4 ms·

Bluementhals letter about ICE memo justifying entry into homes without warrant [pdf]

70 points by rawgabbit 9mo ago

Johnny_Bonk 9mo ago
What/who is bluementhals?
- nerdsniper 9mo ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Blumenthal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Blumenthal The letter linked by this post is signed by the U.S. Senator. > Richard Blumenthal > Ranking Member > Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
- chiengineer 9mo ago
  This is 2026 in a nutshell "Uggh chat gpt can you get these illegal kkk badge wearing nazis out of my house wtf man "
  - tom_ 9mo ago
    Myself assumes they're point is that their should be some apostrophe's.
trhway 9mo ago
20+ years ago it was torture memo. Similar principle of responsibility laundering - some government lawyer writes a memo that it is ok do to that thing (even when it is an obviously illegal thing), and the government agents go full speed ahead, and nobody held responsible after that.
- chiengineer 9mo ago
  It wasnt just some rando totally unknown gov lawyer He was south Korean and proud to sign it for bush and said so in multiple interviews he would do it all over again John yoo
  - trhway 9mo ago
    >proud to sign it for bush and said so in multiple interviews he would do it all over again why not if you can't be held responsible.
    - kccoder 9mo ago
      Morals, ethics, empathy, humanity, …
      - trhway 9mo ago
        well, we see time and time again what's left of "Morals, ethics, empathy, humanity, …" once the threat of consequences is removed.
  - dc396 9mo ago
    Yep, the "Emanuel S. Heller Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley." (perhaps ironically given the reputation of Berkeley).
nerdsniper 9mo ago
From a tech perspective, I do find myself occasionally having interesting discussions with co-founders about what it means to be operating our business in a legal environment where the rule of law is diminished. Startups have often had to contend with variance in enforcement and interpretation. Some of my favorite historical examples of startups who had to worry about uncertain rule of law are: - Aereo[0]: Who tried their very best to follow the law diligently but got slapped down anyways. - Uber[1]: Who blatantly broke the law so callously that they relied on gaps in the rule of law to enable their business model. - Kim Dotcom[2]: A German-born citizen who had never set foot inside USA's jurisdiction found himself arrested by the FBI in helicopters storming his home in New Zealand. This emphasized that any founder needs to follow US law, no matter where they are operating. In each case, it seemed that whoever had more money tended to win, rather than who had the letter of the law on their side. 0: https://archive.md/PJHhD https://archive.md/PJHhD 1: https://archive.md/tqk3W https://archive.md/tqk3W 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Dotcom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Dotcom
- metalcrow 9mo ago
  I agree with your overall point, but for Kim's case, it seems it was actually NZ police who arrested him, no? NZ just decided to enforce US law because of mutual treaties.
  - nerdsniper 9mo ago
    Ah, you’re right. The reporting[0] at the time seemed to imply that a handful of FBI agents were present among the NZ officers during what was reported to be a "US-led raid". FBI agents evidently[1] left the country with physical evidence from the raid that NZ was supposed to keep custody of. 0: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/96384/fbi-agents-continue-to-aid-nz-police-over-internet-case https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/96384/fbi-agents-continu... 1: https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/fbi-committed-illegal-act-dotcom https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/fbi-committed-illegal-ac...
    - spwa4 9mo ago
bayarearefugee 9mo ago
It is completely unsurprising that this is happening. It will be completely unsurprising that despite a "strongly worded letter" it will continue to happen and there will be no consequences despite the unconstitutionality. The US Government and the very idea of a rule of law here are hopelessly broken and there is no obvious peaceful path to ever fixing it.
- hshdhdhj4444 9mo ago
  The problem is that either a majority, or a large enough minority that due to how the U.S. constitution distributes power, of voters are absolutely fine with this.
  - bayarearefugee 9mo ago
    That is one of the major problems, yes. Other problems include: too many Americans just don't vote or pay attention to politics at all the 3 branch system of government used in the US never foresaw or planned for a situation in which two of the branches would just simply abdicate their own power
ChrisArchitect 9mo ago
Earlier: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46712279 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46712279
deleted 9mo ago
[deleted]

