After 9/11, the United States government preyed on the fear felt by many Americans to justify the passage of the USA Patriot Act—a law that was supposed to prevent future terrorist attacks. Now, after the Las Vegas shooting, the government has another proposed law ready to go, and just as with the Patriot Act, it also infringes on Americans’ liberties, and does very little for their security.
The USA Liberty Act is the latest trendy name for a law that would reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2017. According to the House Judiciary Committee, the act would preserve “the core purpose of Section 702: the collection of electronic communications by non-U.S. persons for use in our nation’s defense.”
However, it should be noted that while the purpose of FISA was reportedly only to allow surveillance on the communications of foreign targets who were suspected terrorists, it 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.”
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.”
But what the USA Liberty Act does not advertise is the fact that it does not actually address the legitimate problems that exist with Section 702. 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.
One of the most important things to remember about Section 702 is that, as the Constitution Project noted, it gives domestic law enforcement agencies access to the data seized by the NSA, while allowing the NSA to “retain and disseminate Americans’ communications that may contain any evidence of any crime.”
In a press release on the new act, the House Judiciary Committee bragged about the “bipartisan success” of the USA Freedom Act in June 2015, claiming that it “ended the bulk collection of data, protected civil liberties and national security, and provided robust oversight and transparency of our vital national security tools.”
However, as The Free Thought Project reported in May 2015, the USA Freedom Act “doesn’t actually end or suspend the phone records program, but simply requires phone companies to hold onto these records rather than the NSA.” It also authorized, for the first time, “the NSA, FBI, and other government agencies to unconstitutionally collect data in bulk on potentially millions of law-abiding Americans,” and it let the NSA collect “cell phone records in addition to the landline call records.”
In the same way that the USA Patriot Act was the opposite of patriotic in 2001, the USA Freedom Act only took away freedom in 2015. Do not be fooled by the title—the USA Liberty Act in 2017 has nothing to do with expanding “liberty.”
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.
Let this be the final litmus test if Trump does not veto this bill. This plausible deniability strategy can only go on for so long.
I have read the the good ole USSA has killed over 20million people since WW2,But of course there were very good reasons like oil etc.And how about that 21trillion missing now from the government?It really appears it is the people who need to be spying on this government.
it does not say a word about mind reading and mind control of practically the whole planet
You could have saved yourselves, and us, the effort of going beyond announcement of another Government Act. Got it. Bend over and spread ’em. Or they’ll do it for you. They’ll just be singin’ another stanza while you’re butt-ripped.
we cant wait for Trump…we need to oppose this bill when its announced…by all contacting the POTUS and our own congressman and senators of your home state….not that it will work but it will signal to washington we will oppose it….cant let it get that far…..one million is all that is needed….
If you’ve ever called your congressman or protested at some capitol building, maybe you need to take a moment to know your enemy.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Auf1rehiA-4
Las Vegas was another psy ops (false flag) brought to you by the unholy goat worshipers that inhabit every parts of our land, but kontrol most every thing.
Sacrifice the oligarchy old goat(s).
Silver stakes required.
More consequences resulting from the 18th-century founders replacing the 17th-century Colonial governments of, by, and for God established upon His moral law for their own humanistic government of, by, and for the people based upon capricious man-made Enlightenment and Masonic traditions.
Time to listen to Patrick Henry, who refused to participate in the Constitutional Convention as one of Virginia’s delegates, declaring “I smelt a rat!”:
“…Convinced the Constitution would fail to secure and protect liberty, Patrick Henry voiced his concerns to the Virginia Ratifying Convention in 1788:
‘…I say our privileges and rights are in danger. …the new form of Government … will … effectually … oppress and ruin the people…. In some parts of the plan before you, the great rights of freemen are endangered, in other parts, absolutely taken away…. There will be no checks, no real balances, in this Government: What can avail your specious imaginary balances, your rope-dancing, chain-rattling, ridiculous ideal checks and contrivances? …And yet who knows the dangers that this new system may produce: they are out of the sight of the common people: They cannot foresee latent consequences…. I see great jeopardy in this new Government.’67
“In contrast to the federalists’ failed predictions, this and nearly everything the anti-federalists forecast about the Constitution [even after the Bill of Rights were adopted] has come true…”
For more, see Chapter 3 “The Preamble: WE THE PEOPLE vs. YAHWEH” of free online book “Bible Law vs. the United States Constitution: The Christian Perspective.” Click on my name, then our website. Go to our Online Books page, click on the top entry, and scroll down to Chapter 3.
Then find out how much you really know about the Constitution as compared to the Bible. Take our 10-question Constitution Survey in the right-hand sidebar and receive a complimentary copy of a book that examines the Constitution by the Bible.
America needs this! It’s been a long process, but we can now be assured that the American government will be able to witness your plight. Especially in cases where it is the sole inflictor.
We need people to have access to everything about the American citizen. For it is the American citizen who are guilty of unleashing this governance on the world. And then failing to restrict it’s government to the rights allotted.
What They did allow, was their government to be the arm of their greed, of their hatred. It could only be hoped that cameras will be inserted into every americans anus, just to make sure they aren’t reverting to their evil thoughts.
Congratulations america, and americans. The future you fought for is upon you. May the president and pope double team you to death.
How about the “First We Screw You, Then We Screw You” Act?
With Trump being spied upon may make him a little hesitant to do the same to the rest of us?