tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post6518029072858546713..comments2024-03-28T16:08:29.578-04:00Comments on Sardonicky: Call Your Congress Critters, Stop the SpyingKaren Garciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15612731479365562803noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-52886531266090944892013-07-25T09:33:28.349-04:002013-07-25T09:33:28.349-04:00Good points, Fred. Those No votes are certainly re...Good points, Fred. Those No votes are certainly revealing. <br /><br />In today's piece at the Guardian, Glenn Greenwald says "The sooner the myth of 'intractable partisan warfare' is dispelled, the better. The establishment leadership of the two parties collaborate on far more than they fight. That is a basic truth that needs to be understood." <br /><br />One of his commenters, dannymega, offered this: 'The reason you only have a two party system in the US, the same in the UK, is because it would be more expensive for big business to sponsor three.' The truth is that they give almost equally to both parties and these votes show exactly why they do that - hedging their bets and investments. <br /><br />The lesser of two fascist parties is still fascist, and the Democratic Party is certainly the more deceitful, duplicitous, and effectively evil of the two. <br /><br />I look forward to what happens with Rush Holt's 'The Surveillance State Repeal Act' just introduced.<br />The lines are being drawn. Now it gets interesting. Thank God for Ed Snowden or we wouldn't be at this point at all.annenigmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-9569679293689735962013-07-25T02:40:36.398-04:002013-07-25T02:40:36.398-04:00Thanks to @Call Me Cynical for the link.
I agree ...Thanks to @Call Me Cynical for the link.<br /><br />I agree that Congressional votes are sometimes theater, with a specific member's vote permitted/done with an eye to re-election, but the overall tally kept well under control. So I agree that votes <i>for</i> a particular <i>anti</i>-surveillance proposal may not actually mean that much. However, I will assert that a <i>pro</i>-surveillance vote <i>does</i> merit condemnation, particularly when it occurs nowadays, after all the surveillance revelations we have seen.<br /><br /><br />Ron Barber voted "no" on the Amash-Conyers amendment that attempted to rein-in surveillance, thereby placing himself firmly in the <i>pro</i>-surveillance camp.<br /><br />But unlike @Zee's reaction to his congresscritter's "yes" vote, I can't say that I'm shocked by Barber's "no".<br /><br />Either Barber has no courage, as I spoke of in my lengthy blog post back in December 2012, or else he's never met a military-industrial-security-surveillance program that he didn't like. He hasn't been in office very long, but considering the totality of his votes and public statements over his tenure to date, I'm now leaning towards the latter. Barber has been an enthusiastic booster <i>par excellence</i> of programs that clearly advance militarism and/or endanger our liberties, and I have absolutely no use for him as my representative. Going forward, I wouldn't vote for him even if he would whistle "La Marseillaise" through his ass --- which, given his votes and statements, has absolutely no likelihood of occurring.<br /><br />What a pitiful excuse for a Democratic politician he is. Unfortunately, looking at the roll call and the 83 Democratic "no" votes on the Amash-Conyers amendment, he is far from being alone.Fred Drumlevitchhttp://www.freddrumlevitch.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-63835510840080373962013-07-25T00:12:35.170-04:002013-07-25T00:12:35.170-04:00For more votes revealing who has voted in support ...For more votes revealing who has voted in support of all these surveillance programs, go to:<br />http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/06/congress-government-spying-votes-charts/65969/<br /><br />Don't read too much into votes on the amendment today. It was a lot of the usual political theater in order to assuage the masses, prevent revolt, and lead us down the primrose path of believing that they actually represent our interests. They don't. <br /><br />The vast surveillance state has already metastasized throughout our country and the entire world. Why haven't they even filed perjury charges against DNI Admiral Clapper and NSA Director General Alexander for lying to Congress? Too difficult? Member of the intelligence committees have known of their lying to the public for years. Until Congress does that, I'm not buying any of their phoniness. That includes Ron Wyden. <br /><br />We shouldn't get too excited about someone voting the right way ONCE on an amendment that was strategized to lose. The Whips make sure the members vote according to their party's business needs, with certain vulnerable members allowed to vote in the peoples interests for appearances to increase their chances for re-election in 2014. <br /><br />Precious few Congressmen had qualms in the past about violating the Constitution, or at least the 1st, 4th, and 5th Amendments, in order to lock up surveillance industry contracts for their districts. They did it for money, not for national security. Any 'fix' will ensure the same. When/if they actually vote to close one surveillance spigot, it will only be because they have found a more lucrative one to take its place, such the booming drone surveillance industry. <br /><br />Let's not be suckered by fake votes, phony words, and rigged voting for measures intended to fail but which lets them look good trying. They know an election is coming up and so do we. Let's Drop the Duopoly. Change your party registration to independent or anything else except those two money parties, and do it now. We can send a message that they can't rely on our gullibility and loyalty anymore. The jig is up.Call Me Cynicalnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-14487360707070988002013-07-24T22:16:11.800-04:002013-07-24T22:16:11.800-04:00@annenigma--
Many thanks! It appears that my per...@annenigma--<br /><br />Many thanks! It appears that my personal Congresscritter voted FOR the Amash/Conyers amendment.<br /><br />I'm shocked! Shocked!Zeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-81142325282811260072013-07-24T21:47:10.023-04:002013-07-24T21:47:10.023-04:00Here's how they voted:
http://clerk.house.gov...Here's how they voted:<br /><br />http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2013/roll412.xmlannenigmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-28470737566787991392013-07-24T20:41:51.904-04:002013-07-24T20:41:51.904-04:00Is there a tabulation on-line yet as to how each C...Is there a tabulation on-line yet as to how each Congresscritter voted?<br /><br />I have yet to find one.<br />Zeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-29270145680279628012013-07-24T20:03:24.229-04:002013-07-24T20:03:24.229-04:00Amash-Conyer didn't make it, but it got a surp...Amash-Conyer didn't make it, but it got a surprising amount of support considering. How about that rumor that Larry Summers is Obama's choice for the Federal Reserve chair? Unbelievable.James F Traynornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-974773076690597683.post-67255680599367201832013-07-24T13:18:52.264-04:002013-07-24T13:18:52.264-04:00The Good Book (at least in some passages) and many...The Good Book (at least in some passages) and many noble sources from the secular canon urge us never to hate. But maybe loathing falls a notch short of hate is acceptable to the gods. “Loathing” as in abhorrence and disgust. <br /><br />That’s what the White House keeps stirring up in me – abhorrence and disgust – as I read its latest statement opposing the Amash/Conyers amendment, which is coming up for a vote this afternoon according to a call taker at the Amash office, depending on rules, procedures, blah, blah, blah.<br /><br />I’ve called or emailed a number of other congressional offices about the Amash/Conyers amendment. Still can’t shake off these waves of loathing. Surely, a successful vote on the amendment would signal real change and bring some relief to the loathing. <br /><br />This vote could be a biggie in the great sweep of American history – yeah well, at least of this Administration. <br /><br />Let us not pray for love, brethren. Let us pray that citizens never lose their capacity for abhorrence and disgust. Loathing: try it.Jay–Ottawahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10360356126450612113noreply@blogger.com