• Majority says government a threat to citizens' rights
    55 replies, posted
oshit lankist is up in this bitch
[QUOTE=Lankist;20446449]Yes.[/QUOTE] I'm not saying that it hasn't been used, but can you tell me about a few of the times it was used? Or would the government releasing information about how they used it compromise national security?
You seem to be on the offensive, Glaber
Are we having a "State the Obvious" contest?
[QUOTE=Shugo589;20452389]Or would the government releasing information about how they used it compromise national security?[/QUOTE] Basically that. There are stories scattered around but the biggest problem is that there is no oversight and FoIA doesn't apply to USAPATRIOT.
I agree. The more power held by a central government, the bigger a threat they become to its citizens. No matter how good their intentions, a strong government will inevitably begin to think that they know what's best for the people.
It is so hard for me not to quote Serenity like it's a piece of old literature.
[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;20452995]I agree. The more power held by a central government, the bigger a threat they become to its citizens. No matter how good their intentions, a strong government will inevitably begin to think that they know what's best for the people.[/QUOTE] true, yet the reverse can also be potentially dangerous. a weak government won't be able to keep law and order. there needs to be a fine balance as with most things.
I don't think the American government's too powerful, it's too corrupt. That's the problem. The president doesn't give two shits about what happens, Congress is always trying to find new ways to make their country fail, and the judicial branch is just as corrupt.
[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;20445807]However, thanks to the Patriot Act, the federal government sure as shit does pose a danger to individual rights, or at least the right not to be arbitrarily imprisoned overseas indefinitely and tortured.[/QUOTE] Nevermind, bits and pieces of the Patriot Act are still law but I don't believe it'll be around for long, it was too much of a perversion of our rights and people have been adamantly vocal about it.
[QUOTE=purvisdavid1;20454063]We removed the Patriot Act dude, or at least I'm fairly sure of that.[/QUOTE] [img]http://i.somethingawful.com/u/petey/comedygoldmine/2009a/march/deephurting/a1pics/editorial_20090212.jpg[/img] Now all we need is Dick Cheney to bite it off him
[quote]The survey indicates a partisan divide on the question: only 37 percent of Democrats, 63 percent of Independents and nearly 7 in 10 Republicans say the federal government poses a threat to the rights of Americans.[/quote] Bet you it was skewed the other way when Bush was in power
[QUOTE=Gmod_Fan77;20453117]I don't think the American government's too powerful, it's too corrupt. That's the problem. The president doesn't give two shits about what happens, Congress is always trying to find new ways to make their country fail, and the judicial branch is just as corrupt.[/QUOTE] Fucking exactly. Decreasing it's size isn't going to help. Reduce it's power, reorganize it, streamline it, simplify it, purge it, and allow the budget to return to normal over a period of time by inducing economic growth and finding more sources of income, and then give economic executive power to the president who is elected directly by the people rather than these corrupt lobby-loving senators. Allow the house of representatives more power than the Senate. Clean up the corruption, make lobbying illegal, etc. But the problem is, [I]we are just too stupid to do go in any direction but down.[/I] We are too busy blaming the government for being too big and bloated rather than realizing that it's the corruption and the poor quality of the institutions that is the problem. We would rather have Reagan or Bush back in power, talkin' tough, deregulating the economy, conducting under-the-table-deals, acting as world police, and sucking the life out of the third world, rather than preventing all those very same qualities that [B]brought us to this mess in the first place.[/B] Either that, or we're just sitting on our asses instead. It makes no difference. Why are we sitting there defending countries that don't contribute anything back? Why are we giving out loans and aid to foreign countries such as Pakistan and Haiti when our own country was suffering? Why the hell are we spying on our own people???
[QUOTE=Canuhearme?;20445853]Has the Patriot Act ever been used yet?[/QUOTE] Its been used to arrest prank phone callers.
[QUOTE=Xystus234;20454443]Why are we sitting there defending countries that don't contribute anything back? Why are we giving out loans and aid to forigen countries such as Pakistan and Haiti when our own country was suffering?[/QUOTE] Because it's the right thing to do
[QUOTE=CrazyMoron;20454801]Its been used to arrest prank phone callers.[/QUOTE] Then it is just. Prank phone calling is such a heinous act, anyone that is a part of it deserves to be arrested.
OMg u see ppl beeleeve nowez nd wee wil fiht dem reptilyuns!1!1 :tinfoil:
[QUOTE=purvisdavid1;20454063]Nevermind, bits and pieces of the Patriot Act are still law but I don't believe it'll be around for long, it was too much of a perversion of our rights and people have been adamantly vocal about it.[/QUOTE] After all this time it still being in place says otherwise. Same goes for the Military Commissions Act of 2006
[QUOTE=purvisdavid1;20454063]Nevermind, bits and pieces of the Patriot Act are still law but I don't believe it'll be around for long, it was too much of a perversion of our rights and people have been adamantly vocal about it.[/QUOTE] USAPATRIOT originally had a sunset date stating it was SUPPOSED to end. It was voted to make it permanent.
[QUOTE=HubmaN;20454162][img]http://i.somethingawful.com/u/petey/comedygoldmine/2009a/march/deephurting/a1pics/editorial_20090212.jpg[/img] Now all we need is Dick Cheney to bite it off him[/QUOTE] *Downloads* That's the first evil Obama face I've ever seen.
I don't think it's possible for it to be a threat to our rights. If a majority of the country thinks that the government is infringing their rights, they can legally over throw it. [quote=Declaration of Independence]We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — [B]That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government[/B], laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.[/quote]
[QUOTE=TH89;20454816]Because it's the right thing to do[/QUOTE] We don't really seem to mind doing the wrong thing when we need something from them.
Meaning?
[QUOTE=Rubs10;20463554]I don't think it's possible for it to be a threat to our rights. If a majority of the country thinks that the government is infringing their rights, they can legally over throw it.[/QUOTE] How do you legally overthrow something? If the government is becoming a distopia, they're definitely going to arrest/kill you.
[QUOTE=Rubs10;20463554]I don't think it's possible for it to be a threat to our rights. If a majority of the country thinks that the government is infringing their rights, they can legally over throw it.[/QUOTE] You realize that entails a lot of people dying right? Oh right I'm talking to a bunch of sociopaths. [editline]09:40PM[/editline] [QUOTE=Mingebox;20463692]How do you legally overthrow something? If the government is becoming a distopia, they're definitely going to arrest/kill you.[/QUOTE] Insurrection has long been illegal. [editline]09:40PM[/editline] Waco, Texas.
[QUOTE=breakyourfac;20446050]I was with that teen the night he got arrested, we were using skype to call in pranks and broadcasting it into ventrillo. He made about 17 bomb threats to various schools before he got nabbed, he was tyrone, he was the greatest.[/QUOTE] And why exactly did that seem like a good idea? Because it seems like a really [i]really[/i] bad idea.
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