Re:Justice Dept. defends secret rulings in new spy court filing
by logn on Monday July 08, 2013 @08:59PM
(#6010455)
> The FISC can't grant the executive any power it didn't otherwise have
The problem Americans are having is that we feel our inherent rights as human beings have been taken away, but having been done so in secret, we have no way to assert the government has acted inappropriately.
How hard would it have been to fight slavery if it had been conducted under top secret designation? How would Rosa Parks' actions been so influential if no one could know what she did and what the bus drivers/passengers were doing?
Edit:
Examples could go on and on. I think we should 'send a message' that it's not ok to cover up crime by stamping it Top Secret. Every person who classified something Top Secret should be investigated. If they're found to have classified a crime by the government, they should be imprisoned for life. Every top director in intelligence since '03 should be tried for crimes, along with Bush, Obama, and any other influential people in the administrations (such as Cheney).
I hope the next presidential election revolves solely around this issue. It's important enough to me that I'd vote purely based on it. Hopefully the Democrats and Republicans end up offering us candidates to address the 4th and 1st amendments which I think are clearly threatened here. The Republicans could be motivated to focus on this issue purely because they'd have the upper hand on Democrats, and the Democrats would have to address this to even have a chance at winning (at least, that's my hope).
The problem Americans are having is that we feel our inherent rights as human beings have been taken away, but having been done so in secret, we have no way to assert the government has acted inappropriately.
How hard would it have been to fight slavery if it had been conducted under top secret designation? How would Rosa Parks' actions been so influential if no one could know what she did and what the bus drivers/passengers were doing?
Edit:
Examples could go on and on. I think we should 'send a message' that it's not ok to cover up crime by stamping it Top Secret. Every person who classified something Top Secret should be investigated. If they're found to have classified a crime by the government, they should be imprisoned for life. Every top director in intelligence since '03 should be tried for crimes, along with Bush, Obama, and any other influential people in the administrations (such as Cheney).
I hope the next presidential election revolves solely around this issue. It's important enough to me that I'd vote purely based on it. Hopefully the Democrats and Republicans end up offering us candidates to address the 4th and 1st amendments which I think are clearly threatened here. The Republicans could be motivated to focus on this issue purely because they'd have the upper hand on Democrats, and the Democrats would have to address this to even have a chance at winning (at least, that's my hope).