Watch: Scott Shackford Explains the PATRIOT Act Debate on BBC Persian

Earlier today, I did my best to briefly explain to an audience of Persian speakers in Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikstan why libertarians were concerned about the PATRIOT Act and what the expiration of Section 215 means. I was invited to a Skype interview by Fardad Farahzad for BBC Persian to talk about what happened with Sen. Rand Paul yesterday and the sunsetting of parts of the PATRIOT Act from a libertarian perspective. Watch us discuss the Fourth Amendment and third-party records below, courtesy of BBC Persian:

Comments

[Aloysious]

Matt would have worn a nice tie.

Up your game, Shackford.

[Paul.]

Do YOU dress up to play World of Warcraft?

[Scott S.]

In that closet behind me there is actually a suit, but I do so little press that I completely forgot about it until right before the call, and I didn't have time to change.

[Pro Libertate]

Go with a formal kilt from now on. It can be your thing, like Nick's jacket.

[Pathogen]

Why not a Viking helmet and furs?

[Hyperion]

Wouldn't that be culturally insensitive?

I think you've forgotten how the Vikings orchestrated a campaign of rape and plunder across the middle east right before they were stopped by the Incas.

[Pathogen]

Alright then, how about the Big Mountain lobotimite jumpsuit and mask..

[Pro Libertate]

Look, we don't want people to think libertarians aren't serious.

[Hyperion]

Well then start paying your fair share, mister!

[Pathogen]

There's just no compromise with you.. Fuck it! Leather gimp suit from now on..

[Pro Libertate]

No, but an acceptable alternative is a toga. Preferably from the Republican period. I suppose a senatorial robe with the purple fringe would work.

[Pathogen]

No Laurel wreath? No deal..

[Pro Libertate]

Only after triumphs.

[Pathogen]

Throne crafted of fallen enemy skulls.. after triumph..

[mr lizard]

So your discussing that bit of unpleasantness the yanks were having trying to figure out how much a wanker old americer should be?

[Paul.]

I did my best to briefly explain to an audience of Persian speakers in Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikstan why libertarians were concerned about the PATRIOT Act and what the expiration of Section 215 means

How hard can that be?

"We want you to win!"

[Pathogen]

""We want you to win!" a brand new car! Simply guess the retail price, without going over..

[Heroic Mulatto]

Marg bar PATRIOT Act.

[Paul.]

I can't watch the video just yet, Scott, but when you finished, did they start firing their AK-47s in the air in celebration and promise to support Rand Paul for President?

[GILMORE]

"but when you finished, did they start firing their AK-47s in the air in celebration and promise to support Rand Paul for President?"

Ugh! The ethnocentrism!

For your information, the people of that region are *world renowned for their hospitality and generosity*

they offered him their most attractive and virginal goat as a sign of their appreciation!

[Hyperion]

Well, at least we now understand his motivation for doing this.

[Paul.]

For your information, if Obama hadn't banned their importation, I would fire my AK-47 into the air in support of Rand Paul!

[Jima]

Luckily, your neighbors don't get to discover the fun and random game of dodging falling bullets when gravity inevitably reclaims them... I always wondered how many dumbshits get drilled when they're ripping whole magazines into the sky. Do they think Allah swallows them on the way up?

[Heroic Mulatto]

It doesn't even have to be from the bullets....

Celebratory gunfire at Saudi wedding cuts cable, 23 electrocuted

[Jima]

Wow, that would put a damper on the old arranged wedding, huh? Might have got a few bystanders with the bullets too, who knows? I doubt the Saudis keep real tight gun death stats. "Where's Achmed?" "He took a bullet from somewhere, he'll be out for a few weeks". "Oh, bummer. Same thing happened to my cousin last week, he was walking by a wedding." "Yeah, those weddings are scary."

[Paul.]

Falling bullets are not as dangerous as some people think.

Not to say that you're not going to get injured or get the occasional death.

Unfortunately sometimes the 'stray' bullet's trajectory is 'presumed' to be falling when in reality, someone let the muzzle drop a little too far in the horizontal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebratory_gunfire

[Jima]

Still...if I ever go to a wedding in the sandbox - admittedly an extreme longshot, I'm wearing a hardhat. You know, the one with two beer cup holders on it. That way I can celebrate while I dodge falling projectiles. No beer in Saudi you say? I could put some Ayinger Celebrator in a rootbeer bottle or two... Yeah, I'm probably not gonna have to worry about that.

[GILMORE]

", I did my best to briefly explain to an audience of Persian speakers in Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikstan why libertarians were concerned about the PATRIOT Act "

That must have really been one of those, "LOOK AT ME NOW, MOM!! I MADE IT!! I HIT THE BIG TIME!"-moments

lol

actually, i can imagine the Tajikstan Q&A:

"I see scott, what you say is very interesting. Still = we are unclear on this "Libertarianism". I suppose you are for say, more *humane* beheadings of homosexuals, yes?"

[Dark Lord of the Cis]

No more rusty sword blades. Also, equal protection means whores get beheaded too. No more stoning.

[Heroic Mulatto]

This could be a meme.

Tajikstani Barbie

[Hyperion]

I can't even imagine why Persian speakers in Afghanistan would give a shit about the Patriot Act, but admittedly, I'm not real educated on what is important to the Persian speakers in Afghanistan. But I bet staying alive and having the USA to just fuck off are way up there.

[GILMORE]

"I can't even imagine why Persian speakers in Afghanistan would give a shit about the Patriot Act,"

Dari, which is the ostensible "national language" of afghanistan, is a derivative of Persian (Farsi), and other similar variants are also spoken in the Northern 'Stan-istans. (although i think all are multi-lingual)

I'd guess that these countries, who have been within the sphere of the 'War on Terror', would have a strong general-interest in trends in US National Security policy; we spent a fair amount of money with all of the above countries, sometime using them as entrepots for material entering and leaving afghanistan,

http://www.cacianalyst.org/pub.....anas?.html

to be fair, the purely-domestic issues in the Patriot Act may be of little concern = but the tenor of US posture re: security, certainly is.

[Jima]

I'm guessing most of the attendees showed up for a chance to have a real American Coca-Cola at the meeting. Or it could be the goat ball stew, who knows for sure.

[GILMORE]

No coke, only Pepsi

[Vampire]

Some of them thar conserbatives might be scurred of them funky letters on the bottom skreen.

You know what happens when they're scared?? They write a patriot act that gives up the people's liberty on their behalf.