NationStates Jolt Archive

According to a detailed report by the ACLU, more than seven years after its implementation, there is little evidence to demonstrate that the Patriot Act has made America more secure from terrorists. But there are many unfortunate examples that the government abused these authorities in ways that both violated the rights of innocent people and squandered precious security resources. Three Patriot Act-related surveillance provisions will expire in December 2009, which will give the 111th Congress an opportunity to review and thoroughly evaluate all Patriot Act authorities – as well as any other post-9/11 domestic intelligence programs – and to rescind, repeal or modify provisions that are unused, ineffective or prone to abuse.

ACLU Releases Comprehensive Report On Patriot Act Abuses (http://www.aclu.org/safefree/patriot/38979prs20090311.html)
ACLU Press Release: March 11, 2009

The American Civil Liberties Union released a comprehensive report today examining widespread abuses that have occurred under the USA Patriot Act, a law that was rushed through Congress just 45 days after September 11. In the almost eight years since the passage of the controversial national security law, the Patriot Act has led to egregious government misconduct.

“From the gagging of our nation’s librarians under the national security letter statute to the gutting of time-honored surveillance laws, the Patriot Act has been disastrous for Americans’ rights,” said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “In the panic following the events of 9/11, our nation’s lawmakers hastily expanded the government’s authority to a dangerous level and opened a Pandora’s box of surveillance.”

The American Civil Liberties Union’s report, “Reclaiming Patriotism,” authored by policy counsel Michael German and legislative counsel Michelle Richardson, was delivered to congressional offices on Capitol Hill, as well as posted to the newly re-launched site www.reformthepatriotact.org. The report is being released in anticipation of the upcoming congressional debate surrounding three Patriot Act provisions due to expire on December 31, 2009. The ACLU has been working within the halls of Congress and the courts to introduce Patriot Act reform legislation. In December of 2008, as a result of an ACLU lawsuit, the gag order contained in the Patriot Act’s National Security Letter (NSL) provision was struck down.

“Reclaiming Patriotism” reveals that in the years since its passage, the Patriot Act has paved the way for the expansion of government-sponsored surveillance including the gutting of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and a recent revamping of the Attorney General Guidelines to allow law enforcement to conduct physical surveillance without suspicion. Indeed, over the last eight years, numerous expansions of executive authority have worked in tandem to infringe upon our rights. Only by understanding the larger picture of the combined effects of Patriot Act, the amendments to FISA, the guidelines for physical surveillance and other expansions of power can Congress make an informed, consistent and principled decision about whether and how to amend all of these very powerful surveillance tools.

“The fallout we’ve seen from the Patriot Act being rushed through the legislative process is a dramatic example of the dire need for proper and deliberative congressional oversight,” said Fredrickson. “Congress should use this year’s Patriot Act reauthorization as an opportunity to reexamine all of our surveillance laws. Our lawmakers have, over time, built a massive surveillance mechanism bit by bit. Now is the time take it apart, examine each piece and develop wiser policies.”


Download a 39-page pdf of the ACLU’s report “Reclaiming Patriotism” here. (http://www.aclu.org/pdfs/safefree/patriot_report_20090310.pdf)

To learn more about the three Patriot Act provisions up for expiration this year, other information about the Patriot Act, and abuses thereof, go to: www.reformthepatriotact.org (http://www.reformthepatriotact.org/)

Although some aspects of the Patriot Act have some merit, IMHO it needs massive reform. What say you NSG?

why do you hate our freedom and security?

why do you hate our freedom and security?

Because he's a Liberal Atheist Muslim Hippy. You didn't see the dreadlocked beards?

Because he's a Liberal Atheist Muslim Hippy. You didn't see the dreadlocked beards?

where is an anti Hippie Pie when you need one

I don't think it needs massive reform, I think it needs massively doing-away-with-entirely - and then maybe some of the material re-submitted, without all the hype, and fearmongering.

I don't think it needs massive reform, I think it needs massively doing-away-with-entirely - and then maybe some of the material re-submitted, without all the hype, and fearmongering.

but without the hype and fear mongering there wouldn't be a bill at all, just a funding black hole.

SNIP for length

They need to get rid of it, all of it.

But they won't. There's such a massive infrastructure of surveillance equipment, it's just too easy to watch the masses now.

but without the hype and fear mongering there wouldn't be a bill at all, just a funding black hole.

No, there's some merit in there that could be salvaged. But that tiny amount of merit was wrapped up in so much xenophobia and hate. Ugh.

