http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/25/AR2009032501862_pf.htmlFBI Director Robert S. Mueller III today urged lawmakers to move swiftly to renew intelligence-gathering measures set to expire in December, calling them "exceptional" tools to help protect national security.
Mueller told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that he hoped that the reauthorization of two provisions contained in the Patriot Act would be far less "controversial" than in previous years. During the Bush administration, the law drove a wedge between investigators seeking to detect terrorist threats and advocates warning that it trampled on Americans' civil liberties.
In response to a question from Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Mueller said that his agents had used a provision that helped authorities secure access to business records about 220 times between 2004 and 2007. Data for last year was not yet available, Mueller said.
The measure, known as section 215 after its location in the Patriot Act, has been criticized by the American Civil Liberties Union as allegedly violating the First Amendment rights of U.S. citizens. It allows investigators probing terrorism to seek a suspect's records from third parties such as financial services, travel and telephone companies without notifying the suspect.
"It has been exceptionally helpful in our national security investigations," the FBI director said.
I know it takes "respectable" types some number of years to catch up to the "kooks" of the world --in embracing, for example, the weirdo ideas that invisible creatures called "microbes" under the dirty fingernails of surgeons cause disease; that defecating into the town water supply is not a good idea; and that buildings don't just blow up and fall down like that-- but there is great power in wielding the truth.
The truth has magical powers. It just lets you cut a swath through entire arguments. It's a trump card:
"I see that you want the Patriot Act renewed. I don't see how it will protect me from the compartmentalized elements of the CIA, Mossad, and the Pentagon who flew planes into the World Trade Center. What say ye? Nothing? Alright, then; let's break for lunch."
Ninety-five percent of the blather I see on TV and in the newspapers has ZERO MEANING WHATSOEVER when it is regarded in light of THE FACT THAT 9-11 was executed by bankers, not brown people. "Yes, we've been talking for the past eight years as if we had fingered the right guy. Turns out that we had the wrong guy and the policies are completely backwards, but we'll just continue playing the same old tune."
And the newspaper people moan about their job security. Well, it is as if FULLY NINETY-FIVE PERCENT of the paper were just white space; it's all cockamamie talk predicated upon a BS story that CANNOT POSSIBLY BE TRUE AS IT DOES NOT COMPORT WITH THE LAWS OF PHYSICS.
The mantra you need to remember is this:
And you people need to fix this issue fast. This police state that has been constructed around you was constructed for the purpose of killing you when you find out who destroyed your country. "No, Chris, you're so silly; if it turns out that you're right, we'll just vote them out. We have plenty of time."
No you don't. You don't vote occupation forces out of office. It doesn't work that way.
