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Thread: US Senate passes bill renewing NSA warrantless internet surveillance program

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    Administrator Aragorn's Avatar
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    Thumbs Down US Senate passes bill renewing NSA warrantless internet surveillance program

    ... And for our Acronymian members and readers, remember that these are the people you voted for, and whose job it supposedly is to look after you. And by the way, did you know that I have a beachfront property for sale up in the Himalayas?








    Source: Reuters


    The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a bill to renew the National Security Agency’s warrantless internet surveillance program for six years with minimal changes, overcoming objections from civil liberties advocates that it undermined the privacy of Americans.

    The legislation, which easily passed the House of Representatives last week, is expected to be signed into law by President Donald Trump by Friday.

    Thursday’s 65-34 passage in the Senate was largely a foregone conclusion, after senators earlier this week cleared a 60-vote procedural hurdle, which split party lines and came within one vote of failing.

    Passage of the legislation marked a disappointing end to a years-long effort by a coalition of liberal Democrats and libertarian-leaning Republicans to redefine the scope of U.S. intelligence collection following the 2013 disclosures of classified surveillance secrets by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

    The bill reauthorizes what is known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which gathers information from foreigners overseas but incidentally collects an unknown amount of communications belonging to Americans.

    Under Section 702, the NSA is empowered to eavesdrop on vast amounts of digital communications via American companies like Facebook Inc (FB.O), Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N) and Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google.

    But the program also incidentally scoops up Americans’ communications, including when they communicate with a foreign target living overseas. Intelligence analysts can then search those messages without a warrant.

    The White House, U.S. intelligence agencies and congressional Republican leaders said the program is indispensable to national security.

    Opponents of the program said it allows the NSA and other intelligence agencies to grab data belonging to Americans in a way that represents an affront to the U.S. Constitution.

    The bill passed by Congress does add a narrow warrant requirement for cases where the Federal Bureau of Investigation seeks emails related to an existing criminal investigation that has no relevance to national security. Privacy advocates said that essentially gave more protections to criminal suspects than ordinary Americans caught up in the program’s surveillance.


    Source: Reuters
    = DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR =

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    Senior Member Fred Steeves's Avatar
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    Surprise of all surprises, that little tidbit wasn't mentioned on the evening news here in the States. More important things to cover I suppose.
    The unexamined life is not worth living.

    Socrates

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    Senior Member Emil El Zapato's Avatar
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    I can't honestly say this bill passing really upsets me but the party vote split was 42-9 Repubs / 18-29 Dumbocrats
    “El revolucionario: te meteré la bota en el culo"

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    Super Moderator Wind's Avatar
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    Do not be fearful citizen, big brother is watching over your best interests like a watchful guardian.... You wouldn't want the terrorists to win, now would you?


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    That's been a major problem with the very existence of such things all along. Government always gives the excuse "It's JUST security"!

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    We are appealed to via our desire for security, our worries for our children, and our health. We accept many things in the name of the aforementioned.

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    I have a few sources reporting the NSA are now working for “the white hats”

    ...I guess we’ll see.

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    Senior Member Fred Steeves's Avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Dumpster Diver View Post
    I have a few sources reporting the NSA are now working for “the white hats”

    ...I guess we’ll see.
    The way it looks from my sources, this is the basic chronology:

    - First are the mass arrests.

    - Then the Men In Black flip to white hats.

    - Followed by a live televised press conference of the world's top political leaders announcing Full Disclosure.

    - And finally, the mass awakening, ushering humanity into the Age of Aquarius.

    Come on everyone, sing it with me and the girls. Let your freak flags fly!

    When the moon is in the Seventh House
    And Jupiter aligns with Mars
    Then peace will guide the planets
    And love will steer the stars
    This is the dawning of the age of Aquarius
    Age of Aquarius
    Aquarius
    Aquarius
    The unexamined life is not worth living.

    Socrates

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    Super Moderator Wind's Avatar
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    I’d absolutely love to see that happening, but does it make me a pessimist or a realist when I don’t see it happening at all? The truth is that a small portion of humanity has awakened and slowly more people are awakening too, but it’s a very slow progress. It might take generations if not centuries to change the current paradigm and mindset of humanity. We are at the cusp of a new age though...

    I want to add that I see changes happening on an individual level, but at a societal level? That’s another story. Division amongst the people is a sign of the times.
    Last edited by Wind, 19th January 2018 at 22:44.

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    Senior Member Fred Steeves's Avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Wind View Post
    I’d absolutely love to see that happening, but does it make me a pessimist or a realist when I don’t see it happening at all?
    Hey man my bad, sarcasm through and through on that post and I should know better after all these forum years...


    Quote Originally posted by Wind View Post
    I want to add that I see changes happening on an individual level, but at a societal level? That’s another story.
    All sarcasm aside, that is where the real story is and you nailed it. The individual level.
    The unexamined life is not worth living.

    Socrates

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    Super Moderator Wind's Avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Fred Steeves View Post
    Hey man my bad, sarcasm through and through on that post and I should know better after all these forum years...
    No worries Fred, your reply to Dumpy actually made me laugh. It just got me pondering out loud again, can’t really help it! That’s the serious side of me.

    You wouldn’t happen to have the same ”sources” as Wilcock does?
    Last edited by Wind, 20th January 2018 at 02:20.

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    Good. Glad to hear that from both of you. It's happening on an individual level, that's where it's at, and we're in good shape.

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    Quote Originally posted by Aragorn View Post
    ... And for our Acronymian members and readers, remember that these are the people you voted for, and whose job it supposedly is to look after you
    I feel like it's quite a bit bigger than the US, especially considering the 5 Eyes nations.

    Another point, even if the vote didn't pass does anyone actually think they'd stop spying?

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    Administrator Aragorn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Lemual View Post
    I feel like it's quite a bit bigger than the US, especially considering the 5 Eyes nations.
    Yes, the Five Eyes agreements, also known as Echelon or SIGINT ("signals intelligence").

    Quote Originally posted by Lemual View Post
    Another point, even if the vote didn't pass does anyone actually think they'd stop spying?
    No, I didn't think they would — it just so happens to be that it's a lot easier to get away with if they've got the legislative branch's green light.

    But from what I've read on Slashdot earlier tonight, the vote was passed anyway. The Donald™ has just signed off on it.
    = DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR =

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    Senior Member Fred Steeves's Avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Lemual View Post
    Another point, even if the vote didn't pass does anyone actually think they'd stop spying?

    Quote Originally posted by Aragorn View Post
    No, I didn't think they would — it just so happens to be that it's a lot easier to get away with if they've got the legislative branch's green light.
    I would put it in the same general category as these absurd government shutdowns that seem to roll around every year or two now. No one would ever dare lay a hand on the machine, just the hovering non essentials that basically only effect the working class. The bombs keep falling out of the sky, spying and subversion continue, etc.

    If only the well dried up for paying cops to write petty traffic citations as well, ah, dream on.
    The unexamined life is not worth living.

    Socrates

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