A Government Immune to its People

[Amomynous]

I don't normally post to this sub-forum (I tend to think of politics as a description, not an explanation), but I came across this the other day and I thought it germane, given the topics that are usually discussed here.

The following quote is from Salon, a self-admitted left-leaning publication which tends to be quite supportive of Democratic politics in general, and Obama in particular. The subject of the editorial is the suit brought against the US government by the EFF over illegal, warrantless wiretaps (a subject that should be near and dear to our hearts).

In other words, beyond even the outrageously broad "state secrets" privilege invented by the Bush administration and now embraced fully by the Obama administration, the Obama DOJ has now invented a brand new claim of government immunity, one which literally asserts that the U.S. Government is free to intercept all of your communications (calls, emails and the like) and -- even if what they're doing is blatantly illegal and they know it's illegal -- you are barred from suing them unless they "willfully disclose" to the public what they have learned.

The long and short of it is that the Obama Administration's position is that, in the area of illegal wiretapping, they may not be sued -- even if what they're doing is illegal -- unless they voluntarily decide to release the information gathered illegally. They call this principle "Sovereign Immunity." Sovereign as in "King," I guess.

In defense of Obama I have occasional made the statement that "well, at least he couldn't be as bad a Bush." I'm starting to wonder it, at least in some areas, that wasn't just a failure of imagination on my part. (Full disclosure: I voted for neither Obama nor McCain.)

The whole blog entry can be read here

[Amomynous]

His follow up piece has also been posted.

[dendro]

"In defense of Obama I have occasional made the statement that "well, at least he couldn't be as bad a Bush." I'm starting to wonder it, at least in some areas, that wasn't just a failure of imagination on my part. (Full disclosure: I voted for neither Obama nor McCain.)"

I voted Libertarian for pres. And skeptic that I am, I never thought Obama would be very much better than Bush. But after witnessing the beginning months of the Obama admin, I admit even I am surprised by the extent of the utter failure of Obama.

[Bram_]

So O'bama is ever worse at violating the constitution and our right to privacy.  O'bama's so called goverment spies to spy on civilians, is ever more liking the KGB run by Joseph Stalin, enough about O'bama because he is less of a spy than George Bush in my opinion.

Jamison Schuetz
http://www.geocities.com/jsheetz20012005/