Greetings!
I just finished sending out my share of "troll letters" to friends/family, and I'm now sipping on a Pepsi and enjoying the warm fuzzy feeling from a public action of defiance.
I've made no secret that I'm pissed off about the NSA doing "blanket surveillance" and all that crap. This is NOT what the Patriot Act had in mind (in fact, what the Patriot Act was intended to do could have been written on perhaps 5 sheets of paper, be less intrusive on innocent civilian's lives AND comply with the Constitution fully.)
First this blanket surveillance is allegedly for "spotting call patterns" and the like. I caught a little of Rush Limbaugh today at work and Rush made a GREAT point. In essence, though not an exact quote....
"Even if they aren't listening to the conversation, the gov't CAN get information from the call. Say you call the Suicide Hotline or AIDS Hotline. Govermnent now knows someone called those numbers."
END of attempting to quote.
Consider this: If you're single, gov't knows someone called those numbers from your phone. Did you loan your phone to a friend in trouble? Doesn't matter. It's your phone, it's your door they're gonna be knocking on. That data could be shared with IRS (enforcing Obamacare) and you get a knock on the door (cops saying you're suicidal and they're there to take your guns for 'the public good').
I'm a nudist and proud of it. I've already stated my concept of "responsible nudism" in a previous blog. I have no problem baring my body to/amongst consenting adults or being around those who bare their bodies having my implicit or tacit consent. It's done in private and in conjunction with all laws.
I don't have a problem baring my thoughts either. I say what I mean and mean what I say (consistent with my conscience and the boundaries of LEGAL free speech--already addressed in a previous blog).
I DO have a bigtime problem with some goverment jerkoff just knowing who I call. I'm a retired veteran, non-criminal (except the usual moving violations), and all that. Unlike Barack Obama, I don't hang around with terrorists who bombed the Pentagon. I don't hang around hate-speech ranting preachers (Rev. Wright). As long as I DO NOT break the law, there is no reason for me to be monitored in any way.
Bet he's not on those wiretaps.
The NSA says "We're only collecting patterns, not actually reading E-mails."
The check is in the mail, I'll respect you in the morning, and the manufacturer will cheerfully refund your money or replace the defective item quickly.
NSA forgot to include discussion of programs like CARNIVORE and ECHELON, that picks up on key words such as "bomb" "subway" "President" etc. How hard would it be to link the PRISM system to them and voila....Big Brother knows everything you do online, and in great detail.
The potential for abuse is beyond comprehension. I'm an ASPIRING (nice way of saying UNPUBLISHED) writer. One scene shows new peacekeepers on a Muslim-dominant world listening to the Adhan, (call to prayer) as part of their orientation training to better understand the devotion of the local Muslims (in the book, they do this personally, 5 times a day to enhance their devotion, not use a PA system with a recorder).
Not knowing what the caller was singing, I went to a Muslim-religion website, got the English and Arabic translations and saw a video of an Adhan at Mecca, at sundown.
After copy/paste and watch the video, the scene evolved to show reactions and discussion.
For instance, one female soldier thought the call was peaceful and tranquil. (it was done at sunset and there was no noise, just one man professing his faith to the world) Another thought it was a PSYOPS program to influence the soldiers, a third didn't care, a fourth wondered if it was a legal way to look at the base without getting shot.
This was written several years ago. Now imagine if I did this RECENTLY?
Little while later, I researched car bombs at a military website (no detailed knowledge, but did see a COOL video of a "water cutting charge" cutting the bomb in half before it could go boom)
NSA computer: "Scott goes to Muslim website, then military website."
NSA supervisor: "He's a vet. Disgruntled, affected by his service, no doubt. Better call the FBI in, do a contact call thing, ask a few questions. Meanwhile, suggest he goes on the no-fly list and see about grabbing his guns before he decides we're the threat to his freedom."
That's how easy it is to lose your freedom.
As an AMERICAN CITIZEN (not a 'subject'), I have the right to live my life according to the dictates of my conscience and in compliance with law. I have the right to privacy. IF I'm ever accused/suspected of breaking the law and a wiretap/surveillance becomes necessary, that has to go through the legal process. There has to be a warrant. One question asked at these hearings is "Is there probable cause?" That is, "Why do you think he's up to something?"
In the instance I posted above, the answer is "HELL NO". Further NSA check would show I posted the scene at Baen.com (The 'Bar' has the "Slush Pile" where writers share their work, give and receive constructive criticism and get criticized, applauded or tomatoes thrown at them) a few days later.
Given how the IRS handled the Tea Party, is that much of a "stretch" to think NSA won't target the callers/users based on the numbers/websites contacted? Think the NSA won't succumb to Obama's push to control things and single out Tea Party members because they can?
The IRS targeted the Tea Party. There's outrage.
The NSA targeted the American People. There's outrage, but it's not focused.
NSA mindset....we'll keep on doing it until someone tells us to stop stomping on freedom.
To my readers, I offer this:
It is time to start standing. If we do not STAND now, we will be on our knees in chains later. Whether those chains are actual chains or 'legal' chains, doesn't matter.
Chains are chains.
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