In conjunction with some of my earlier posts regarding the FISA Bill and warrantless wiretapping with aid from the telecommunications companies, I found this nicely modified AT&T billboard. It single handedly sums up what is going on for those of you ignorant enough to not read the national news.
Among the many steps leading a true Democracy to a complete fascist society is the alliance between large corporate entities and the government as well as the governments’ ability to spy on it’s own people “legally” ILLEGALLY.
Whatever happened to we The People? Today, the FISA bill passed in the Senate by a vote of 67-31 thus nullifying further fillibuster attempts by Senator Dodd. The bill had a proposed amendment by Senator Dodd and Russel Feingold that didn’t include retroactive immunity for the telecommunication giants, but it was categorically voted against by most Republicans including John McCain. The real question is now, to you the every man is what does this mean to me? What’s FISA? What’s retroactive immunity? Why would Bush veto any bill without retroactive immunity in it?
You may have heard George Bush’s rhetoric in his final state of the union where he declared that he would not able to effectively do his job to protect us from the terrorists if we didn’t rapidly renew his surveillance authority. What you may not know is that the bill he was referring to has been proposed several times in the Senate… Why would he need retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies that illegally handed over your telephone recordings and information to the FBI and other Government agencies if he just wanted to protect us from a few loony jihadists?
The answer: 40 or so lawsuits pending against AT&T and Sprint Nextel for breaking the law by not requiring warrants would cost them a fortune. Does this not sound to you as though the Government has yet again chosen to aid the big corporation instead of letting it’s constitutional equal, the court system, decide if information was handed over illegally? Read More
