As the mainstream media provides relentless coverage of the Harvey Weinstein Hollywood sex scandal, there is one major piece of legislation it is ignoring, and if passed, it will have massive repercussions for all Americans.
More than 40 organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, have joined together to condemn the USA Liberty Act, a trendy name for a dangerous bill that reauthorizes and creates additional loopholes for Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, the coalition noted that one of the most obvious problems with the USA Liberty Act is that it fails to address concerns with the “backdoor search loophole,” which allows the government to “conduct warrantless searches for the information of individuals who are not targets of Section 702, including U.S. citizens and residents.”
The USA Liberty Act departs from the recommendation made by the President’s Review Group on Surveillance, appropriations amendments that have previously passed the House, and urgings of civil society organizations, which would have required a probable cause warrant prior to searching the Section 702 database for information about a U.S. citizen or resident absent narrow exceptions. As written, it raises several concerns. First, the bill’s most glaring deficiency is that it does not require a warrant to access content in cases where the primary purpose is to return foreign intelligence. This is an exception that threatens to swallow the rule.
Not surprisingly, the USA Liberty Act claims that it will “better protect Americans’ privacy” by requiring the government to have “a legitimate national security purpose” before searching an individual’s database. Then when they do have that purpose established, they will be required to “obtain a court order based on probable cause to look at the content of communications, except when lives or safety are threatened, or a previous probable cause-based court order or warrant has been granted.”
However, as The Free Thought Project previously reported, what the USA Liberty Act does not advertise is the fact that the FBI’s “legitimate national security purpose” could be justified by just about any reason the agency chooses to give, and agents will only need supervisory authority in order to search Americans’ metadata.
As the coalition noted in its letter, “the bill’s current language leaves room for the government to conduct queries and access content for law enforcement purposes without a warrant,” which should be considered a direct violation of the Fourth Amendment.
The current language does not make clear that the government must have a warrant to access content for law enforcement searches where the purpose may not be to specifically obtain evidence of a crime, or in cases where there may be a dual foreign intelligence and criminal purpose. As such, the bill could still permit the government to conduct queries and access content without a warrant in cases involving criminal investigations and prosecutions.
The coalition also criticized the USA Liberty Act’s broad consent and emergency exceptions, noting that, “the emergency provision does not parallel analogous provisions in FISA and require imminence or that the government go back to the FISA court for a warrant after beginning the emergency surveillance.”
While the government claims the purpose of FISA is to allow surveillance on the communications of foreign targets who were suspected terrorists, it should be noted that the law has been used to spy on the communications of innocent Americans—despite the practice being ruled illegal—and any reauthorization of the law will only allow the practice to continue under the guise of “preventing terrorism.”
When the USA Patriot Act was passed in 2001, and the USA Freedom Act was passed in 2015, the U.S. government used fear-based propaganda disguised in the form of All-American titled legislation, which was spread without contest by the mainstream media. Section 702 is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2017, which means that Americans will likely see the same game come into play as the government prepares to pass the USA Liberty Act—a bill that is the opposite of its namesake.
Rachel Blevins is a Texas-based journalist who aspires to break the left/right paradigm in media and politics by pursuing truth and questioning existing narratives. Follow Rachel on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. This article first appeared at The Free Thought Project.
awesome!
“… which allows the government to “conduct warrantless searches for the information of individuals who are not targets of Section 702, including U.S. citizens and residents.””
“… the USA Liberty Act claims that it will “better protect Americans’ privacy” by requiring the government to have “a legitimate national security purpose” before searching an individual’s database.”
First, for those that do not follow the US Constitution it is a felony, and they NO LONGER MEET THE REQUIREMENTS of the position they occupy. Then add to that the breaking of the Oath, another felony or two, plus Perjury, and again, they then no longer meet the requirements of the position they occupy because they are REQUIRED at all times and all positions to “Support and Defend” the US Constitution (except for those who serve as a US President, this position is held to a higher standard of “Preserving, Protecting and Defending” the US Constitution). Because they do not have that authority (no one who serves within our governmetns do) they are OPENLY committing a crime/multiple crimes against the American people; and they are doing it in the open because they feel most who are here in the USA are so dumbed down that they do not even know that those who SERVE WITHIN our governments are NOT our rulers, but only put into those positions to carry out specific duties.
Benjamin Franklin: “We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid. Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.”
“The basic purpose of a written constitution has a two-fold aspect, first securing [not granting] to the people of certain UNCHANGEABLE rights and remedies, and second, the curtailment of unrestricted governmental activity within certain defined spheres.” Du Pont v. Du Pont, 85 A 724. (caps are mine)
“An officer who acts in violation of the constitution CEASES to represent the government.” Brookfield Construction Company V. Stewart 284 F Sup. 94 (caps are mine)
“Knowing failure to disclose material information necessary to prevent statement from being misleading, or making representation despite knowledge that it has no reasonable basis in fact, are actionable as fraud under law. It is well established law that Fraud vitiates (makes void) any contract that arises from it.” Rubinstein v. Collins, 20 F.3d 160, 1990
Those that SERVE WITHIN our government should understand the supreme contract that they are under, and Oath bound to. So when they make a law that flatout goes against the authority DELEGATED to the branch or a named office within a branch they are committing a crime(s) against our nation, breaking the contract, and making themselves no longer meet the requirement of the position they occupy.
