back to article 'The Washington elites fear liberty. They fear you'

This was the week when the NSA PRISM scandal rumbled on with politician attempts to curb the spook agency's remit in the US House of Representatives. The Defense Appropriations Bill had an amendment stuck on to the end of it asking Congress to stop the phone and internet data sniffers from accessing the data of those not …

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  1. nichomach

    Colour me shocked...

    Republican who had no problem with NSA wiretapping under Bush suddenly dsecides it's a threat to liberty under Obama. Quelle surprise....

    1. TheTick

      Re: Colour me shocked...

      I was under the impression that new information came to light through Edward Snowden just recently, which showed the NSA wiretaps people NOT under investigation and at their own whim. Whereas prior understanding was that they would wiretap suspected terrorists or whatever, and had to go through some process to get that authority.

      1. Don Jefe
        Unhappy

        Re: Colour me shocked...

        Some Congresspeople knew about the full extent of it but aren't allowed to say anything. All Congresspeople have access to the information, sort of. When they make a request to view classified information they are sequestered in a little room, alone, with print copies of the information they've requested. They aren't allowed to take notes, take pictures or have staff to assist. They have up no eight hours per session to read, understand and memorize the information in all of the related bills and Justice Department interpretations. It is several thousand pages of information.

        Officially, Congresspeople are allowed access to any information. In practice it is worthless, kind of like going into a data center and expecting to be able to magically absorb all the data there by walking in. It's a bunch of shit really.

  2. Tony Paulazzo

    the need for a reasoned review

    Held in secret by a secret court who must keep the findings, details and reasonings secret for National Security

    I read this paranoid fantasy scifi trilogy in the 80's who posited a shadowy organisation attempting to destroy the constitution of America and basically enslave the human race: The Illuminati. It doesn't feel so scifi anymore.

    Can't believe Obama ('Time for change') supports this, still, guess his chances of assassination are much lower now.

    1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
      Meh

      It helps to know that the "Illuminatus" trilogy was co written by an editor of Playboy.

      But not to be read by anyone with any major paranoid tendencies.

      1. Sir Runcible Spoon
      2. T. F. M. Reader

        Co-written by an editor of Playboy

        Hmm... Was the editor by chance someone who worked with Vladimir Nabokov, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Joseph Heller, Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut, Arthur C. Clarke, John Updike, or any of the other brilliant writers who published their works in Playboy?

        Honest question - I have not read "Illuminatus", but maybe I should?

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It's amazing how insular people can get

    "This jerk took down the Ubuntu Forums, one of the most important resources on the web."

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Linux

      Re: It's amazing how insular people can get

      For some reason, I was getting my Linux fixes done a lot quicker this week, without having to wade through the morass of Ubuntu forums wrong answers on Google. Maybe that "most important resource on the web" sound consider staying down a bit longer.

    2. theblackhand

      Re: It's amazing how insular people can get

      Exactly - it's not like The Reg was down or anything...

      Imagine having to do work on a Friday afternoon....

  4. Homer 1

    Time for change?

    So how exactly does one change an undemocratic republic like the Fascist States of America?

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