Nov 2023 Mod notice:
There may be other, more specific, threads about some aspects of US politics, but this one tends to act as a hub for all sorts of related news and information, so it's usually one of the busiest OTC threads.
If you're new to OTC, it's worth reading the Introduction to On-Topic Conversations
and the On-Topic Conversations debate guidelines
before posting here.
Rumor-based, fear-mongering and/or inflammatory statements that damage the quality of the thread will be thumped. Off-topic posts will also be thumped. Repeat offenders may be suspended.
If time spent moderating this thread remains a distraction from moderation of the wiki itself, the thread will need to be locked. We want to avoid that, so please follow the forum rules
when posting here.
In line with the general forum rules, 'gravedancing' is prohibited here. If you're celebrating someone's death or hoping that they die, your post will get thumped. This rule applies regardless of what the person you're discussing has said or done.
Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
The unconstitutionality of what law? He didn't violate PATRIOT, he violated the Espionage Act. PRISM isn't even a law that could be challenged in court to begin with, and good luck getting a court to strike down the Espionage Act.
edited 3rd Jul '13 12:36:58 PM by Fighteer
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"I'd suggest asking any of the Guantanamo Bay inmates, but I suppose Snowden has the advantage of being white. I suppose Bradley Manning's example is more pertinent.
With cannon shot and gun blast smash the alien. With laser beam and searing plasma scatter the alien to the stars.![]()
![]()
![]()
Not really. This guy dies in a mugging, and guess who everybody is going to be pinning the blame on. As public a name he is right now, I doubt that a single hair on his head could be harmed without the blame falling squarely at the feet of the spooks of the Special Activities Division, rightly or wrongly.
Likewise with a trial. The dude's name is known nation-wide, which means that the US has to give him a fair trial. Seal the trial from the public/media, and people will notice. Stuff him in some dark hole somewhere, and people will notice.
And I'm still not sure what PRISM does that ECHELON did not do 20 years ago, anyways.
edited 3rd Jul '13 12:40:31 PM by Mars444
PRISM is not a law. There's nothing to challenge. You could go after PATRIOT, but good luck with that in today's Supreme Court.
@pagad: If this were the Bush administration, I'd be more worried. And Manning may have been kept in solitary but there is no evidence that he was tortured. You're demanding that we prove that Snowden would not be mistreated as a condition for him submitting to apprehension, but you can't prove a negative. "I won't marry you unless you prove that you won't beat me."
Look, I'm not saying that I like PRISM or PATRIOT, but it's the law of the land, voted on by its duly elected representatives, confirmed by its courts, and renewed by Congress. Until we get the balls to tell our government to throw it out, this is what we're going to get as a result.
edited 3rd Jul '13 12:42:00 PM by Fighteer
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"Forgive me for not being able to see much of a difference between the Bush and Obama administrations in this regard, given that as far as I can tell the latter is simply building upon the legacy of the former in matters pertinent to "homeland security".
With cannon shot and gun blast smash the alien. With laser beam and searing plasma scatter the alien to the stars.One man's hero is another man's criminal.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"Oh
god dammit, North Carolina. Stuff like this is exactly why a party super-majority is never a good idea (on either side).
I am sure that will become an issue in the 2014 midterms. The so far only declared opponent and GOP favourite of Kay Hagan, the Democratic Senator from North Carolina, is apparently the Speaker of the NC lower house.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard FeynmanI just don't understand it. Okay, anti-abortion stuff riles up your base, fine, but they persist with going for anti-abortion bills and plans that are so wildly unpopular that they have to sneak them in? I know someone of these guys actually believe what they spout, but most of them probably are just thinking about getting reelected. I fail to see how sneaking in wildly unpopular things help accomplish that.
edited 3rd Jul '13 2:25:10 PM by KBSL
From the article:
Honestly, I find it concerning that 36 out of 37 abortion clinics in NC currently don't meet those standards, with the possible exception of the middle sentence (I would think a nurse would be sufficient). But the first and last requirements seem like really good ideas to me—abortion is an ambulatory surgical procedure, so I don't see why it should be exempt from those safety regulations, and having a transfer agreement with a hospital means quicker access to emergency care should something go wrong.
@Norcutna: I don't see why they have to meet surgical standards though, considering that the procedure usually is chemically induced, not surgical. We don't require OBGYN clinics to meet those standards, and a pap smear is far more invasive.
Edit: The problem with the last one, is that around here at least, all the local hospitals are Catholic and flat out wouldn't grant transfer privileges.
edited 3rd Jul '13 2:53:09 PM by DrunkGirlfriend
"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -DrunkscriblerianThe state laws in Mississippi that closed down all but one of their clinics are being challenged on a federal level though, aren't they? Maybe that'll happen with this.

You forget that as it stands it'd be relatively simple for the CIA to off him or disappear him.
"Yup. That tasted purple."