Tony K’s got something to say

Today’s NYT article New Poll Finds Mixed Support for Wiretaps reports that some Americans are willing to allow their conversations to be tapped in the name of security, but somehow at the same time are worried about their civil liberties:

Americans are willing to tolerate eavesdropping without warrants to fight terrorism, but are concerned that the aggressive antiterrorism programs championed by the Bush administration are encroaching on civil liberties, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

The results suggest that Americans’ view of the program depends in large part on whether they perceive it as a bulwark in the fight against terrorism, as Mr. Bush has sought to cast it, or as an unnecessary and unwarranted infringement on civil liberties, as critics have said.

In one striking finding, respondents overwhelmingly supported e-mail and telephone monitoring directed at “Americans that the government is suspicious of;” they overwhelmingly opposed the same kind of surveillance if it was aimed at “ordinary Americans.”

I do no t see this as an either or situation, this is all or nothing folks. You are setting precedents for this administration and future administrations to invade your privacy at will for the “good of the country”.

Ben Franklin, one of our founding fathers is quite the buzz this year with his 300th birthday, I read a quote by him in a Bob Herbert editorial and I hope to have it pass to all Americans that feel they should sacrifice their liberty in order to be herded into a safety net…

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

- Benjamin Franklin

We have civic duties as citizens and we need to take that responsibility seriously. Free democracies value their citizens and fueled by the power of the citizens not told what to do by those elected into power. In a free democracy citizens can meet debate and dissent in public or private and the power of the better argument should always win not the argument of those given power. If we cannot debate, dissent, and talk in our communities freely about our thoughts and concerns without fear of repercussion than what freedom do we have?

It is time to take responsibilty and be citizens

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Thought I would share this site Buy Blue that rates companies according to progressive values, worker rights and other criteria. In this age of such corprate scandal and abuse this site can help you out the bad guys and suport the good guys with a very loud and pwerfule message—your hard earned money.

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So the DoJ wants Google to hand over their information on how you search the Web. (Thanks to Political Animal for some interesting thoughts) Considering the Administration’s propensity to do as they please and take what they want, since laws don’t apply, why are they being so formal as to “ask” Google fort he records? Why don’t they just go and take them?

These strong arm bully tactics remind me of research I did in grad school on Internet surveillance in the Middle East- seems they got a jumpstart on the brand of democracy Bush is pushing down their throats. Thinking about this a bit more shouldn’t the Republicans be fighting this?? Isn’t this a case of too much government in the face of free market capitalism??

Oh yeah, it’s all in the name of national security, all those vanity Google searches- for shame…

Check out Human Rights Watch for information on the abuses of Free Speech in the Cyberworld

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I just read about DC 2.0 thanks to Technoinsight. This should be a positive movement in the DC area, Web 2.0 has enhanced usability and function of the Web for end users and is making the Web a powerful collaboration tool for novices and experts alike. I am excited to see how this group takes shape and what new ideas will emerge.

Cheers to Dion Hinchcliffe, Stowe Boyd, and Ken Yarmosh for bringing this together.

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A Malaria monitor watch! Please visit the link I am not kidding. While this is pretty cool and I am glad it keeps the plight of tropical diseases in the face of the West, I wish it contributed something more to the struggle of prevention and finding a cure for diseases such […]

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From Today’s NYT editorial Spying on Ordinary Americans

The first lawsuits challenging the legality of the domestic spying operation were filed this week, and Congress plans hearings. We hope that lawmakers are more diligent about reining in Mr. Bush now than they have been about his other abuses of power in the name of fighting terrorism.

What’s left after everything is taken??

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This is pretty cool, Treehugger’s latest news courtesy of Gizmodo the portable solar charger, screw the AC adapter this is where it’s at!

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