While the goals are somewhat understandable, the PATRIOT act is far too blunt of an instrument to be truly successful. It was not tailored to dealing with terrorism, and does not make use of virtually any of the expert knowledge, both within the US and amongst our European allies, that has accumulated in regards to the field. Rather, it's just a clumsy attempt to make RICO, a forty year old piece of legislation designed to combat what, essentially, are businesses, who are violent on the side. It needs to be completely overhauled to reflect the reality of terrorism and the nature of terrorist groups.

I don't think it needs massive reform, I think it needs massively doing-away-with-entirely - and then maybe some of the material re-submitted, without all the hype, and fearmongering.

This. ^


/thread

+1 to what GnI said.

The PATRIOT Act was nothing but an exercise in Bush's special brand of "unitary executive" corruption. I want it out of the law.

+1 to what GnI said.

The PATRIOT Act was nothing but an exercise in Bush's special brand of "unitary executive" corruption. I want it out of the law.

Why do you support terrorism?

I think it's really messed up that forty years ago, during Watergate, everyone thought that survellience and unlawful tabs on people were both radical use of poor judgement. Did bush even do any research at all when he put that bill into place? Was it even a useful bill?

I saw that the potential for abuse of power was incredible with that act. It violates our bill of rights multiple times!!

Why do you support terrorism?
Because it wobbles. I use my copy of the PATRIOT Act to prop up terrorism's short leg.

While I don't support the PATRIOT ACT, I do support the effort Congress put into making a bill whose acronym is PATRIOT ACT. If only they could put that creativity into their actual jobs.

The Atheist Criminal Liberal Union are a bunch of seditious bastards with less credibility than the Fortean Times or the Daily Kos. If they said the sun rises in the east, I'd look out the window.

But anti-Patriots would rather give full rights to terrorists than do what's necessary to ensure the safety of this nation and defeat the enemy.

And with the Dark Lord and his minions in charge of the country, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before terrorists worldwide rejoice as the Patriot Act is scuttled.

So, when --not if-- the next 9/11 takes place, every dead American will be on his head, the ACLU's heads, and the heads of all the idiots who voted for him and his Congressional henchmen.

The <snip> men.
A REAL patriot would hold his breath while he waits for that to happen.

The Atheist Criminal Liberal Union are a bunch of seditious bastards with less credibility than the Fortean Times or the Daily Kos. If they said the sun rises in the east, I'd look out the window.

But anti-Patriots would rather give full rights to terrorists than do what's necessary to ensure the safety of this nation and defeat the enemy.

And with the Dark Lord and his minions in charge of the country, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before terrorists worldwide rejoice as the Patriot Act is scuttled.

So, when --not if-- the next 9/11 takes place, every dead American will be on his head, the ACLU's heads, and the heads of all the idiots who voted for him and his Congressional henchmen.

Are you trying to be as stereotypical as you possibly can be?

The Atheist Criminal Liberal Union are a bunch of seditious bastards with less credibility than the Fortean Times or the Daily Kos. If they said the sun rises in the east, I'd look out the window.

But anti-Patriots would rather give full rights to terrorists than do what's necessary to ensure the safety of this nation and defeat the enemy.

And with the Dark Lord and his minions in charge of the country, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before terrorists worldwide rejoice as the Patriot Act is scuttled.

So, when --not if-- the next 9/11 takes place, every dead American will be on his head, the ACLU's heads, and the heads of all the idiots who voted for him and his Congressional henchmen.

FOXNews: ACLU Comes to Rush Limbaugh's Defense (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,108140,00.html)

Whoops... I guess this means your hero Rush is in reality a traitor working for Sauron. Why else would the Atheist Criminal Liberal Union defend a Real American who speaks his mind openly and is trying to thwart Sauron's plan to Caliphate the United States?

The Atheist Criminal Liberal Union


You might want to actually familiarise yourself with them a little. Apparently, you don't even know what the acronym stands for - that doesn't bode well.


are a bunch of seditious


I wonder if you know what that word means - and why it's so ironic in your particular case, for you to be saying that.


bastards with less credibility than the Fortean Times or the Daily Kos. If they said the sun rises in the east, I'd look out the window.


How very pavlovian. They apparently have you well trained.


But anti-Patriots


What exactly is an 'anti-patriot'?

Someone who hopes for the destruction of the nation? (Like Rush Limbaugh?)


would rather give full rights to terrorists than do what's necessary to ensure the safety of this nation and defeat the enemy.


