C-Span Caller with great insight on the FISA ILLEGAL WIRETAPPING

[ThomWV]

A caller into C-Span's Washington Journal this morning (8.29 am, Rush Holt as guest) really hit the nail on the head when it comes to the problem with FISA. The caller's wife is from Beirut, they make calls to lebanon about once a week. The caller said he is fully aware that their calls are monitored. Then the caller got to points. The caller noted that were he a resident of Saudi Arabia, Syria, or other oppressive nations he would know what he could and could not say on the phone, however in this country he has 1st amendment rights and he wanted to know what happened to them? He noted that in this country he could be put on no-fly lists, denied Federal employment, and that other official sanctions could be placed on him AND EVERYONE ElSE HE TALKS TO as well, he asked who would protect his friends 1st amendment rights as well.

Mighty good point. If there are reprisals for what is legally said then who is breaking the law? If your friends and acquaintances find themselves deprived of their fundamental rights because of a legitimate incoming call who has broke the law?

When will this country wake up?

[annabanana]

1. We are all suspects.

"but why should I worry if I haven't done anything wrong?"

(You are always just one "signing statement" away from the no-fly list)

[Dhalgren]

3. It isn't that "we are all suspects" anymore.

We are all terrorists - we just haven't been uncovered yet...

:scared:

[bdamomma]

10. remember when * said this

"you're with us or against us"

that meant all of us.:scared:

[ProfessorGAC]

6. And Why Is Cheney Worried About That Energy Task Force Record

After all, "if he has nothing to hide. . ."
The Professor

[ThomWV]

8. Every time an innocent person gets our of prison we should ask ourselves that question.

[Tony_FLADEM]

2. My family is from Lebanon

When my mom calls Lebanon, she always hears an echo when she is talking. That means the call is being monitored.

[KharmaTrain]

5. That's "Satellite Bounce"

It's the lag as the signal bounces around. Today's bugging is connects where you really can't audibly detect someone listening in...it's done through intercepting the signal going to and from the satellite. I'd bet not just the NSA is tuned in as are several other governments and agencies.

[ThomWV]

9. No it doesn't. You won't hear a thing

If you've got an echo maybe you need a new phone or maybe its in the phone system, but it doesn't have a thing at all to do with your phone calls being listened to (which they most certainly are). They way it is done is more like copying a CD than it is the old concept of splicing into the wire and attaching a tape recorder. Somewhere there is a relay that normally would have sent your call from one switch to another on its way from your phone to the one you were calling and instead of that relay making one copy it is making two - you know where the second one goes. At any rate if you are hearing a sound it is not coming from a wire tap.

[KharmaTrain]

4. This Story Needs More Faces

I wish Christine Armanpour would speak out about having her communications tapped and then we find out what Mrs. Greenspan knew but all of a sudden went hush hush as well.

One can only imagine how horrible one's life has been the past several years if you're name is Arabic or you called a country this regime doesn't like. Even in the benign, this regime's snooping is so broadly defined, how does one know whose an enemy and what things one can say or not that won't put a red flag on your name.

It really does demonstrate the perilous situation this regime and its telcom enablers are on this...and begins to show why they are so desperate for the immunity...so much so that they'll shitcan the whole thing. Those who chirp "I've got nothing to hide"...now how sure about that are you??? How can you know when you don't know what this regime is looking for.

[Submariner]

7. We have an incredibly stupid and ignorant pretzeldent

This is to be expected from a frat boy with unearned legacy degrees from Yale and Harvard. Those universities should be ashamed of themselves in giving him degrees based solely on his last name.

Dumbya has no critical thinking skills, so he will naturally detour to fascist dictator mode on wire-tapping to fill his black book. Plus he is a scared COWARD.

[bdamomma]

11. he is that. a coward.

that is maybe why we are all suspects, he does not trust anyone but that 1%.