[Loki]

Obama is a little wooden sometimes, but I wouldn't call him a robot.

Yay, more Patriot Act! Glad to see the freedumb lubbers in DC are doing their job protecting the country against its citizens.

[mattduke]

I'm surprised by the lack of discussion on this topic.

[rangerone314]

Its a fricken' shame that no one's built anything like Skynet.

[Oneaboveall]

Found this, FBI survelliance of a non violent protestor:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43208176/ns ... york_times

[mattduke]

Rand Paul speaks eloquently in opposition to the Patriot Act.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ4HON06hZU

[EOTWAWKI]

First time I've seen him on the right correct progressive side of an issue. I guess even a broken clock tells the right time once in a while. I don't think you will get very far pushing all that libertarian government-is-evil-corporations-are-good stuff on this forum but you are welcome to try.

[annalynB]

Three provisions of the domestic security laws that allow for highly controversial surveillance procedures would have expired. It is virtually impossible to tell the difference between a genuine signature and an autosignature. The machines, according to MSNBC, vary in complexity from simply tracing a template to far more mechanically complex machines. Autopens are frequently used by government officials, astronauts and business executives.

[annalynB]

Obama recently finalized a bill renewing parts of the Patriot Act. The President is currently in Europe. The bill, however, would have gone to his desk for signing and not his fax line. The finalizing of the bill is itself debatable, as the President signed it using a signature-replicating machine called an autopen. President renews Patriot Act from Europe by using a robotic autopen, newstype.com. An autopen is a mechanical device that reproduces a person’s signature. It is virtually impossible to tell the difference between a genuine signature and an autosignature. Signature and letter duplication machines were known as polygraphs in the 19th century, and Thomas Jefferson actually built one. Autopens are frequently used by government officials, astronauts and business executives.

[stephankrasner]

http://youtu.be/8mPZlysCAm0

It's sad, but Obama chose security over freedom yet again. At least that's one thing we can count on Post-Peak; politicians will still be two-faced.

[mattduke]

Autopens are frequently used by government officials, astronauts and business executives.

Can Autopens post to internet forums?

I was wondering that, too.

[Cog]

Nice.

Now we have Bush-Lite in office.

[rangerone314]

I know how to get rid of the Patriot Act.

Secession.

[peeker01]

Behold katsung47.......

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=gsi ... 80&bih=715

[Cog]

Behold katsung47.......

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=gsi ... 80&bih=715

Just what we need here.

[Pops]

US Congress to vote on bill banning NSA from bulk-collecting phone calls
Practice revealed by Edward Snowden – collection of metadata of all US phone calls – being debated

Less than a week after a US appeals court delivered a stinging legal rebuke to the National Security Agency’s bulk collection of US phone data, the House of Representatives is set to vote on the most domestically controversial of Edward Snowden’s revelations.

Passage on a bipartisan basis is expected for the USA Freedom Act on Wednesday, a bill that seeks to stop the NSA from collecting the metadata of all US phone calls. The White House announced its support for the bill, which faces two-pronged opposition from civil libertarians who consider it insufficient and the GOP Senate leader who seeks to preserve the domestic surveillance.

The Senate is largely split into three factions on the issue of surveillance: GOP leaders and intelligence hawks who want to keep the NSA programs intact; a bipartisan group that has introduced its own version of the USA Freedom Act; and civil liberties advocates who want to end the bulk collection entirely.

Good, balanced article at the Guardian

[dinopello]

Is everyone READY for the big Sunday SHOWDOWN?!

more

The Senate is heading for a showdown Sunday over the expiring surveillance powers of the National Security Agency, with Sen. Mitch McConnell calling the session to pass an extension before a midnight deadline.

McConnell has called his colleagues back for the unusual Sunday meeting to try to beat the deadline.

The USA Freedom Act would alter the Patriot Act by reigning in the bulk collection program exposed by government security contractor Edward Snowden while leaving other authorities intact. That legislation is backed by the administration and passed the House 338-88 on May 13.

Alternatively, congressional negotiators are discussing ways to tweak the House legislation to more gradually transition the holding of bulk telephone data from the government to telecommunication companies like Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc.

[Pops]

I'd feel much better with my private information in the hands of a corporation, as we all know they are totally benign whereas the gov is ultimate evil.

(Oops, 2 posts in a row with the word "evil" — must be Sunday)

[Tanada]

I'd feel much better with my private information in the hands of a corporation, as we all know they are totally benign whereas the gov is ultimate evil.

(Oops, 2 posts in a row with the word "evil" — must be Sunday)

Personally I want my private information to stay in my private hands, but computers pretty much eliminate that as a possibility.