It is a time of fear in the face of freedom, a time for the widening of previous roads and the opening of new paths, a time of an emptying country and swelling cities, yet a time when these paths are mined by knowing algorithms of the all-seeing eye. It is the time of the warrior's peace and the miser's charity, when the planting of a seed is an act of conscientious objection.

These are the times when maps fade and direction is lost. Forwards is backwards now, so we glance sideways at the strange lands through which we are all passing, knowing for certain only that our destination has disappeared. We are unready to meet these times, but we proceed nonetheless, adapting as we wander, reshaping the Earth with every tread. Behind us we have left the old times, the standard times, the high times. Welcome to the irregular times.


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Wednesday, March 1st, 2006

strange hourglass

Total Information Patriot Act Searches To Continue

Filed under Democrats, Election 2008, Homeland Insecurity, Legislation, Liberty by jclifford at 7:07 am

Congratulations, Mr. Bush. The Total Information Awareness project you have so craftily hidden away in the National Security Agency can now legally continue, thanks to the renewal of the Patriot Act.

As Senator Russ Feingold has pointed out, the new version of the Patriot Act only puts a fig leaf over the law’s grave violations of Americans’ constitutional rights. It’s the Patriot Act that has enabled the Bush White House to gather Americans’ private information into the huge government databases that form the basis for the continued work on the Total Information Awareness program.

President Bush has proven, time and again, that he has no respect for the liberty guaranteed to all people in the USA by the Bill of Rights. Whether it’s the Total Information Awareness program, military programs to spy on Americans, or the NSA warrantless wiretapping program, Bush has proved that he cannot be trusted with any extraordinary powers. Nonetheless, yesterday, the Senate handed extraordinary powers to George W. Bush, all wrapped up with glitter and a bow.

It’s bad enough that every single Republican in the Senate voted for the renewal without pushing for meaningful reform of the bill. What’s worse? 14 Democratic senators voted for the bill as well, still too afraid to stand up to George W. Bush, even when he has the worst interests of the American people at heart. If Paul Revere came riding by their homes, these Democratic senators would call the police about the violation of a sound ordinance, and then roll over and go back to sleep.

These Democrats ought to be ashamed of themselves:

  • Joseph Biden, Delaware
  • Senator Tom Carper of Delaware
  • Senator Hillary Clinton of New York
  • Senator Kent Conrad of North Dakota
  • Senator Diane Feinstein of California
  • Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota
  • Senator Herb Kohl of Wisconsin
  • Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana
  • Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas
  • Senator Bill Nelson of Florida
  • Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska
  • Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas
  • Senator John Rockefeller of West Virginia
  • Senator Charles Schumer of New York

    Joseph Biden and Hillary Clinton have both made it clear that they want to run for President in 2008. They’re counting on you not to remember this vote. Will you cooperate?


  • 1 Comment »

    1. The lascivious pair on the phone
      Their prurient talk did postpone;
      When they tried to begin
      The feds listened in.
      With this White House you’re never alone.

      Comment by Layla — 3/1/2006 @ 4:59 pm

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