We're going to see more of this. Wake up people, our rights and privacy are being eroded in the name. of "State Security".
And if you haven't already figured it out the RIAA and MPAA are using some aspects of the Patriot Act (nice mixed metaphor there) for their benefit as well.
I hear the sound of jack-boots marching outside....
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... d_security
Classic example of abuse of Homeland Security and the patriot Act...
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FlyingPenguin
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Classic example of abuse of Homeland Security and the patriot Act...
Christians warn us about the anti-christ for 2,000 years, and when he shows up, they buy a bible from him.
I'm not a big fan of the Patriot Act myself, but this wouldn't have even made the AP wire if it had been written to say this lady's store had been visited by Customs agents.
When it was formed, Homeland Security took over most of the Customs Service, Immigration and Naturalization, Transportation Security Administration and bits and pieces of other Federal Agencies.
Customs had responsibility for imported copyright and trademark infringing goods before the Patriot Act and before DHS was formed. Now they are part of DHS, they can't go see somebody and say they are from Customs...
Odds are this toy was manufactured in China.
Still, the guys in the Oregon office must be plenty bored, if this is what they really did. Given the amount of knock-off stuff that makes it into the US from China, visiting a toy store seems kind of dumb...
When it was formed, Homeland Security took over most of the Customs Service, Immigration and Naturalization, Transportation Security Administration and bits and pieces of other Federal Agencies.
Customs had responsibility for imported copyright and trademark infringing goods before the Patriot Act and before DHS was formed. Now they are part of DHS, they can't go see somebody and say they are from Customs...
Odds are this toy was manufactured in China.
Still, the guys in the Oregon office must be plenty bored, if this is what they really did. Given the amount of knock-off stuff that makes it into the US from China, visiting a toy store seems kind of dumb...
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TruckStuff
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Re: Classic example of abuse of Homeland Security and the patriot Act...
Geesh, a little paranoid, are we? What in the world does this story have to due with "eroding our rights"?Originally posted by FlyingPenguin
We're going to see more of this. Wake up people, our rights and privacy are being eroded in the name. of "State Security".
And if you haven't already figured it out the RIAA and MPAA are using some aspects of the Patriot Act (nice mixed metaphor there) for their benefit as well.
I hear the sound of jack-boots marching outside....
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... d_security
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TheSovereign
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i agree this it total bullspit wtf does homeland security have to do with copyright
its supposed to keep us safe physically, call clarence darrow or some sh*t
do something
its supposed to keep us safe physically, call clarence darrow or some sh*t
do something
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Just plain retarded. Is this sect of the government being run by 25 mongoloids in a locked room with a bag of Crunchy Cheetos and some Crayola crayons?
If the Department of Homeland Security is meddling in policing toy patents, then we truly know the sledgehammer of reform needs to come-a smashin' down.
If the Department of Homeland Security is meddling in policing toy patents, then we truly know the sledgehammer of reform needs to come-a smashin' down.
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FlyingPenguin
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Call me paranoid, but how long before the government takes an interest in what you're downloading, what we're IMing each other, and what's on your personal web space, what you're ordering online, what games you play, in the name of state security? They're already been scanning emails for years.
I don't have a problem with the lack of privacy, per-se. I'm not a terrorist or a serial killer and I have nothing to hide, BUT we all know the potential for the abuse of power AND how government agencies, companies and organizations have used other laws not intended for the purpose originally, to try to control what we do on the internet, and restrict our freedoms.
I see no oversight over these people. They have free reign in the name of "The War on Terror" (tm).
I accept that privacy must be sacrificed to keep us safe (and unless you're very naive you know there's no such thing as privacy anymore and hasn't been for years - telemarketers know more about you than your Mom does), but I do not accept that we have to give up our CIVIL RIGHTS and protections under constitutional law that we've come to expect in this country.
To those that fear that a change of administration will bring more government involvement in our private lives, all I can say is wake up. The government is ALREADY more involved in your private matters than it's ever been in the past.
Hmm... invasion of privacy, abuse of power, government control of information, and a SUBSTANTIAL percentage of the US population is on some kind of mood altering drug (anti-depressants, mood levelers, anti-anxiety).
Anyone ever watch the movie THX1138? Go rent it. We're half way to George Lucas' nightmare vision of the future...
/End Rant
I don't have a problem with the lack of privacy, per-se. I'm not a terrorist or a serial killer and I have nothing to hide, BUT we all know the potential for the abuse of power AND how government agencies, companies and organizations have used other laws not intended for the purpose originally, to try to control what we do on the internet, and restrict our freedoms.
I see no oversight over these people. They have free reign in the name of "The War on Terror" (tm).
I accept that privacy must be sacrificed to keep us safe (and unless you're very naive you know there's no such thing as privacy anymore and hasn't been for years - telemarketers know more about you than your Mom does), but I do not accept that we have to give up our CIVIL RIGHTS and protections under constitutional law that we've come to expect in this country.
To those that fear that a change of administration will bring more government involvement in our private lives, all I can say is wake up. The government is ALREADY more involved in your private matters than it's ever been in the past.
Hmm... invasion of privacy, abuse of power, government control of information, and a SUBSTANTIAL percentage of the US population is on some kind of mood altering drug (anti-depressants, mood levelers, anti-anxiety).
