Random Internet Shit you've come across

Ddays

Hooked
I’m not about to give up.

We need a focal point, a common cause. I believe it’s called the United States Constitution. The issue is about 50% of the population either doesn’t understand what it actually says or doesn’t agree with it- that did not happen by accident.
Until this is resolved nothing will change.

I'm not willing to give up & roll over, but when you read these kinds of articles you realize how far off the rails the system really is. The press and all 3 branches of the government are 100% totally compromised. It's all for show. And the Republicans have earned another big atta boy for caving on this aid bill.



edit: article is paywalled. partial:

SURRENDER #1: CONGRESS ALLOWS EXECUTIVE BRANCH TO RE-AUTHORIZE ITS OWN POWER

The first betrayal began with a lie. Heading into the weekend, it was widely reported that unless the Senate reathorized section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which among other things allows the government to collect communications of Americans without a warrant, an April 19th deadline would expire. Our poor government would be forced to make do for whole days, if not longer, without warrantless spying authority.

House to take up bill to reauthorize crucial US spy program as expiration date looms,” as the AP put it, was a typical headline. House Speaker Mike Johnson was one of many politicians who pushed the notion, saying on April 12th, “We still have time on the clock” to get FISA re-authorized by the 19th.

This was all fake. The law was already extended. On April 5th of this year, Joe Biden’s Department of Justice effectively granted itself a one-year extension of FISA, meaning the real deadline was April of 2025. Illinois Democrat Dick Durbin and others repeatedly announced the fact, even on the Senate floor, but press didn’t report it.

“The U.S. Department of Justice has already obtained a fresh one-year certification from this Court to continue Section 702 surveillance through April of 2025,” Durbin said Thursday, while arguing the need to require warrants to spy on Americans. “There is no need for the Senate to swallow whole a House bill that expands—rather than reforms—Section 702.”


Similarly, at the end of last year, Section 702 had been set to “expire” on December 31st amid another panic. Congressional leaders inserted an extension through April 19th into the “must-pass” National Defense Authorization Act, seemingly tying the FISA extension to all military appropriations and staving off the horror of even temporary FISA-less existence.

But that too, was fake. As the ACLU, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, and over two dozen other groups wrote to congressional leaders at the end of last year, the government was already conducting surveillance “pursuant to a one-year FISA Court authorization” from the previous year.

In other words, the Executive Branch has been re-authorizing itself two years running, and Congress has gone along, setting the precedent that spy agencies need not ask permission to do anything at all.

It turns out the only real check on the continuation of the FISA program is the FISA court itself, which approved the Department of Justice’s request in late February of this year for an early extension. Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen told the New York Times when the request was made that bypassing Congress was necessary because it is “our responsibility” to “avoid a dangerous gap in collection.”

“Our” responsibility. Not yours.

Nonetheless, having Congressional approval is better than not, so yesterday, the Senate passed reauthorization of section 702 in a blowout. The 60-34 win included crushing defeat of two key amendments. Durbin’s amendment seeking requirement of a warrant to review the communications of Americans was squashed 50-42. An even more important Amendment introduced by Democrat Ron Wyden and Republican Cynthia Lummis (it ended up being called the Wyden-Hawley amendment) was routed 58-34.

That one was designed to cut out a seemingly small provision, covered here last week, that massively expands the number of companies and individuals who’ll be forced to cooperate with FISA surveillance requests under the new law. The new provision has been dubbed the “Everybody is a Spy” law, and all it needs now is for someone to help Joe Biden add his signature.
 

AZVAJKU

Hooked
I'm not willing to give up & roll over, but when you read these kinds of articles you realize how far off the rails the system really is. The press and all 3 branches of the government are 100% totally compromised. It's all for show. And the Republicans have earned another big atta boy for caving on this aid bill.



edit: article is paywalled. partial:

SURRENDER #1: CONGRESS ALLOWS EXECUTIVE BRANCH TO RE-AUTHORIZE ITS OWN POWER

The first betrayal began with a lie. Heading into the weekend, it was widely reported that unless the Senate reathorized section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which among other things allows the government to collect communications of Americans without a warrant, an April 19th deadline would expire. Our poor government would be forced to make do for whole days, if not longer, without warrantless spying authority.

House to take up bill to reauthorize crucial US spy program as expiration date looms,” as the AP put it, was a typical headline. House Speaker Mike Johnson was one of many politicians who pushed the notion, saying on April 12th, “We still have time on the clock” to get FISA re-authorized by the 19th.

This was all fake. The law was already extended. On April 5th of this year, Joe Biden’s Department of Justice effectively granted itself a one-year extension of FISA, meaning the real deadline was April of 2025. Illinois Democrat Dick Durbin and others repeatedly announced the fact, even on the Senate floor, but press didn’t report it.

“The U.S. Department of Justice has already obtained a fresh one-year certification from this Court to continue Section 702 surveillance through April of 2025,” Durbin said Thursday, while arguing the need to require warrants to spy on Americans. “There is no need for the Senate to swallow whole a House bill that expands—rather than reforms—Section 702.”


Similarly, at the end of last year, Section 702 had been set to “expire” on December 31st amid another panic. Congressional leaders inserted an extension through April 19th into the “must-pass” National Defense Authorization Act, seemingly tying the FISA extension to all military appropriations and staving off the horror of even temporary FISA-less existence.

But that too, was fake. As the ACLU, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, and over two dozen other groups wrote to congressional leaders at the end of last year, the government was already conducting surveillance “pursuant to a one-year FISA Court authorization” from the previous year.

In other words, the Executive Branch has been re-authorizing itself two years running, and Congress has gone along, setting the precedent that spy agencies need not ask permission to do anything at all.

It turns out the only real check on the continuation of the FISA program is the FISA court itself, which approved the Department of Justice’s request in late February of this year for an early extension. Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen told the New York Times when the request was made that bypassing Congress was necessary because it is “our responsibility” to “avoid a dangerous gap in collection.”

“Our” responsibility. Not yours.

Nonetheless, having Congressional approval is better than not, so yesterday, the Senate passed reauthorization of section 702 in a blowout. The 60-34 win included crushing defeat of two key amendments. Durbin’s amendment seeking requirement of a warrant to review the communications of Americans was squashed 50-42. An even more important Amendment introduced by Democrat Ron Wyden and Republican Cynthia Lummis (it ended up being called the Wyden-Hawley amendment) was routed 58-34.

That one was designed to cut out a seemingly small provision, covered here last week, that massively expands the number of companies and individuals who’ll be forced to cooperate with FISA surveillance requests under the new law. The new provision has been dubbed the “Everybody is a Spy” law, and all it needs now is for someone to help Joe Biden add his signature.

The Nation has gone a long way down the wrong path and the rot is very deep. It’s not going to be an easy fix, and I don’t know if it even can be fixed at this point.

The one thing I am absolutely certain of is if we just roll over and give up it’s going to get far, far, far worse. With modern technology and the extensive number of federal agencies the potential exists for tyranny like the world has never seen. All the oppressive regimes of history would be extremely jealous of the population control tools available today.
 

Aceisback

Hooked
I try to stay light hearted and amusing with some of my posts but I just stumbled on this footage. Had FoxNews on in the background the other day when this happened and caught the three or four seconds of it that they showed from a distance before cutting away and apologizing. I’ve seen some folks in my time dedicated to their cause but Jeezus, this dude went all out.
It’s not for the meek so watch at your own discretion.
 
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