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Donald Kerr, principal deputy director of national intelligence, wants Americans to redefine privacy.

Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, the principal deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguard people’s private communications and financial information.

And don’t they have a stellar track record at doing just that?

The most contentious issue in the new legislation is whether to shield telecommunications companies from civil lawsuits for allegedly giving the government access to people’s private e-mails and phone calls without a FISA court order between 2001 and 2007.

The central witness in a California lawsuit against AT&T says the government is vacuuming up billions of e-mails and phone calls as they pass through an AT&T switching station in San Francisco, California.

The thug in the White House has promised to veto any bill that does not grant Telcos immunity from suits such as this one.

Kurt Opsahl from the EFF stated, “There is something fundamentally different from the government having information about you than private parties,” he said. “We shouldn’t have to give people the choice between taking advantage of modern communication tools and sacrificing their privacy.”

“It’s just another ‘trust us, we’re the government.”

Thanks, KB



  1. hhopper says:

    Are you sure that’s not a photo of an NFL official checking out a challenged call?

  2. Cinaedh says:

    “Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, the principal deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguard people’s private communications and financial information.”

    Oh yeah? I’ll tell you what, buddy. You give me and my business all your private communications and financial information every minute of every day of the week and then I’ll think about giving you mine.

  3. soundwash says:

    what the heck is happening?

    i thought i woke up in america this morning?

    -s

  4. Ooopps! says:

    #2 I’ll think about giving you mine.

    Read that again Cinaedh, they already have yours, you have no say in it. What, did you think you lived in a free country where you had a voice?

  5. Ooopps! says:

    #1 “Are you sure that’s not a photo of an NFL official checking out a challenged call?”

    what makes you think that? is he taking a bribe? 🙂

  6. hhopper says:

    On second thought, that’s just a flasher looking at pr0n.

  7. grog says:

    just relax everyone, the government is your protector, you can trust the government in all things, ask any conservative they’ll tell you: the government needs no checks and/or balances.

    you will only be safe if the government is given absolute power.

    besides, questioning authority is unpatriotic, and you do want to be patriotic don’t you? you don’t have anything to hide, right?

    you have nothing to fear.

    here, have some kool-aid

  8. Billy Bob says:

    We’re from the government and we need to take away your liberties in order to safeguard them.

    Meanwhile give us all of your account numbers and passwords so we can safeguard those too.

  9. OhForTheLoveOf says:

    I’ll reconsider my definition of privacy when the OED redefines privacy.

    just 13 more months
    just 13 more months
    just 13 more months
    just 13 more months
    just 13 more months
    just 13 more months
    just 13 more months
    just 13 more months

  10. bobbo says:

    I agree. Privacy does NOT mean anonymity.

    I support keeping conversations within a home private (absent
    a court order?) but see no reason that phone calls and email
    should be considered within those 4 walls.

    The only reason not to be for such monitoring is fear of being caught
    for criminal activities==or the misuse of information gained by those
    doing the collecting?

    Can we trust our government not to misuse the info???

    Nevermind.

  11. NappyHeadedHo says:

    If they want to see my privates, I’ll show them.

  12. OhForTheLoveOf says:

    #11 – I find myself, bizarrely in agreement with.. NappyHeadedHo

  13. GetSmart says:

    Since no one should have anything anything to hide, I’d like nude photos of every hot babe out there over the age of eighteen. Aww, the hell with that, naked photos of EVERYBODY for EVERYONE!!!!! That OK with you, Mr Kerr? I thought not….

  14. OhForTheLoveOf says:

    #13 – I find myself, bizarrely in agreement with.. GetSmart…

    What do we want?!?!?!

    Naked Pictures of EVERYBODY!

    When do we want them?!?!?!

    NOW!