The 'enemy' in the War on Terror... is fear (hence the name). The only way to defeat fear, is to stop being afraid.

The 'patriot act' is a fear response, and it keeps people afraid. It is the enemy of national safety.


And with the Dark Lord and his minions in charge of the country, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before terrorists worldwide rejoice as the Patriot Act is scuttled.


Many people will rejoice if the 'patriot act' is scuttled, but terrorists won't be among them - since it has little or no effect on what THEY are doing.


So, when --not if-- the next 9/11 takes place, every dead American will be on his head, the ACLU's heads, and the heads of all the idiots who voted for him and his Congressional henchmen.

There have been terror strikes in this nation since 9/11. And they've been homegrown, and carried out by white Christian Americans.

The Atheist Criminal Liberal Union are a bunch of seditious bastards with less credibility than the Fortean Times or the Daily Kos. If they said the sun rises in the east, I'd look out the window.

But anti-Patriots would rather give full rights to terrorists than do what's necessary to ensure the safety of this nation and defeat the enemy.

And with the Dark Lord and his minions in charge of the country, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before terrorists worldwide rejoice as the Patriot Act is scuttled.

So, when --not if-- the next 9/11 takes place, every dead American will be on his head, the ACLU's heads, and the heads of all the idiots who voted for him and his Congressional henchmen.

What a bad troll. Try not to be so obvious next time.

Although some aspects of the Patriot Act have some merit, IMHO it needs massive reform. What say you NSG?

I agree with GnI...scrap the whole thing. Any measures it contained that might actually work can be reinstituted seperately.

...I'd also like to point out that I'm damn proud of the fact that I got to help reelect the only Senator (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russ_Feingold) with the balls to vote against the thing in the first place.

But anti-Patriots would rather give full rights to terrorists than do what's necessary to ensure the safety of this nation and defeat the enemy.

Well I don't know what an anti-Patriot is, but I'd rather not take away rights from the average citizen, since that's exactly what the fucking terrorists want us to do...

So, when --not if-- the next 9/11 takes place, every dead American will be on his head, the ACLU's heads, and the heads of all the idiots who voted for him and his Congressional henchmen.

So can we apply this same standard to former President Bush, the Religious Right, and all those who voted Republican in 2000, or are you being willfully hypocritical?

3 steps to a safer America:

1: Repeal the Patriot Act.

2: Eliminate the Department of Homeland Security.

3: Consider, and implement, those aspects of the above that worked and were not threats to American liberty within the US' existing security apparatus.

3 steps to a safer America:

1: Repeal the Patriot Act.

2: Eliminate the Department of Homeland Security.

3: Consider, and implement, those aspects of the above that worked and were not threats to American liberty within the US' existing security apparatus.

quoted for truth...but short of the goal line.

4. Repeal TARP

5. Repeal the "Stimulus" passed last month and start enforcing the laws that were ignored to create this current crisis.

Bush was a Nanny-Stater on the Right, now we have a Nanny State from the Left-neither is good for creating a "Safer" america, just one that is less free, less prosperous, more dependent, and more easily terrorized.

The Atheist Criminal Liberal Union are a bunch of seditious bastards with less credibility than the Fortean Times or the Daily Kos. If they said the sun rises in the east, I'd look out the window.

But anti-Patriots would rather give full rights to terrorists than do what's necessary to ensure the safety of this nation and defeat the enemy.

And with the Dark Lord and his minions in charge of the country, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before terrorists worldwide rejoice as the Patriot Act is scuttled.

So, when --not if-- the next 9/11 takes place, every dead American will be on his head, the ACLU's heads, and the heads of all the idiots who voted for him and his Congressional henchmen.


You know, I'm beginning to think you are the best worst form of satirist. One who achieves emulation perfectly, with no change of the script being mocked to give a hint of tongue-in-cheek. It's like going full retard in a film, like I Am Sam or Simple Jack. It just doesn't work unless you do it with just a grain, a kernel, a nucleus of the reality that it is all pretend.

Either that, or you are a very depressing troll :(

Either that, or you are a very depressing troll :(

...I think you could have saved yourself a little effort by just skipping ahead to that point. :p

...I think you could have saved yourself a little effort by just skipping ahead to that point. :p

What can I say, I suffer from a debilitating illness known as optimism. I'm on pills, but they aren't helping much :(

The Atheist Criminal Liberal Union are a bunch of seditious bastards with less credibility than the Fortean Times or the Daily Kos. If they said the sun rises in the east, I'd look out the window.