Dr. Edwin Vieira sums it up nicely here when he says: “This has nothing to do with personalities or subjective ideas. It’s a matter of what the Constitution provides… The government of the United States has never violated anyone’s constitutional rights… The government of the United States will never violate anyone constitutional rights, because it cannot violate anyone’s constitutional rights.
The reason for that is: The government of the United States is that set of actions by public officials that are consistent with the Constitution. Outside of its constitutional powers, the government of the United States has no legitimacy. It has no authority; and, it really even has no existence. It is what lawyers call a legal fiction.
… the famous case Norton v. Shelby County… The Court said: “An unconstitutional act is not a law; it confers no rights; it imposes no duties. It is, in legal contemplation, as inoperative as though it had never been passed.” And that applies to any (and all) governmental action outside of the Constitution…” (end quote)
“A constitution is designated as a supreme enactment, a fundamental act of legislation by the people of the state. A constitution is legislation direct from the people acting in their sovereign capacity, while a statute is legislation from their representatives, subject to limitations prescribed by the superior authority.” Ellingham v. Dye, 231 U. S. 250.
Mark Twain: “For in a Republic, who is “the country?” Is it the Government which is for the moment in the saddle? Why, the Government is merely a servant – merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn’t. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them.”
Patrick Henry, Virginia Convention, 1788: “You are not to inquire how your trade may be increased, nor how you are to become a great and powerful people, but how your liberties can be secured; for liberty ought to be the direct end of your government.” (as quoted by Thomas M. Moneure, Jr., in “Virginia’s Great
Dissenters”, printed in the March, 1999, issue of American Guardian, pp 38-40)
James Wilson: “I leave it to every gentleman to say whether the enumerated powers are not as accurately and MINUTELY DEFINED, as can be well done on the same subject, in the same language…nor does it, in any degree, go beyond the particular enumeration; for, when it is said that Congress shall have power to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper, those words are LIMITED AND DEFINED by the following, “for carrying into execution the foregoing powers”, it is saying no more than that the powers we have already particularly given (enumerated), shall be effectually carried into execution.”
Archibald Maclaine said during North Carolina’s ratifying convention: “If Congress should make a law beyond the powers and the spirit of the Constitution, should we not say to Congress, ‘You have no authority
to make this law. There are limits beyond which you cannot go. You cannot exceed the power prescribed by the Constitution. You are amenable to us for your conduct. This act is unconstitutional. We will disregard it, and punish you for the attempt.’”
What is worse, is those who created and signed this color of law into existence will be requiring those who are also ignorant but in the position of enforcement into *terrorists working AGAINST our nation, against the American people.
*28 C.F.R. Section 0.85 Terrorism is defined as “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives”.
Color of law. The appearance or semblance, without the substance, of legal right. Misuse of power, possessed by virtue of state law and made possible only because wrongdoer is clothed with authority of state, is action taken under “color of law.” Black’s Law Dictionary, Fifth Edition, page 241.
Well put
Null and Void any and all corporate rules, not laws that are repugnant to the constitution. The problem is that they are all foreign agents now as none of them serve the real only constitution as the second two corporate versions were never ratified. Read this and learn.
http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2017/09/so-you-took-an-oath-to-defend-and-preserve-the-constitution-for-all-members-of-the-military-and-police-forces-3555924.html
Remember sheeple: sept 11, 2001 and with in a month they passed and Bush 2 signed the Patriot Act 1 and 2. Legal people have said that it would take two years to wright these. so the Clinton was in on it along with the Mossad
Which was written before it happened. Just a little too convenient.
Those that would give up Liberty for security deserve neither…………………
Call me whatever you want but I believe many of these events are orchestrated for the purpose of eliminating Liberty in the name of Security.
The PTB want people to be afraid of being called conspiracy theorists. Even the events that are obviously false flags, too many people keep believing in our government.
Tell anyone that 9/11 was done by the government and they will label you all kinds of names.
But remind them of operation northwoods where the government wanted to do the same things as on 9/11. Its gifts to the security agencies is running out, so they keep creating new events.
Keep rocking on..
Now with the Vegas shootings we get more gun laws, airport type security at Hotels & Casino’s, sporting events, concerts etc..
We will get this BShit liberty bill shoved up our ass. The people involved will make billions like the Chertoff Group and the cancer causing scanning machines. They are getting closer to disarming us.
I predicted this after the shooting as did many others. The story keeps changing about when the shooting started, the time when the security guard was shot and other discrepancies.
The last new angle on how he was able to hit so many people was that he was using tracers.
Not one of the videos that were taken by people on the ground showed tracers. I would think that bright red lights would have been easy to see.
The hotels have wanted to put body scanners in their hotels for some time, and look. Chertoff who created and owns the ones at airports has some ready to be installed.
If people don’t boycott hotels that put them in, then the PTB are going to continue taking away our rights. The ones that are left anyway.
Just say MOOO.. ! or BAAA… Either one will work for Boobus Americanus is farmed completely.
The issue is that the Farmers have realized the herd needs to be thinned considerably as innovations like the the net have made it much harder for the farmers to keep the herd sedated.
The parasitic system of providers of non needed ” Services ” have out grown the supply of blood they are able to extract from the hosts. If there isn’t a change in this then both parties will die.