Comments on: My Email From Claire McCaskill. http://www.joeandmotorboat.com/2008/03/13/my-email-from-claire-mccaskill/ Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:54:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Big Norm http://www.joeandmotorboat.com/2008/03/13/my-email-from-claire-mccaskill/comment-page-1/#comment-577 Big Norm Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:56:19 +0000 http://www.joeandmotorboat.com/2008/03/13/my-email-from-claire-mccaskill/#comment-577 Wrong. Everyone has something to hide. Be it your son or daughter's mistakes (drugs, relationships, underage drinking, a fight at school that can be spun any which way) or your own (accidentally giving to a charity that has some member somewhere associated with extreme causes, mistakes on taxes that can be construed as fraudulent, platonic but affectionate emails to a coworker that can be framed as an extramarital affair, etc). This isn't a Hollywood situation where there's an agent listening in on the other line. This is a wholesale dragnet of any and every transmission you make on your phone, internet connection, FAX, etc. gathered up by supercomputers which then tag and sort everything into a database for some unknown person to query endlessly to find something *Anything* that can be spun into a character assassination. This information is then kept on file forever. The bigger picture is not you, who are "too busy" to get engaged and leave the fights that protect liberty and equality to other people. It is to protect those people you expect to stand up for your interests since you are too lazy to get informed and get engaged. We are the ones who will be made to suffer most, and our work on your behalf is exactly what the likes of Karl Rove want to stop. That is the bigger picture you missed. Wrong. Everyone has something to hide. Be it your son or daughter’s mistakes (drugs, relationships, underage drinking, a fight at school that can be spun any which way) or your own (accidentally giving to a charity that has some member somewhere associated with extreme causes, mistakes on taxes that can be construed as fraudulent, platonic but affectionate emails to a coworker that can be framed as an extramarital affair, etc).

This isn’t a Hollywood situation where there’s an agent listening in on the other line. This is a wholesale dragnet of any and every transmission you make on your phone, internet connection, FAX, etc. gathered up by supercomputers which then tag and sort everything into a database for some unknown person to query endlessly to find something *Anything* that can be spun into a character assassination. This information is then kept on file forever.

The bigger picture is not you, who are “too busy” to get engaged and leave the fights that protect liberty and equality to other people. It is to protect those people you expect to stand up for your interests since you are too lazy to get informed and get engaged. We are the ones who will be made to suffer most, and our work on your behalf is exactly what the likes of Karl Rove want to stop. That is the bigger picture you missed.

]]> By: joe http://www.joeandmotorboat.com/2008/03/13/my-email-from-claire-mccaskill/comment-page-1/#comment-576 joe Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:32:00 +0000 http://www.joeandmotorboat.com/2008/03/13/my-email-from-claire-mccaskill/#comment-576 It was Benjamin Franklin who said that quote but you have the right idea. :) It was Benjamin Franklin who said that quote but you have the right idea. :)

]]> By: Patrick http://www.joeandmotorboat.com/2008/03/13/my-email-from-claire-mccaskill/comment-page-1/#comment-575 Patrick Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:28:09 +0000 http://www.joeandmotorboat.com/2008/03/13/my-email-from-claire-mccaskill/#comment-575 When, in the history of mankind, has a leader been given a power and not ended up abusing it? It may not happen this administration, or the next, or the next, but eventually someone will abuse this ability to swing an election, or promote a war on false premise, or intimidate and blackmail their political opponents. A guy who realized this named Thomas Jefferson once said "Those who would sacrifice a little liberty for a little security deserve neither." I'd have to say I agree. When, in the history of mankind, has a leader been given a power and not ended up abusing it? It may not happen this administration, or the next, or the next, but eventually someone will abuse this ability to swing an election, or promote a war on false premise, or intimidate and blackmail their political opponents. A guy who realized this named Thomas Jefferson once said “Those who would sacrifice a little liberty for a little security deserve neither.” I’d have to say I agree.

]]> By: Uncle ED http://www.joeandmotorboat.com/2008/03/13/my-email-from-claire-mccaskill/comment-page-1/#comment-528 Uncle ED Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:11:07 +0000 http://www.joeandmotorboat.com/2008/03/13/my-email-from-claire-mccaskill/#comment-528 I think what Joe is worried about and a lot of other citizens including my self is the abuse against the Bill of Rights, and when will it end .I'm afraid this is just the beginning I think what Joe is worried about and a lot of other citizens including my self is the abuse against the Bill of Rights, and when will it end .I’m afraid this is just the beginning

]]> By: joe http://www.joeandmotorboat.com/2008/03/13/my-email-from-claire-mccaskill/comment-page-1/#comment-525 joe Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:51:33 +0000 http://www.joeandmotorboat.com/2008/03/13/my-email-from-claire-mccaskill/#comment-525 I hear you Brian, like you I have nothing to hide. To me the issue isn't whether or not I have anything hide it is whether or not the government should be able to have access to my private information without my permission or at least without a warrant. Just like you wouldn't want a police officer searching you house without a warrant I don't want the government searching my email. Realistically, there is more private information on my laptop than the whole of my apartment. Hope this makes sense. I hear you Brian, like you I have nothing to hide. To me the issue isn’t whether or not I have anything hide it is whether or not the government should be able to have access to my private information without my permission or at least without a warrant. Just like you wouldn’t want a police officer searching you house without a warrant I don’t want the government searching my email. Realistically, there is more private information on my laptop than the whole of my apartment. Hope this makes sense.

]]> By: Schvonzie http://www.joeandmotorboat.com/2008/03/13/my-email-from-claire-mccaskill/comment-page-1/#comment-524 Schvonzie Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:46:39 +0000 http://www.joeandmotorboat.com/2008/03/13/my-email-from-claire-mccaskill/#comment-524 Here is what i don't understand. If you have nothing to hide, why do you care? It may be over simplifying the situations, but seriously. If the government wants to read my emails, listed to my phone, and all that good stuff, they are just wasting time. Am I missing the big picture? Here is what i don’t understand. If you have nothing to hide, why do you care? It may be over simplifying the situations, but seriously. If the government wants to read my emails, listed to my phone, and all that good stuff, they are just wasting time.

Am I missing the big picture?

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