Radio Utopie

Washington: There is just one last line of defense left the US Executive Branch has to vaporize to decide by themselves which myspace message, email, chat, phone call or other communication of US citizens to friends worldwide make them a terrorist suspect.

Yesterday the US Senate voted 28 to 60 against an important 30 year old part of checks and balances, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act – passed in 1978 to crack down on abuses by spy agencies accused of illegally spying on Americans – and passed the emergency legislation commanded by the Bush Government (1).
Today it´s the decision of the House of Representatives.

RULE OF LAW OR RULE OF BELIEVERS

The new measure would give authority to the attorney general, Alberto Gonzales, and the director of national intelligence, Vice Admiral John Michael McConnell, to make the determination who is „reasonably believed“ to be overseas.
In July McConnell said, he (reasonably) believes Osama Bin Laden lives in Pakistan.The US Executive Branch would not rule out a new war there. (2)
The Pakistan situation – and the „Al Qaida“ term – were the core in that line of „reasoning“ the secret services, the military and the Bush Government used to produce public pressure on Congress.

But who is actually still reasonably believing Alberto Gonzales or the Bush Government anyway? And if someone still does, why checks and balances at all?

If someone is just „believed“ to be anything, that´s the end of democracy. If the believers rule the law there is no law.
If this „emergency law“ passes the House today the United States of America could become an even more lonely country than it has already become.

15.07.07
Germany: Worldwide Eavesdropping By Handy?

05.07.07
UK, terror: don´t fear,stupid

source:
(1)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-fisa4_aug04,1,771846.story
(2)
http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2007/07/23/us_wont_rule_out_force_in_pakistan/

links corrected and keywords updated in August 31, 2007