Norm Coleman co-sponsors Thought Crime Bill
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) has signed on as a co-sponsor of Sen. Susan Collins' (R-ME) bill S.1959 The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism and Prevention Act of 2007, known henceforth at the Thought Crime bill. This could also be called the Bill to establish the Round Up All The Arabs Commission. Or the Excuse For Repressing The Lefty Blogosphere Bill. Even better might be the Never Mind Those Crackers With Nooses And Shotguns, Was That An Arab Over There Bill. I think that this bill is an excellent way for the Republicans to sneak through extensions to the Military Commission Act, the Patriotic Act and the FISA bill to further erode American's basic civil rights. Norm isn't just going to go along with it, he's co-sponsoring it.
The bill has two distinct parts. The first establishes a Commission. The second establishes a think tank of sorts to study how better to hunt down Arabs, suppress internet democracy, perform datamining of raw data obtained via illegal wiretapping and such noble efforts.
Like NSPD51 which is so vaguely worded that President Bush could suspend the Congress, Courts and Constitution over anything he deems is a national emergency, this bill is so vaguely worded that an administration without any ethical principles (namely the Bush Administration) in cahoots with one or more ethically challenged Senator(s) or Representative(s) (and we certainly have plenty of them) might manipulate this bill to do things like I've described if it ever became law.
From my reading of this bill, they could drag anyone in front of The Though Crimes Commission. Imagine questions like this: "Have you ever aided and abetted the terrorists by saying anything opposing the war on terrorism?" Also, the word force is not defined. Couldn't a boycott be considered force? What about Ghandi, Martin Luther King ... they used force, didn't they? Might this allow for a Joseph McCarthy of the 21st century?
Furthermore the Thought Crimes Think Tank might need to analyze trends spotted by the Bush Administration's illegal wiretapping. Since the capability does not currently exist to do datamining of terrabytes of data, they might need to reinstitute the NSA's Total Information Awareness program under their aegis. After analyzing these trends they might find alarming results and need to begin analyzing in real-time. After all the bill states that our current law enforcement and intelligence aparratus are not capable of preventing homegrown terrorism (see Finding 6). Might they then spawn a Thought Police to stop the evil-doers before they strike?
Getting worried? Have no fear, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are here. This is the same leadership which caved on FISA. Oops, I guess not. This bill passed stealthily through the House resulting in a 404-6 vote for it. Oops. I guess Nancy Pelosi was part of some back room deal that allowed this blighted child of repression to slink through the House. The House voted to suspend the rules (2/3 majority required) and cut short any debate. Sadly, our entire Minnesota delegation in the House voted for it. We never heard about this when it happened on 10/23/07 because the debate was cut short.
The full bill is here. Here's some of the 'findings' in the bill.
`(3) The Internet has aided in facilitating violent radicalization, ideologically based violence, and the homegrown terrorism process in the United States by providing access to broad and constant streams of terrorist-related propaganda to United States citizens.
`(4) While the United States must continue its vigilant efforts to combat international terrorism, it must also strengthen efforts to combat the threat posed by homegrown terrorists based and operating within the United States.
`(5) Understanding the motivational factors that lead to violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence is a vital step toward eradicating these threats in the United States.
`(6) The potential rise of self radicalized, unaffiliated terrorists domestically cannot be easily prevented through traditional Federal intelligence or law enforcement efforts, and requires the incorporation of State and local solutions.
`(7) Individuals prone to violent radicalization, homegrown terrorism, and ideologically based violence span all races, ethnicities, and religious beliefs, and individuals should not be targeted based solely on race, ethnicity, or religion.
(GovTrack.us)
Is it ironic that the internet has provided a blossoming in democracy and now politicians like Norm Coleman are going to attempt to stifle it? Politicians are using terrorism as a buzzword to push through all kinds of repressive nonsense. Benjamin Franklin said that 'those who sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither." Here are some of the powers of the Commission:
- `(1) IN GENERAL-
- `(A) HEARINGS AND EVIDENCE- The Commission or, on the authority of the Commission, any subcommittee or member thereof, may, for the purpose of carrying out this section, hold hearings and sit and act at such times and places, take such testimony, receive such evidence, and administer such oaths as the Commission considers advisable to carry out its duties.
