A federal appeals court ruled on Thursday that the telephone metadata collection program, under which the National Security Agency gathers up millions of phone records on an ongoing daily basis, is illegal under the Patriot Act.
The government
has argued it has the power to carry forward with the program under a
section of the Patriot Act, which expires in June. Lawmakers are locked
in a debate on whether or how to renew the authority, which was first
passed shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks on New York and
Washington, but has been renewed by both Presidents Bush and Obama in the intervening years.
Documents
confirming the program's existence were first revealed in June of 2013
with the leaks by former government contractor Edward Snowden.
More @ CNN
How many angels can dance on the head of a pin.....a pointless argument. Just as this decision is pointless. The spying serves the agenda of those in power therefore it will continue. The court ruling is academic. The courts CAN'T stop it and the other two branches WON'T stop it. Court decisions are pretty much irrelevant to a rogue government that considers the law as something to use as a weapon.....not something to be constrained by.
ReplyDeleteStill trying to figure out what country this is...................
DeleteBrock if you haven't figured it out by now ...... This is a nation with a "secret police" 500X larger than the old soviet KGB , far better funded and invested with far more power. We have a de facto "one party system" that no longer even pretends to do the peoples bidding, the courts, the Congress and rule of law are overthrown and ether openly serve the secret police or are completely ignored by those in power. People are openly robbed in the streets by agents of government, at the mere whim of the government agent. The people have no way to seek meaningful redress of any injury by government agents. Government agents openly murder at will with no fear of the people or the law. The ballot of the people is manipulated , altered and in the end rendered meaningless by the same agents that murder and rob them . Your property , your children, your religion and your natural rights are all clamed by the state, and the people are told over and over that to BELIEVE anything not approved by the state is to become the states mortal enemy. Your country is a classic Communist Police State Mr. Townsend , and you only have one real "vote " left......If you'll use it.---Ray
ReplyDeleteyou only have one real "vote " left
ReplyDeleteI have only one box left, but many votes. :)