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Thank you for your reporting on this, even if it just seems to chronicle the ever accelerating deconstruction of the Constitution. Even if American Constitution

Thank you for your reporting on this, even if it just seems to chronicle the ever accelerating deconstruction of the Constitution. Even if American Constitutionalists were able to walk back these types of clear abuses on the social compact that keeps peace by two steps, it will only be without realizing that five steps were taken towards the progress of disassembling the Constitution. An old, irrelevant, outdated document the Constitution is, they tell you as part of the psychological manipulation game they play to get people to foolishly abdicate their most fundamental rights through the con job of government's benevolence. But in the end, well beyond the point of way-too-late, people will unfortunately have to come to terms with the reality that freedom, liberty, self-governance, and that the government is no one's friend are not old, irrelevant, and outdated principles; they are universal principles that span time. Just like many things in humanity have been discovered and crated, then forgotten and taken for granted and driven to being lost and collapsed, and then rediscovered or reinvented; so too, does it seem humanity is on course to bury this experiment with self-governance that was kicked off in 1775, for maybe another 1,000 years, if not permanently. Is there even an opportunity or chance for freedom to rise again when it is suppressed so thoroughly by way of technology and soulless robots and AI? I think not. I hope I am for once wrong. ... War or galvanizing event to rationalize ever more eradication of liberty, incoming, all to the cheers of adoring fans. In memoriam the people who's voices have been squelched by the tech tyrants. They will not be the last victims of this evil that is descending on us with ominous persistence.

guelo 7y ago
Not sure what you're talking about, the courts have ruled that NSLs are constitutional.
- mirimir 7y ago
  That's the problem. I'm almost 100% sure that, if you explained an NSL to Jefferson, he'd say that it clearly wasn't constitutional. Washington too, very likely. Adams, though, might have gone either way.
- simplecomplex 7y ago
  The Supreme Court has been a treasonous organization since Wickard v Filburn (8 of 9 justices then of course appointed by Roosevelt) NSLs are unconstitutional. > 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.
  - stjohnswarts 7y ago
    I agree there is nothing at all constitutional about them, just like the Patriot Act.
mirimir 7y ago
The Constitution still says what it always said. The problem is that there's been 243 years of interpretation. So what it effectively says in many cases bears little relationship to it.
kazagistar 7y ago
I'm not sure how the constitution is remotely relevant here. It's clearly not protecting us from this in it's current state. If we want protections against secret government gag orders, we have to vote for people who will oppose them, which is a really small number of people indeed, or else vote to change the constitution to actually start protecting these rights. And if this turns out to be impossible, what is at fault? Probably to some extent... the existing powers of government, as enshrined in the constitution. The governmental system we have is not a perversion of the constitution, but a reflection of its inadequacies.
- calotow 7y ago
  Is it possible that your vote does nothing or is that not possible because it would be too big of a trick?
- bdamm 7y ago
  You're right. Discussing the shortcomings of the constitution is sort of viewed as a faux pax in American society, but the fact is that the current government, including its weaknesses, is an outcome of it. Discussions of how it could be improved, particularly given the almost 250 years of data we have, should be welcome. Another strongly American social phenomenon is viewing the government as an intrusive enemy. The result is this kind of wish that the government would just go away and I think a lot of Americans think that if we could just somehow suffocate the government then the problems that it presents would vanish. The reality, of course, is not even remotely that way. Government is a tool that the powerful will continue to use to clobber each other. It seems hopeless, but we at least need to talk about how the government can be improved, including its fundamental structures.
  - turk73 7y ago
    You all still think we have rights, but I'm of the mind that technology and corporatism have erased all of it. All. Of. It. There won't be any peaceful resolution to the situation, same as there wasn't when the King of England ignored our grievances that time. People won't revolt until they're good and miserable--hungry, homeless, with nothing left to lose. Right now, those types are being "managed" by homelessness, suicide, as well as opioids, marijuana, alcohol, video games, and other distractions. But that won't last forever, either.

guelo 7y ago

Not sure what you're talking about, the courts have ruled that NSLs are constitutional.

mirimir 7y ago
That's the problem. I'm almost 100% sure that, if you explained an NSL to Jefferson, he'd say that it clearly wasn't constitutional. Washington too, very likely. Adams, though, might have gone either way.
simplecomplex 7y ago
The Supreme Court has been a treasonous organization since Wickard v Filburn (8 of 9 justices then of course appointed by Roosevelt) NSLs are unconstitutional. > 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.
- stjohnswarts 7y ago
  I agree there is nothing at all constitutional about them, just like the Patriot Act.

mirimir 7y ago

The Constitution still says what it always said. The problem is that there's been 243 years of interpretation. So what it effectively says in many cases bears little relationship to it.

kazagistar 7y ago

I'm not sure how the constitution is remotely relevant here. It's clearly not protecting us from this in it's current state. If we want protections against secret government gag orders, we have to vote for people who will oppose them, which is a really small number of people indeed, or else vote to change the constitution to actually start protecting these rights. And if this turns out to be impossible, what is at fault? Probably to some extent... the existing powers of government, as enshrined in the constitution. The governmental system we have is not a perversion of the constitution, but a reflection of its inadequacies.

calotow 7y ago
Is it possible that your vote does nothing or is that not possible because it would be too big of a trick?
bdamm 7y ago
You're right. Discussing the shortcomings of the constitution is sort of viewed as a faux pax in American society, but the fact is that the current government, including its weaknesses, is an outcome of it. Discussions of how it could be improved, particularly given the almost 250 years of data we have, should be welcome. Another strongly American social phenomenon is viewing the government as an intrusive enemy. The result is this kind of wish that the government would just go away and I think a lot of Americans think that if we could just somehow suffocate the government then the problems that it presents would vanish. The reality, of course, is not even remotely that way. Government is a tool that the powerful will continue to use to clobber each other. It seems hopeless, but we at least need to talk about how the government can be improved, including its fundamental structures.
- turk73 7y ago
  You all still think we have rights, but I'm of the mind that technology and corporatism have erased all of it. All. Of. It. There won't be any peaceful resolution to the situation, same as there wasn't when the King of England ignored our grievances that time. People won't revolt until they're good and miserable--hungry, homeless, with nothing left to lose. Right now, those types are being "managed" by homelessness, suicide, as well as opioids, marijuana, alcohol, video games, and other distractions. But that won't last forever, either.