Thursday
Blogging the panopticon
I have issues with the style of Glenn Greenwald's writing, so I don't read him often. But in some ways he's indispensable. His recent posts on the soon to be voted on FISA compromise bill which will result in full immunity for telecommunications companies who decided to assist the federal government in breaking laws designed to create accountability and standards for government decisions to listen to private communications are required reading, as is his post arguing that Obama needs to be pressured to take an active role in opposing passage of this compromise and deserves criticism for recording an ad supporting a conservative Democrat against that Democrat's more progressive opponent.
For a tiny bit of original content/reporting, I was recently at a luncheon where the featured speaker was, among many other roles and titles he's held, one of of the original judges on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (I'm not naming him because I don't like to blog about co-workers, though I'm obviously doing so whether or not I name him, so perhaps it's a foolish precaution). During a question and answer period, he was asked what he thought of the current FISA situation, and seemed to be personally offended that the government was circumventing FISC Judges, noting that when he'd been on the court he was available at whatever hour was necessary to hear requests for surveillance even if he needed to travel to locations with encrypted phone lines in order to do so. He simply found it absurd that the government acted as if having to go before such a court was too much oversight. I don't know this person well, but it's also worth mentioning that every article which mentions him and discusses his political affiliation describes him as a Republican, though on the other hand those articles refer to his party from the 1970s and 1980s.
Update (3:57 6/20): Every person listed under Yeas at this link should be punched in the face. Every Democrat so listed should be punched in the face and then kicked in the shin, or somewhere else suitable.
Update II (5:38 6/20) (That Greenwald style I decried below is contagious!): It seems all too likely that sometime next week I'll be suggesting that future President of the United States Barack Obama should be punched in the face and then kicked in the shin. In regards to which, a brief note to the Secret Service: Brandenburg, Brandenburg, Brandenburg.
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For a tiny bit of original content/reporting, I was recently at a luncheon where the featured speaker was, among many other roles and titles he's held, one of of the original judges on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (I'm not naming him because I don't like to blog about co-workers, though I'm obviously doing so whether or not I name him, so perhaps it's a foolish precaution). During a question and answer period, he was asked what he thought of the current FISA situation, and seemed to be personally offended that the government was circumventing FISC Judges, noting that when he'd been on the court he was available at whatever hour was necessary to hear requests for surveillance even if he needed to travel to locations with encrypted phone lines in order to do so. He simply found it absurd that the government acted as if having to go before such a court was too much oversight. I don't know this person well, but it's also worth mentioning that every article which mentions him and discusses his political affiliation describes him as a Republican, though on the other hand those articles refer to his party from the 1970s and 1980s.
Update (3:57 6/20): Every person listed under Yeas at this link should be punched in the face. Every Democrat so listed should be punched in the face and then kicked in the shin, or somewhere else suitable.
Update II (5:38 6/20) (That Greenwald style I decried below is contagious!): It seems all too likely that sometime next week I'll be suggesting that future President of the United States Barack Obama should be punched in the face and then kicked in the shin. In regards to which, a brief note to the Secret Service: Brandenburg, Brandenburg, Brandenburg.