  15. Gary Marks says:

    When Kerr said “Privacy no longer can mean anonymity,” it just shows that once again, our guardian angels want to redefine basic terms so that they don’t have to relinquish use of a favorite advertising slogan. They want to be able to say that “Americans’ privacy is protected,” but it just won’t mean the same thing anymore. Doesn’t it seem a bit cowardly to change the meaning of a word, rather than come out and admit that they want to take more of our privacy away?

    It’s not the Liberty Bell itself that has become most symbolic of America, but the crack in the bell.

  16. Mister Mustard says:

    >>The only reason not to be for such monitoring is fear of being
    >>caught for criminal activities

    You could make the same argument about random police stops on the highway with a car search. Or of unauthorized wiretaps on your phone, spy cams in your bedroom, reading your incoming and outgoing mail.

    If you’ve got nothing to hide, what’s the problem? Right Bobbolini?

  17. Mr. Fusion says:

    #13, GetSmart

    (looking down)

    Are you sure you want photos of everyone ???

    You do realize that you will need one of them fancy teloe photoe lenses to see iHotAir(YOP) like Angel wants to see him. You’ll want one of those panorama lenses for me.

  18. bs says:

    Knock Knock:
    We’re from the Government

    No thanks, we have all the government we need!

    Favorite line from ‘The Tick’ comics

  19. Ken in Berkeley says:

    I thought the government was supposed to work for the people, not the other way around. Where are we living, in the U.S. of A. or the U.S.S.R? I’d still rather live here by far, but the gap between the two is closing rapidly.

  20. BubbaRay says:

    Big Brother? Privacy? Har.

    Better watch out for that nosy neighbor 1st —

    http://cagematch.dvorak.org/index.php/topic,2818.0.html

  21. GetSmart says:

    The actual problem with putting all the pieces in place for a modern hi-tech Police State, is the real danger that some group of assholes will, sooner or later (bet sooner.) put the finishing touches on it that make it a real live one. Once in place it’ll be difficult to ever get rid of.

  22. Awake says:

    We need papa government to protect us from the big bad boogeyman, and tell us that everything will be OK. All we have to do is shut up and do what it tells us to do, and not ask any questions.

    There are some things that we can do to keep the boogeyman at bay:

    a) Listen only to official news from papa government, since what they say will keep us safe.

    b) Spy on our neighbors, friends and family. Let the government know about anything suspicious that they may do, such as speak in some language that you don’t understand.

    c) Provide all information that they may or may nor request, including listening to all your conversations, reading all your email, and tracking all your social contacts.

    d) Accept the fact that if you do not fully and without question support whatever papa government says, then you are a coward and a traitor.

    e) Habeas Corpus, your right to be told what you are charged with when you are arrested, to be kept in jail after a fair trial, etc, is no longer possible after 9/11, since the boogeyman is out to get you. If papa government wants to, it should be able to kidnap you and put you in jail secretly and forever in order to protect the rest of us from your criminal mind.

    f) Do not expect any accountability from people that work for papa government, either personal or financial. Accept that there is some reason behind everything that papa government does, and it is for your own good.

    g) Take responsibility for yourself. If a hurricane comes, and your family drowns, it’s your own fault for not owning a boat. If you do own a boat, papa government can take it away at any time for no reason besides them wanting it.

    h) All your financial transactions must be electronic, no cash allowed. This is the only way that papa government can ferret out the evildoers.

    i) You may not leave or enter the country unless approved by papa government. Travel to anywhere outside the continental 48 is restricted to those authorized. to do so. Papa government reserves the right not to let you back in.

    j) A national ID is required, and must be used in voting machines, airports, toll booths, gas stations, and for the purchase of anything that papa government may consider dangerous.

    k) All internet access and use must be tied directly to the national ID. Access of any website outside the country is allowed only upon permission from papa government.

    This list is based on North Korea’s ‘Homeland Loves Me’ document.

  23. OhForTheLoveOf says:

    #21 – Once in place it’ll be difficult to ever get rid of.

    Without one helluva lot of bombs…


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