[ale] OT-related-Re: Well isn't this special

[Sergio Chaves]

Being from Brazil and living there during the 60s and the 70s under HARD 
military dictatorship, I can only tell you that I am really concerned about 
the direction the US is taking.
Living in the US for almost 30 years, I can (IMHO) certainly say that we are 
being led to become the type of society that we always proud ourselves NOT to 
be like.
Again, having my life experience from both sides (Brazil/US), I can tell you 
first hand that we are going RETRO.
Brazil learned, at a costly price (ie: lives and money lost) that freedom 
(free market, freedom of speech, less government - privatization of agencies, 
etc.) it is much more prosperous for its citizens and the country than the 
other way around.
This decade, Brazil is braking lots of World Economy Records by following 
those "simple" rules used by the US for centuries (the Economist - 
http://www.economist.com/node/14845197 - requires registration)!

Citizens are learning that earning is better than government giving, that 
learning how to be accountable and responsible has its rewards, so forth, so 
on.
If "things" here continue the way they are, get ready for the ride; it will be 
a bumpy one.  Been there, done that.

On Tuesday, September 28, 2010 08:09:41 am Tom Freeman wrote:
> On 09/28/2010 05:54 AM, Paul Cartwright wrote:
> > On Mon September 27 2010, Watson, Keith wrote:
> >> Government Seeks Back Door Into All Our Communications
> >> http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/09/government-seeks
> >> 
> >> U.S. Tries to Make It Easier to Wiretap the Internet
> >> https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/us/27wiretap.html
> > 
> > on a related note:
> >   Gov mum on high tech snooping vans
> >   
> >   The administration is keeping silent about a story revolving around
> >   some high
> > 
> > tech vans recently purchased by the Department of Homeland Security that
> > are capable of literally peering through the walls of your home. If DHS
> > was using these vans to fight terrorism, that'd be great - but they will
> > not confirm nor deny the vans are also being used in other areas that
> > would infringe on privacy rights. Glenn talks with Congressman Jason
> > Chaffetz about the story on radio today. ( Transcript, Insider Audio,
> > FREE Insider Extreme clip)
> > http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/196/45942/
> 
> Late, and I hate sounding like a tinfoil hat ...
> 
> The only way I'd be semi-comfortable with such vans in _anybody's_ hands
> is with use restricted to court sanctioned search warrants, which become
> public in a limited length of time. I personally find anything less to
> be basic terrorism from a totalitarian government. Terrorism suppression
> is not a reason to act like a terrorist
> 
> IANAL, and YMMV (but for once it shouldn't)
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