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Criticism of government workers is not terrorism, even when somebody is exceptionally rude about it. If the harassment was criminal in nature, then enforce exi

Criticism of government workers is not terrorism, even when somebody is exceptionally rude about it. If the harassment was criminal in nature, then enforce existing laws. Construing it as terrorism is harmful to the public because it reinforces the government's anti-terrorism narrative used to justify unceasing scope creep and power grab. >> Federal judges rubberstamp every fishing expedition search warrant put before them > Is this in any way related to the investigations into a former president? I am talking about surveillance capitalism and government dragnets aimed at the general public. I'd be a happy man if Trump fucked off and died years ago. He was a willing and eager participant in all that I describe.

pstuart 4y ago
I'm not talking about criticism -- that is theoretically enshrined in the Constitution and for very good reason. I'm talking threats of violence with a goal of taking power. One of many reports on this: https://www.npr.org/2022/08/21/1118669896/top-election-officials-in-a-texas-county-quit-after-threats-stemming-from-2020 https://www.npr.org/2022/08/21/1118669896/top-election-offic... That's terrorism.
- MichaelCollins 4y ago
  Here's what I'm talking about: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Foreign_Intelligence_Surveillance_Court#FISA_warrants https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Foreign_Intellig... 41,222 warrants requests submitted to a secret Federal court since 1979. 85 rejected. 0.2% rejection rate, they rubber stamp virtually everything submitted to them, and I don't believe for an instant it's because federal investigator and prosecutors are just that good. This sort of shit is a greater threat to civil liberty than any sort of terrorism.
  - notch656a 4y ago
    A federal judge approved a search warrant against me because supposedly an unnamed dog told an unnamed officer who told a (named) detective that it smelled "potential contraband" up my ass. Not even the testimony of an officer, just 3rd degree anonymous hearsay. FISA warrants are bad and the regular federal warrants process isn't much better.

pstuart 4y ago

I'm not talking about criticism -- that is theoretically enshrined in the Constitution and for very good reason. I'm talking threats of violence with a goal of taking power. One of many reports on this: https://www.npr.org/2022/08/21/1118669896/top-election-officials-in-a-texas-county-quit-after-threats-stemming-from-2020 https://www.npr.org/2022/08/21/1118669896/top-election-offic... That's terrorism.

MichaelCollins 4y ago
Here's what I'm talking about: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Foreign_Intelligence_Surveillance_Court#FISA_warrants https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Foreign_Intellig... 41,222 warrants requests submitted to a secret Federal court since 1979. 85 rejected. 0.2% rejection rate, they rubber stamp virtually everything submitted to them, and I don't believe for an instant it's because federal investigator and prosecutors are just that good. This sort of shit is a greater threat to civil liberty than any sort of terrorism.
- notch656a 4y ago
  A federal judge approved a search warrant against me because supposedly an unnamed dog told an unnamed officer who told a (named) detective that it smelled "potential contraband" up my ass. Not even the testimony of an officer, just 3rd degree anonymous hearsay. FISA warrants are bad and the regular federal warrants process isn't much better.