New at Reason
Tim Lee sits the Democrats down and explains why they should be credulous about "reforming" FISA and surveillance laws.
Comments to "New at Reason":
just a suggestion | February 7, 2008, 4:20pm | #
Maybe why they should be less credulous? Or skeptical? Why should they be credulous?If they can't take the Constitution seriously why should I think they will take FISA and Surveillance seriously?
jp | February 7, 2008, 4:37pm | #
I once received a brief from opposing counsel in which they consistently and repeatedly said that our arguments were "incredulous."Windtell | February 7, 2008, 4:44pm | #
Credulous - adj.1. Disposed to believe too readily; gullible.
I also think that Tim's use of it is wrong.
T | February 7, 2008, 4:52pm | #
I don't see the word credulous in the actual article. The unnamed Reasonoid who wrote the blog post needs to fess up and fix it.And yes, Congress of late has been way too free in handing out infringements on our rights. I'm sure President Obama or McCain will reverse this trend through leadership.
Wait, why's everybody laughing and pointing?
Dogzilla | February 7, 2008, 4:55pm | #
TrickyVic is right.All the details of the bill are meaningless. When the Executive branch breaks the law, Congress and the people have to hold them accountable, and we know they won't. Some people support the lawbreaking, most don't know and/or don't care. Congress does what the people demand, which is nothing, except maybe change he law to make whatever was done legal, and give responsible parties immunity.
DannyK | February 7, 2008, 5:05pm | #
credulous[Princess Bride]
I do not think that word means what you think it means!
[/Princess Bride]
Wallace Shawn | February 7, 2008, 5:09pm | #
INCONCEIVABLE!!Xboy | February 7, 2008, 5:11pm | #
"Why are today’s Democrats less concerned with civil liberties than Republicans were a decade ago?"Today's Republicans are no better -- they're the ones who passed these laws originally.
de stijl | February 7, 2008, 5:14pm | #
I was playing a game recently and one of the characters says "Your past misdeeds will be absconded from the official records and you will be hereby lauded as a great hero, blah blah blah."I just said to myself "wizzle wuzzle?"
Clarence | February 7, 2008, 5:28pm | #
You'll hear a lot of strange things from now on, George.Pro Libertate | February 7, 2008, 5:29pm | #
Kroykah!Leonard | February 7, 2008, 5:42pm | #
I'm having trouble figuring out how the Star Trek reference fits in....Pro Libertate | February 7, 2008, 5:53pm | #
Incroyable inspired that exclamation on my part.Leonard | February 7, 2008, 5:55pm | #
Ah yesColonel_Angus | February 7, 2008, 7:20pm | #
According to google J sub D is "happy in mice." These preverts these days, hes worse than that woman that wanted a gander under her frock.I am so tried of the lame excuse that 9/11 changed the rules. Bullshit. I was in lower Manhattan that day, I saw the towers fall with my own eyes and I didn't feel one tenth the threat to my liberty then I do every time I see another "anti-terrorism" bill. More lives and freedoms have been lost due to the actions of our own government than the actions of Al Qaeda. I wish it could all be blamed on Bush or the Neo-cons, but it is clear that both major parties are in favor of ever increasing federal power.
Gene Trosper | February 8, 2008, 8:44am | #
Why the Protect America Act Is a Bad IdeaBetter, it should say:
Why the Protect America Act Is an Evil Idea
It's way past time for pussyfooting around and start saying what this crap really is: absolute, undiluted EVIL.
T | February 8, 2008, 9:31am | #
It's way past time for pussyfooting around and start saying what this crap really is: absolute, undiluted EVIL.Yes, because what we all need as libertarians is to be even further branded as whackjobs by calling policy proposals evil. You have to appeal to Americans' xenophobia if you're going to use that word, like Evil Empire or Axis of Evil. It's a no-go on the domestic front.
Alan MacDonald | February 9, 2008, 1:09pm | #
We have a unitive (emperor) president who authorizes torture and launches aggressive, preemptive wars that kill millions.We have a justice (sic) department that will not enforce laws against torture, spying, tyranny, and mass murder.
We have a presidential candidate of one of the two major parties who sings, "bomb, bomb, bomb. bomb, bomb, Iran." [IE. a certified war nut].
We have an opposition party that will not lift a finger against this corporatist Empire which has taken over our republic and hides behind the facade of a 'Vichy American' phony government.
We have a vice emperor who would be thrown off the death-star by Darth Vader for being too vicious.
And the whole world is watching and now reporting on this insane and global war criminal Empire!!!
Alan MacDonald | February 9, 2008, 1:21pm | #
Excellent analysis from WSWS:"From a constitutional standpoint, the response of the opposition party in such a situation would be a call for impeachment. However, even before the Democrats took control of Congress last January, this option had already been ruled out by the leading figures in the party. Democrats have also shelved the few congressional investigations launched after the revelation of the videotapes’ destruction.
The position of the Democratic Party is explained by the fact that the party has been complicit from the very beginning in the policy of torture. The Bush administration is relying on this complicity as its shifts to a position of more openly and aggressively defending waterboarding.
During Mukasey’s testimony on Thursday, Republicans on the committee made a point of highlighting comments by Democrats to counteract criticisms of the CIA program.
Republican Representative Daniel Lungren (Calif.) cited Democratic Senator Charles Schumer’s statement, made in 2004, that it was necessary to have “balance” in the discussion on torture. “I think there are probably very few people in this room or in America who would say that torture should never, ever be used, particularly if thousands of lives are at stake,” Schumer said at the time."
Obviously, the Demos party is a full fledged partner with the proto-fascist Repubs in supporting every crime and tyranny of this global corporatist Empire which hides behind the facade of our 'Vichy American' faux government.
Alan MacDonald | February 9, 2008, 8:51pm | #
Money says that if a new domestic spying allowance law (aka. Protect America Act) is not passed to Bush's liking, and the old law expires, that Bush will orchestrate another contrived terrorist attack (like 9/11), and blame it on the demos.The bottom line is that the government has no authority to wiretap or any other kind of search without a warrant, and probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation. FISA, by allowing wiretaps prior to warrants, is an illegal operation set up by virtue of fiat power, unauthorized by the government's constituting authority, and in existence only as a prime example of a government completely out of control. FISA criminally implicates congress, the executive, and the courts.