70 points by rawgabbit 9mo ago

Johnny_Bonk 9mo ago

What/who is bluementhals?

nerdsniper 9mo ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Blumenthal https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Blumenthal The letter linked by this post is signed by the U.S. Senator. > Richard Blumenthal > Ranking Member > Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
chiengineer 9mo ago
This is 2026 in a nutshell "Uggh chat gpt can you get these illegal kkk badge wearing nazis out of my house wtf man "
- tom_ 9mo ago
  Myself assumes they're point is that their should be some apostrophe's.

trhway 9mo ago

20+ years ago it was torture memo. Similar principle of responsibility laundering - some government lawyer writes a memo that it is ok do to that thing (even when it is an obviously illegal thing), and the government agents go full speed ahead, and nobody held responsible after that.

chiengineer 9mo ago
It wasnt just some rando totally unknown gov lawyer He was south Korean and proud to sign it for bush and said so in multiple interviews he would do it all over again John yoo
- trhway 9mo ago
  >proud to sign it for bush and said so in multiple interviews he would do it all over again why not if you can't be held responsible.
  - kccoder 9mo ago
    Morals, ethics, empathy, humanity, …
    - trhway 9mo ago
      well, we see time and time again what's left of "Morals, ethics, empathy, humanity, …" once the threat of consequences is removed.
- dc396 9mo ago
  Yep, the "Emanuel S. Heller Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley." (perhaps ironically given the reputation of Berkeley).

nerdsniper 9mo ago

From a tech perspective, I do find myself occasionally having interesting discussions with co-founders about what it means to be operating our business in a legal environment where the rule of law is diminished. Startups have often had to contend with variance in enforcement and interpretation. Some of my favorite historical examples of startups who had to worry about uncertain rule of law are: - Aereo[0]: Who tried their very best to follow the law diligently but got slapped down anyways. - Uber[1]: Who blatantly broke the law so callously that they relied on gaps in the rule of law to enable their business model. - Kim Dotcom[2]: A German-born citizen who had never set foot inside USA's jurisdiction found himself arrested by the FBI in helicopters storming his home in New Zealand. This emphasized that any founder needs to follow US law, no matter where they are operating. In each case, it seemed that whoever had more money tended to win, rather than who had the letter of the law on their side. 0: https://archive.md/PJHhD https://archive.md/PJHhD 1: https://archive.md/tqk3W https://archive.md/tqk3W 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Dotcom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Dotcom

metalcrow 9mo ago
I agree with your overall point, but for Kim's case, it seems it was actually NZ police who arrested him, no? NZ just decided to enforce US law because of mutual treaties.
- nerdsniper 9mo ago
  Ah, you’re right. The reporting[0] at the time seemed to imply that a handful of FBI agents were present among the NZ officers during what was reported to be a "US-led raid". FBI agents evidently[1] left the country with physical evidence from the raid that NZ was supposed to keep custody of. 0: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/96384/fbi-agents-continue-to-aid-nz-police-over-internet-case https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/96384/fbi-agents-continu... 1: https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/fbi-committed-illegal-act-dotcom https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/fbi-committed-illegal-ac...
  - spwa4 9mo ago

bayarearefugee 9mo ago

It is completely unsurprising that this is happening. It will be completely unsurprising that despite a "strongly worded letter" it will continue to happen and there will be no consequences despite the unconstitutionality. The US Government and the very idea of a rule of law here are hopelessly broken and there is no obvious peaceful path to ever fixing it.

hshdhdhj4444 9mo ago
The problem is that either a majority, or a large enough minority that due to how the U.S. constitution distributes power, of voters are absolutely fine with this.
- bayarearefugee 9mo ago
  That is one of the major problems, yes. Other problems include: too many Americans just don't vote or pay attention to politics at all the 3 branch system of government used in the US never foresaw or planned for a situation in which two of the branches would just simply abdicate their own power

ChrisArchitect 9mo ago

Earlier: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46712279 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46712279

deleted 9mo ago

[deleted]