovered here. It provides instructions for improvised explosives with the objective of bringing down an aircraft and the lives of all those on board."

Where to start with this? I mean seriously. Ok, let's start with the diplock courts. These courts were creted back in the 1970's after the Diplock Report stated the need to address paramilitary violence against juries in Northern Ireland. But the report started the blurring of the lines between political violence and/or activity and regular criminal activity.

I have not done much research on these courts but two little details just jumped right out to me while scouring the web: The Diplock Courts were supposed to be phased out as part of the Nortern Ireland peace accord that culminated in the July 28th call for disarmament by the IRA.

Now there is an alleged terrorist sentenced to six years in jail, with the aide of the United State's FBI, for crimes he could have committed but did not. Sentenced by a judge who declares there is a new terrorist that stands among "out there" not just the physical out there of the world but, with the downloaded materials, the in the potential terrorist world of the Internet.

Again, it's not the crime of illegal immigration or false passports that bothers me. It's the little detail of saying that through the edits of a CD-ROM one can somehow find the origins of intent.

This bit of news, along with the blatant spying of US peace activists and political dissenters and the use of torture rooms and secret prisons that George Bush is so upset about not because he deemed them illegal or unnecessary but because they were leaked to the press, ought to raise the alarm in more ways than one.

We're talking about a world-wide web of coersion, control and punishment being weaved across nations; using the conceit of "the war on terror" to build an infrastructure not "to spread the American values of freedom" but to stamp it out completely.

In my review of A History of Violence I mention how violence is in the details of the acting. Well, in these news articles we can see how the devil is indeed in the details.