But anti-Patriots would rather give full rights to terrorists than do what's necessary to ensure the safety of this nation and defeat the enemy.

And with the Dark Lord and his minions in charge of the country, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before terrorists worldwide rejoice as the Patriot Act is scuttled.

So, when --not if-- the next 9/11 takes place, every dead American will be on his head, the ACLU's heads, and the heads of all the idiots who voted for him and his Congressional henchmen.

This is why it sucks to be the ACLU. Everyones a hater.

The Atheist Criminal Liberal Union are a bunch of seditious bastards with less credibility than the Fortean Times or the Daily Kos. If they said the sun rises in the east, I'd look out the window.

But anti-Patriots would rather give full rights to terrorists than do what's necessary to ensure the safety of this nation and defeat the enemy.

And with the Dark Lord and his minions in charge of the country, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before terrorists worldwide rejoice as the Patriot Act is scuttled.

So, when --not if-- the next 9/11 takes place, every dead American will be on his head, the ACLU's heads, and the heads of all the idiots who voted for him and his Congressional henchmen.

It's the Atheist Communist Liberal Union. Christ, if you're going to be a stupid troll, at least do it right. Put some effort into it.

It's the Atheist Communist Liberal Union. Christ, if you're going to be a stupid troll, at least do it right. Put some effort into it.

Exactly, goddamit. I have my ACLU membership card here, and I can plainly see the hammer and sickle design, just above the little Osama Bin Laden figure and to the left of the picture of God crossed out.

Yeesh, some people...

I think the Patriot Act should be revised or done away with, gives the government too much power, and I personally think it violates the 4th amendment.

What are the chances that the PA will be repealed, whole or in part? I'm fairly sure that the ACLU, while a good organisation, is not powerful enough to get it done by themselves.

What are the chances that the PA will be repealed, whole or in part? I'm fairly sure that the ACLU, while a good organisation, is not powerful enough to get it done by themselves.

No, but they (and we, as individuals) can put pressure upon Congress not to continue those aspects of it that sunset this year.

FOXNews: ACLU Comes to Rush Limbaugh's Defense (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,108140,00.html)

Whoops... I guess this means your hero Rush is in reality a traitor working for Sauron. Why else would the Atheist Criminal Liberal Union defend a Real American who speaks his mind openly and is trying to thwart Sauron's plan to Caliphate the United States?

gg no re kthx bye.

The Atheist Criminal Liberal Union are a bunch of seditious bastards with less credibility than the Fortean Times or the Daily Kos. If they said the sun rises in the east, I'd look out the window.

But anti-Patriots would rather give full rights to terrorists than do what's necessary to ensure the safety of this nation and defeat the enemy.

And with the Dark Lord and his minions in charge of the country, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before terrorists worldwide rejoice as the Patriot Act is scuttled.

So, when --not if-- the next 9/11 takes place, every dead American will be on his head, the ACLU's heads, and the heads of all the idiots who voted for him and his Congressional henchmen.

I know you are deliberately trolling so I should give you the time of day, but the ACLU relies heavily on the following Special Reports by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General (and, yes, this was Bush's highly politicized DOJ):


A Review of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Use of National Security Letters (Unclassified), March 2007 (http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/s0703b/final.pdf)

A Review of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Use of Section 215 Order for Business Records (Unclassified), March 2007 (http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/s0703a/final.pdf)

A Review of the FBI's Use of Section 215 Orders for Business Records in 2006, March 2008 (http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/s0803a/final.pdf)

A Review of the FBI's Use of National Security Letters: Assessment of Corrective Actions and Examination of NSL Usage in 2006, March 2008 (http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/s0803b/final.pdf)


Apparently even the Bush Administration was filled with seditious anti-patriots hell-bent on helping terrorists. :p:wink:

The Atheist Criminal Liberal Union

I'm going to have to remember that one...Atheist Criminal Liberal Union...I love it!

As for the PATRIOT Act, I'd like to see it disappear. We should change how we face terrorism, but not by going after it with a club the size of a mountain.

The Atheist Criminal Liberal Union...
...seditious bastards ...
...anti-Patriots ...
...terrorists...
...Dark Lord and his minions...
...terrorist...
...next 9/11 takes...
...dead American...
...idiots...
...henchmen...

Alrighty then. *pat on head*

Apparently even the Bush Administration was filled with seditious anti-patriots hell-bent on helping terrorists. :p:wink:
Well, I think we all already knew that....