Congress enacted the USA PATRIOT Act or the "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 in October of 2001. The Act flew through the House with a vote of 357 to 66, all the dissent votes were by-and-large from the Democrats. The Senate's near-unanimous ballot of Senate by 98 to 1 showed less resistance to the overthrow of personal liberties guaranteed by by the Constitution and President GW Bush sign the bill into law.
The abuse of these laws have remained under the cloak of the NSA and CIA and FBI, as these agencies vied for more power and funds from the sweeping mandates authorizing illegal search and seizure as well as the unbridled surveillance of millions of innocent Americans.
"I have no problem with the NSA listening to us," a state judge told me yesterday, as Rand Paul attempted to block a vote of the renewal allowing access to records and other items under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
"Even though it's a violation of civil rights." I was afraid they might curtail my XXX research.
"If it protects America, it's good with me."
"The NSA computers listen to billions of conversations every day. Do you really thin that they have developed an algorithym to cut out all the OMGs? The answer is no. No one is deciphering the onslaught of information, because no terrorist will talk on a telephone or send an email. It's not how they operate. They operate the same as Whitey Bulger; no phones, no cars, no emails, no written messages. It's standard operating procedure for secretive cells. But this doesn't stop the NSA from spending $47 billion a year on this useless program, because the more money you spend, the more power you have."
"So you don't care if they listen to you?"
"Me, not really, but if they ever wanted to mess with you, they are experts at making someone looking guilty. Same as the FBI with DNA. All lies."
"You are a true cynic." The judge shook his head.
"No, I only believe what I believe, because I don't watch TV."
The judge had an 80" screen in his living room.
"No TV?" The way he said it sounded almost, as if I had created treason.
"Not since 2008."
I had thrown my thin screen into the street.
It hadn't survived the impact with the sidewalk and neither has part of the fucking Patriot Act thanks to Rand Paul.
Do I feel safer?
A little, because last year Western Union investigated me for money-laundering under the orders of the Patriot Act. I had sent too much money to my families in Thailand. It took them a month to clear up the problem during which time I had to pay extra to wire money to my kids.
All to feel safe from terrorism.
But I always feel safe.
AS long as I don't watch TV.
