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“Jennifer Newstead helped craft the Patriot Act, a cowardly work of treasonous legislation foisted on the American people in the wake of the 9/11 attacks;” Sou

“Jennifer Newstead helped craft the Patriot Act, a cowardly work of treasonous legislation foisted on the American people in the wake of the 9/11 attacks;” Source seems a little biased. Treasonous? That’s gotta require a lot of cortortion around the definition of treason. Patriot Act provisions have been repeatedly reauthorized by the democratically elected legislature since it was originally passed. This isn’t a case of foisting anything upon the people, the people are perfectly happy to vote in supporters of the Patriot Act. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act#Reauthorizations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act#Reauthorizations

jstarfish 8y ago
> This isn’t a case of foisting anything upon the people, the people are perfectly happy to vote in supporters of the Patriot Act. Oh come on. The act was written and passed during a Republican administration and renewed during the second term of a Democratic administration that campaigned against it.
- Waterluvian 8y ago
  Then claim and blame a broken democracy or political meekness of American voters. But you can't blame the law itself.
lotsofpulp 8y ago
The name of the act is a hint that the adjectives of treasonous and cowardly are accurate.
thundergolfer 8y ago
It's well known that many members of congress passed through the act without having read it. Given the enormity of the act's effects on the country, this is quite a problematic thing. I don't it was democracy that saw that bill through. It was crisis politics. Democracy requires a well-informed public, and capable representatives. With the USA PATRIOT act there was neither.
- foxyv 8y ago
  With the current state of campaign finance, congress is essentially two corporations with congressmen/women as employees. If you don't vote the party line or you don't secure funding for the party you get defunded on your next election. Surprising they don't bother to read the bills they are told to pass.

jstarfish 8y ago

> This isn’t a case of foisting anything upon the people, the people are perfectly happy to vote in supporters of the Patriot Act. Oh come on. The act was written and passed during a Republican administration and renewed during the second term of a Democratic administration that campaigned against it.

Waterluvian 8y ago
Then claim and blame a broken democracy or political meekness of American voters. But you can't blame the law itself.

lotsofpulp 8y ago

The name of the act is a hint that the adjectives of treasonous and cowardly are accurate.

thundergolfer 8y ago

It's well known that many members of congress passed through the act without having read it. Given the enormity of the act's effects on the country, this is quite a problematic thing. I don't it was democracy that saw that bill through. It was crisis politics. Democracy requires a well-informed public, and capable representatives. With the USA PATRIOT act there was neither.

foxyv 8y ago
With the current state of campaign finance, congress is essentially two corporations with congressmen/women as employees. If you don't vote the party line or you don't secure funding for the party you get defunded on your next election. Surprising they don't bother to read the bills they are told to pass.