"A wave of lawsuits could reveal how the United States conducts surveillance" - Bush

[LynneSin]

Yep, that's exactly why that idiot is shitting himself - because he knows there's going to be a shitload of trouble if these lawsuits come to play.

I know there was much criticism about the results from the senate and rightly so; however, I like how the democrats overall are playing this one. Let's just hope that the House sits tight on this bill until we get the language needed that protects our ciizens both from terrorists AND from snooping governments.

As for the trial lawyer tactics, hell ACLU would love to take this case one with a minimum amount of money actually ending up in their pockets.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/washington/28cnd-bush.html?ex=1361854800&en=92fcc0e16359bc49&ei=5089&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss

[Parche]

1. COME BACK TO THE LOUNGE

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


:hi:

[TexasObserver]

2. He's wetting his pants over the discovery in lawsuits against the telecoms.

He knows it's going to show they instituted spying on all Americans before 9-11 ever got here.

[Drum]

3. Let's hope so. nt

[LynneSin]

4. There's only one thing that makes me nervous about all of this

Who do you think is going to pay for these lawsuits? The telecoms?

Nope - hello higher phone bills

:grr:

[Drum]

5. In my imaginary---aka, fair---world,

those costs would be borne by the obscenely-compensated executives of those companies. They are all-too-happy to accept gross sums for what they regard as their stewardship, so let the downside also impact them financially. That's only fair, no?

In a larger sense, I am sick of the way things have developed in our world vis-a-vis Americans judging worth by cost, not taking the long view, and having our ethics bargained away from us. Freedom isn't necessarily always free....

Not bangin' on your OP, LynneSin, just feel like raging against the machine. :shrug:

:hi:

[aquart]

7. So?

[orleans]

8. then congress needs to put a cap on the way they can bill us

so we don't get screwed in the name of justice

[ORDagnabbit]

6. GOOD! I am tired of secrets

[JDPriestly]

9. Not if they settle and ask for confidentiality.

That is a bunch of baloney. If some of the cases related to the Cunningham case can be heard so that documents are filed under seal, so can this. What kind of democracy is this if the government can violate the Constitution and telecom companies can violate our privacy rights and then claim state secrets. This does not make sense.

The terrorists probably know full well how the U.S. conducts surveillance. It is ordinary Americans like us who have no clue as to what they are doing. That's because we don't really think that it could possibly affect us and therefore don't even think about how it could be done. The terrorists probably have figured out ways to avoid the surveillance. Our government is probably mostly just snooping on us. What a waste of time and money. Oh, well it keeps the folks in Homeland Security employed, I suppose. Reminds me of the Stasi in Eastern Europe.

I've told this story before: While I lived in Europe, I met a Polish refugee whose job before he escaped Poland was censoring foreign newspapers. He became utterly disillusioned in his life, his job and his system. Unless the spy is doing something he or she knows is pretty importat, the whole surveillance business is pretty boring, I should think -- as well as disgusting.

[JDPriestly]

10. Isn't that the whole point?

We would like to know if any part of our lives is still private.