Furibundum

Back in 2005, then-Senator Barack Obama had this to say opposing The Patriot Act when it came up then for reauthorization: "We do not have to settle for a Patriot Act that sacrifices our liberties or our safety. We can have one that secures both." Throughout his entire presidential campaign, Obama often railed against the Act, criticizing it giving authorization for the Bush administration to secretly spy on U.S. citizens, illegally and unconstitutionally and with little or no judicial or congressional oversight. He pledged that he would institute "robust" checks and balances if he got elected, explicitly promising to overturn its unconstitutional sneak-and-peek provisions toward citizens not even suspected of a crime. "Warrantless surveillance of American citizens, in defiance of FISA, is unlawful and unconstitutional," he said. Now tomorrow, President Obama is set to sign into law an unamended extension of that same Patriot Act, a bill that pre...

Pisses me off, this. Even as an ardent Obamaniac I have to ask, "Seriously, Barry ... are you shitting me, dude?" Well, that's just fantastic, isn't it? Typical pussified Democratic caving in as we've unfortunately all been subject to and victims of despite our (ahem) Congressional control of the past couple of years. What the hell, man? Barack Obama's announcement earlier this week supporting the latest and greatest FISA amendment, including granting immunity to the partners in crime telcos ... yeah, pretty disappointing. Fourth Amendment still be damned. Bush's illegal-and-unconstitutional-but-who-gives-a-fuck-I'm-the-president interpretation received yet another resounding Senatorial huzzah. Ah, but it was a compromise, after all. Only a small part of the bill, that telecom amnesty thingy. Whatever. This still remains the gist of the whole package, though: You must give up your privacy and constitutional rights to us if you want us to keep you safe ...

" No one owes obedience to a usurper government or to anyone who assumes public office in violation of the Constitution and the law. The civil population has the right to rise up in defense of the constitutional order. The acts of those who usurp public office are null and void ." - Constitution of Peru , Article 46. I do believe we have the same rising-up privileges here too, no? Props, though, to the Peruvian founding fathers for such succinctness. Straight to the point, and well said indeed. Rights are of no consequence, however, if unexercised. Don't know how it plays out in Peru, but despite our country's similarly documented rights for "the civil population to rise up in defense of the constitutional order," we as a people sure do have a history of resting on our collective laurels allowing the omnipotent powers that be to run amok. Why, I wonder, given the abomination that is BushCo, has there not been more outrage? More rising up? A calling out for t...