`(B) CONTRACTING- The Commission may, to such extent and in such amounts as are provided in appropriation Acts, enter into contracts to enable the Commission to discharge its duties under this section.
`(2) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES-
- `(A) IN GENERAL- The Commission may secure directly from any executive department, bureau, agency, board, commission, office, independent establishment, or instrumentality of the Government, information (including classified information), suggestions, estimates, and statistics for the purposes of this section. The head of each such department, bureau, agency, board, commission, office, independent establishment, or instrumentality shall, to the extent authorized by law, furnish such information, suggestions, estimates, and statistics directly to the Commission, upon request made by the Chair of the Commission, by the chair of any subcommittee created by a majority of the Commission, or by any member designated by a majority of the Commission.
- `(A) HEARINGS AND EVIDENCE- The Commission or, on the authority of the Commission, any subcommittee or member thereof, may, for the purpose of carrying out this section, hold hearings and sit and act at such times and places, take such testimony, receive such evidence, and administer such oaths as the Commission considers advisable to carry out its duties.
This is part of the 'Purpose' of the Commission:
(GovTrack.us)
This little nugget was also inserted:
What's 5 U.S.C. App. you ask? The Federal Advisory Committee Act relates to how Committee's behave and their openness. In other words, The rules for transparency, openness and accountability wouldn't apply. Here's the PDF.
You paranoid, yet?
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Will it protect us from the
Will it protect us from the monsters under our beds? The rethugs newest way to fix an election, arrest all the Dems.
PDF's
That the "Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments" will not apply toAdvisory Committees set up under the provisions of S1959 means such committees will not have a two year life. Furthermore, "The provisions of this Act or of any rule, order, or regulation promulgated under this Act shall
apply to each advisory committee except to the extent that any Act of Congress establishing any such advisory committee specifically provides otherwise." As you note, S1959 is established by congress, and the "Federal Advisory Committee Act" notes as well that Congress has authority to "provide otherwise". In providing otherwise, Congress avoids the two-year lifespan the "Advisory Committee Act" stipulates. Although the transpanency rerquirement stipulated in the "advisory Committee Act" are thereby not in place, to assume no other requirements for transparency exist due to stipulations of other legislature assumes every thing done before " the expiration of ninety
days following October 6, 1972" was done entirely without transparency, openness and accountability. Such an assumption stretches plausibility. Furthermore, this NYPD document elaborates the domestic threat from terrorists quite succintly-http://www.investigativeproject.org/documents/testimony/344.pdf It is a 90 page PDF. I do not believe the NYPD is overrun with crackers, nor exceptionally succeptible to buzzwords.
Hello, where have you been
"assumes every thing done before the expiration of ninety
days following October 6, 1972" was done entirely without transparency", yes basically everything not done in the open has in the history of all politics been more likely to be corrupt!
Have you noticed:
* that that US engaged in torture, the very same torture that we convicted others of doing
* that that the US engaged in illegal kidnapping to other countries to avoid the law and to engage in illegal torture
* that the US has unconstitutionally been searching through everyone's private records
And all of these acts were hidden, and could still be hidden, were it not for the acts of a courageous few. Exactly how many really bad cases do you need, before you see the need for law, for the constitution, for checks and balances, for a free press (not corporate monopolistic press), and for openness in all government activities.
Now you will say "be afraid". I am afraid. I am afraid of the loss of freedom from within. I am not afraid of outside threats.
You do realize you're eating your own right?
Being such a careful reader of this bill I'm sure you noticed this part:
(a) Establishment- There is established within the legislative branch of the Government the National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism. (emphasis added)
That means Congress controls both the commission and the creation of the think tank, not the President. By your math, shouldn't I be more concerned that Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi get to name two members each? It doesn't appear they've been completely co-opted by Dick Cheney, yet. I mean, the President only gets to name two members. Maybe I should be worried that this is a "Round Up All The Creationist" bill?
Lastly, the bill states that the only purpose of the commission is to present a report, which it must present within 18 months.
Be careful, you'll dull your sword on all the windmills you are attacking.