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Only “cranks” care if the government illegally searches their bank records.
Or so says the lead editorial from Friday’s Wall Street Journal:
”Since the Treasury story broke, as it happens, no one but Congressman Ed Markey and a few cranks have even objected to the program, much less claimed illegality.”
That’s funny, I could have sworn it was the Wall Street Journal who did the most to expose and oppose Bill Clinton’s “Know Your Customer” big brother bank spying in 1998.
I guess time flies when you’re boot-licking fascists.
James Bovard, the author of the great new book Attention Deficit Democracy, who last week went on MSNBC and FOX “News” to defend the press for telling the truth about this subject and remind viewers that this government lies about everything, including torture, NSA phone taps, records etc., remarked:
“I look forward to the Journal editorial page’s updates on this subject as news leaks out about how this surveillance program ran amok.”
Don’t hold your breath, Jim.
I admit to being a crank, but this bank records search is obviously illegal on its face. The whole process is based around bogus “administrative subpoenas” - where one cop asks another cop for a warrant instead of a judge as required (no-exceptions) by the fourth amendment to the US Constitution:
“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
The recent attacks on the New York Times for publishing this information have been nothing short of incredible. The Times is the establishment news organ in this country. If the GOP can actually get over on them, they can get over on anyone.
It was Bovard who pointed me to this quote from some dipshit Republican congressman named Ted Poe, a short speech entitled “Benedict Arnold Press?” given on the House floor June 28th. [Note: Thomas.gov does not allow permanent hyperlinks, but if you go to this page and search for "Benedict" it should come right up.]
“Mr. Speaker, we are fighting a war on terror, and now we are being told we are battling the press as well. The United States has rooted out terror on a global scale. They have also gotten unprecedented help from other countries and international banking institutions to seek out accounts used for al Qaeda money laundering, because without a supply of money, the terrorists have no fuse to light.
“Now the New York Times has apparently detailed that security program to the entire world, and we find ourselves pondering what to do when the press willingly reveals national security secrets to terrorists.
“Prior to World War II, the United States had broken the Japanese military communications codes. A journalist published a book revealing this classified information, so right before the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese changed their codes so the United States was unaware of this invasion.
“In 1950, a law was passed making releasing such classified information a crime. If the New York Times has violated this law by becoming the Benedict Arnold press, they need to be held accountable. Not even a journalist from the Times has the right to violate the law just to get a byline.
“And that’s just the way it is.”
Wrong.
First of all, I’m no expert on whatever law he’s citing from the fifties, but if it restricts speech in the way the congressman claims, it is plainly unconstitutional:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
To be fair, he’s wrong about everything else, so who knows?
Secondly, Bovard said he’d never heard of a book published prior to World War II which compromised American intelligence on Japan. Neither had I.
So I sent an email to Robert B. Stinnett, a former radio guest of mine and historian on the particular issue of America’s ability to crack World War II era Japanese codes.
Stinnett is the World War II veteran who proved for all time in his 1999 book Day of Deceit: The Truth about FDR and Pearl Harbor that Roosevelt deliberately provoked the attack on Pearl Harbor and cut the commanders out of the chain of intelligence so that they would be caught unaware and the administration could to get the previously unwilling American people into the war in Europe.
Stinnett responded:
“The quote outlined in red in your E-mail [Poe's Pearl Harbor bit] does not make any sense. I am not aware that any journalist either in book form of newspaper form revealed - prior to Pearl Harbor - that the USN broke the Japanese military codes. Further, I am not aware there was a Japanese military invasion of Pearl Harbor. [Ha! -editor]
“The Japanese Navy did make a routine change to their naval operational code on December 4, 1941. I am not aware the code change was ever reported by any news media prior to Pearl Harbor or during World War II.”
I half expect the Ministry of Truth to go back and manufacture the “proof” at this point.
The rest of Poe’s little speech is just as twisted:
“Mr. Speaker, we are fighting a war on terror, and now we are being told we are battling the press as well.”
We are most definitely not fighting a “War on Terror.” “We” are fighting two wars of occupation, and creating more terrorists while we do it. Any legitimacy the Afghan mission may have once had is long-since expired - since, say, around the time Bush let Osama escape from Tora Bora.
There was no jihadi terrorism in Iraq until we invaded. The vast majority of self described mujahideen would rather fight their local governments, “the near enemy,” than take on the US. The invasion has only helped them to split the difference in their argument with bin Laden and Zawahiri as they kill “near Americans” and to recruit a new generation into their ranks.
The fact that “we are being told that we are battling the press as well,” is only instructive in that it helps us to understand just how much the government hates our freedom.
Every anti-American jihadi type on earth assumes that the US is attempting to tap his phone, follow his money trail etc.
It is Americans who are the victims of these abuses, not terrorists. The Times was informing the people of this land, whose rights are being continuously violated by their so-called servants, what these impostors are really up to. It’s about time they did something besides lie us into war.
These clowns in congress seem to be trying their best to make us prefer an imperial president to their lousy rule. Try to resist.
