The main thing that's been on my mind lately is mine and Chrissa's new house. We've just set a closing date for Tuesday (one DAY before we have to be out of our apartment)! Otherwise, I feel like I've been going through a drought of logical thought...
Two quick thoughts on current events:
1) Representative William Jefferson, D-La, was recently busted by the FBI with $90,000 of bribe money wrapped up in foil in his freezer--money that was supposedly to be used to bribe a Nigerian government official to help a US telecommunications company do business in Nigeria.
What are the Democrats saying? That this was an abuse of Executive power against the Legislative power (FBI is under control of the President)...and an obvious attempt to make the Democrats look bad. If anyone made the Democrats look bad, it was Rep. Jefferson. The FBI was just doing their job.
See, this is what makes me mad about national politics: a large part of them are greasy, corrupt and officious. They maintain their stranglehold on America by bashing the other side. Take Tom DeLay, R-Tx, for instance...the former House Majority Leader. The guy is corrupt to the core and yet Republican congressmen fought tooth and nail to allow him to remain as House Majority Leader EVEN IF INDICTED of ethics violations.
Most of these guys wouldn't think what they're doing is wrong, most likely. It probably just seems like "smart politicking" to these guys: re-districting and looking out for American business, etc, etc.
It's time to clean shop.
2) The NSA was recently exposed for its networking of millions of phone numbers. I'm not quite sure of all the details, but I think what they were doing is looking for anomolies and patterns in overseas phone calls...and seeing who suspected terrorists called and who called them. And then they monitor.
I would expect that the average, everday Joe Schmoe American doesn't need to be concerned about the NSA tapping their phonelines. I don't think the NSA cares what 900 numbers people call. Personally, I think this is a smart move.
Everytime I read about the NY police busting a group of would-be-terrorists before they carry out a bombing on the Metro...or hear about the FBI busting down a hillbilly's door a week before he was going to blow up the IRS building...I'm impressed that they had the right guys in the right places to stop those things from happening. If it weren't for security, we wouldn't enjoy the freedom we have to complain about their security measures and our right to privacy.
You take a stroll down in Tel Aviv and you'll see real security measures and you'll notice a real lack of privacy. But America is not practical. America is reactive. We like to be enraged at what we hear on the news between American Idol and House. That's what makes us American: we're mad as hell but we don't know why.
Well...I've got a movie to catch...
7 years ago
5 comments:
check out this article, it gets really interesting aboout halfway through:
http://www.alternet.org/story/36593/
I'd be less freaked out by the phone tapping if it wasn't the Bush administration doing it, I think. Because like you, Phee, I can see the overall sense of it, distasteful as it is. It just that Bush and Co. are already terribly secretive and slimy--they're not the sort of blokes I want monitoring my communications.
Creepy article, by the way, Shasta.
Yeah, good article and, yes, I do agree with dan.
She also stole the last of the mac and cheese last night...
I guess the question is, "How much are we willing to pay to insure our security?" Is the Bush Admin shady? How many other presidents have been shady? I assure you that Bush is not the only one. I am sure the U.S. will recover. Maybe not with Bush and maybe not with the next pres either. We just need to make our voices heard by voting and taking an active role in our society. Not that I agree with their methods, but look at the illegal immigrants and those who where at one time illegal. We sure know about them!! If not, check out the following web address: http://c-and-n-simons.blogspot.com/2006/05/when-in-rome.html If we sit and do nothing, our rights will end up being dictated for us and limited. If you think the U.S. is free, think again. Free speech and free thinking died years ago. We have to be P.C. now and in some schools you can't even talk about Christmas or any other holiday that the majority celebrate. Majority, make way for the minority!! They are taking away your rights! I guess the squeeky wheel will always get oiled, right?
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