Anyone ever watch the movie THX1138? Go rent it. We're half way to George Lucas' nightmare vision of the future...
/End Rant
Christians warn us about the anti-christ for 2,000 years, and when he shows up, they buy a bible from him.
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TruckStuff
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): this wouldn't even be in the news if this had been Customs officials under the Treasury Dept.-
FlyingPenguin
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What else can Homeland Security do? They have BROAD powers with an open mandate to protect national security. They can violate several civil liberties that even the police can't.
I find that disturbing since a similar thing can be said about the Gestapo in Nazi Germany...
I find that disturbing since a similar thing can be said about the Gestapo in Nazi Germany...
Christians warn us about the anti-christ for 2,000 years, and when he shows up, they buy a bible from him.
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FlyingPenguin
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My comparison is that the Gestapo's original public face, prior to the war, was to essentially serve the same purpose as Homeland Security. It had broad power far outside the law, and that power was abused (and I'm HARDLY the first person to refer to Homeland Security as the Gestapo - I'd love to take credit for that but others have beaten me to it...).
My concern is we're setting a dangerous precedent in a government organization that several years down the road may far exceed the bounds of what we were told it's purpose would be.
To add to that stupidity we have congress deciding how to restructure our country's ENTIRE intelligence gathering organizations - organizations whose day to day operations most congressmen don't even understand, and are not qualified to make decisions about (there are congressional and senate intelligence commitees that ARE qualified, although due to the prestige involved, the political rangling needed to get onto those comittees doesn't always put the most qualified people on them).
Happily they just announced that there wasn't much chance of intelligence reform before the end of the year. THANK GOD. I'd be concerned if they only spent 2 months reconstructing our entire intelligence gathering system in the tried and true congressional method of political favortism and cronyism.
How about letting the intelligence professionals restructure our intelligence system and reporting their progress to congress? Oh no - by all means let congress do it's usual half-assed job of making law and then patching the mess of loopholes later.
The problem with all these political "fixes" is that they are rash knee-jerk reactions. They won't "fix" anything, no one is taking the time to study the ramifications of these rashly instituted laws, or bothering to study how and why these things happen and PROPERLY respond to them.
Case in point: Thanks to knee jerk reactions of congress there are dozens of small town police departments sitting on piles of expensive terror-response equipment they were given who have absolutely no need for it, no training to use it, and no desire to use it. Meanwhile some larger cities with a serious need for this equipment can't get it. That make sense?
My concern is we're setting a dangerous precedent in a government organization that several years down the road may far exceed the bounds of what we were told it's purpose would be.
To add to that stupidity we have congress deciding how to restructure our country's ENTIRE intelligence gathering organizations - organizations whose day to day operations most congressmen don't even understand, and are not qualified to make decisions about (there are congressional and senate intelligence commitees that ARE qualified, although due to the prestige involved, the political rangling needed to get onto those comittees doesn't always put the most qualified people on them).
Happily they just announced that there wasn't much chance of intelligence reform before the end of the year. THANK GOD. I'd be concerned if they only spent 2 months reconstructing our entire intelligence gathering system in the tried and true congressional method of political favortism and cronyism.
How about letting the intelligence professionals restructure our intelligence system and reporting their progress to congress? Oh no - by all means let congress do it's usual half-assed job of making law and then patching the mess of loopholes later.
The problem with all these political "fixes" is that they are rash knee-jerk reactions. They won't "fix" anything, no one is taking the time to study the ramifications of these rashly instituted laws, or bothering to study how and why these things happen and PROPERLY respond to them.
Case in point: Thanks to knee jerk reactions of congress there are dozens of small town police departments sitting on piles of expensive terror-response equipment they were given who have absolutely no need for it, no training to use it, and no desire to use it. Meanwhile some larger cities with a serious need for this equipment can't get it. That make sense?
Christians warn us about the anti-christ for 2,000 years, and when he shows up, they buy a bible from him.
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TruckStuff
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Busby
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FP has some valid points. Especially with the Intelligence community.
I am currently taking a class that specifically focuses on US Intelligence and the major project of the class is a paper dealing with the reform. From what I have researched dealing specifically with the paramilitary operations is that the recommendations of the 9/11 commission (which all the reforms are stemming from the comission) would not fully benefit Intelligence as whole. Most people don't realize that all CIA Intelligence covert action is in fact signed off on by the President (since Executive Order 12333, http://www.cia.gov/cia/information/eo12333.html). If the recommendations are implemented then the Pentagon and the Department of Defense become responsible for it. The military doesn't have to get military special operations signed off on. Therefore that power can be misused and therefore you have things like Bay of Pigs and such that happen and no President can be held responsible.
I am currently taking a class that specifically focuses on US Intelligence and the major project of the class is a paper dealing with the reform. From what I have researched dealing specifically with the paramilitary operations is that the recommendations of the 9/11 commission (which all the reforms are stemming from the comission) would not fully benefit Intelligence as whole. Most people don't realize that all CIA Intelligence covert action is in fact signed off on by the President (since Executive Order 12333, http://www.cia.gov/cia/information/eo12333.html). If the recommendations are implemented then the Pentagon and the Department of Defense become responsible for it. The military doesn't have to get military special operations signed off on. Therefore that power can be misused and therefore you have things like Bay of Pigs and such that happen and no President can be held responsible.
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