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And while the public is riveted on all these diversions the massive sellout of our formerly vibrant industries continues unabated.
There’s gonna be a massive headache after this completely bipartisan sponsored party ends. Let us give thanks to corporate influence peddling and those who profit through the systematic destruction of America.
war pigs == tyrants at home == corporate oligarchy
I admit to being a crank
these jokers (and ball-less journos and Dems) have made some of the most intelligent people i know ‘cranks.’ |-(
An alternative point of view…i didn’t know what all the fuss was about when this story broke…was too busy with daily life….from the sound of this email forwarded to me from right-wing family members, it would seem that the evil Grey Lady has disgraced America once again and they all deserve to be shot on sight for being the commies that they are…
golly, it seems like I’m hearing two completely different stories about the Times from diferent groups of people… oh well here’s the letter. enjoy. if rebuttable i hope you find a way to do that…
***** **** *** * ** *** *********
Lt. Tom Cotton writes this morning from Baghdad with a word for the New York Times:
Dear Messrs. Keller, Lichtblau & Risen:
Congratulations on disclosing our government’s highly classified anti-terrorist-financing program (June 23). I apologize for not writing sooner. But I am a lieutenant in the United States Army and I spent the last four days patrolling one of the more dangerous areas in Iraq. (Alas, operational security and common sense prevent me from even revealing this unclassified location in a private medium like email.)
Unfortunately, as I supervised my soldiers late one night, I heard a booming explosion several miles away. I learned a few hours later that a powerful roadside bomb killed one soldier and severely injured another from my 130-man company. I deeply hope that we can find and kill or capture the terrorists responsible for that bomb. But, of course, these terrorists do not spring from the soil like Plato’s guardians. No, they require financing to obtain mortars and artillery shells, priming explosives, wiring and circuitry, not to mention for training and payments to locals willing to emplace bombs in exchange for a few months’ salary. As your story states, the program was legal, briefed to Congress, supported in the government and financial industry, and very successful.
Not anymore. You may think you have done a public service, but you have gravely endangered the lives of my soldiers and all other soldiers and innocent Iraqis here. Next time I hear that familiar explosion — or next time I feel it — I will wonder whether we could have stopped that bomb had you not instructed terrorists how to evade our financial surveillance.
And, by the way, having graduated from Harvard Law and practiced with a federal appellate judge and two Washington law firms before becoming an infantry officer, I am well-versed in the espionage laws relevant to this story and others — laws you have plainly violated. I hope that my colleagues at the Department of Justice match the courage of my soldiers here and prosecute you and your newspaper to the fullest extent of the law. By the time we return home, maybe you will be in your rightful place: not at the Pulitzer announcements, but behind bars.
Very truly yours,
Tom Cotton
Baghdad, Iraq
Tom Cotton is full of crap.
Here’s what Tom Cotton’s cohorts are doing.
Here’s what your government does with the money it
steals from you. Makes you proud to be Mercan (as
Bushie would say),doesn’t it? Aren’t you proud
Mercans are the most upstandingly moral people in the
world? Why shouldn’t Mercans rule the world when they
are so morally superior?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060701/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_us_investigation;_ylt=AsYC.WjhdMJOuePOF6Fo.gMUewgF;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b3JuZGZhBHNlYwM3MjE-
GIs may have planned Iraq rape, slayings By RYAN LENZ,
Associated Press Writer
18 minutes ago
Investigators believe American soldiers spent nearly a
week plotting an attack in which they raped an Iraqi
woman, then killed her and her family in an
insurgent-ridden area south of Baghdad, a U.S.
military official said Saturday.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity
because the investigation is ongoing, said the attack
appeared “totally premeditated” and that the soldiers
apparently “studied” the family for about a week
before carrying out the attack.
According to the official, the Sunni Arab family had
just moved into a new home in the religiously mixed
area about 20 miles south of Baghdad. The Americans
entered the home, separated three family members from
the woman, then raped her and set fire to her body,
the official said. The three others were also slain. A
senior Army official who also requested anonymity
because the investigation is ongoing said one of the
victims was a child .
Johnny Lee, wake up. What evidence does Tom Cotton (if he does really exist) give to prove it’s the fault of the NY Times for his men being blown up? I’m sure if the troops would stop killing and raping Iraqis and just come home they would not get blown up by angry Iraqis.
We are not cranks for caring about freedom and privacy but the US government is the greatest criminal enterprise ever known to mankind.
Hey there Sol, not to diss you or anything but I don’t support the view of Tom Cotton; I just want you all to know what a significant fraction of America thinks. If you want to be more prepared to engage him and others like him in debate, read what he has to say.
If not, fine too.
John,
There’s little point in talking to people who support Cotton’s view. Anyone who by now can’t see what a crime the Iraq war is and the immorality and incompetence of our government most likely never will. They are little more than brainwashed sheep who drank the kool-aid long ago. Thanks to the support of people like them our government makes enemies for us all over the world and also is bringing us a fascist police state.