Keeping us "safe" from terrorists - US gov's 'ultimate database' run by a felon

[Feanor]

Just noticed this over at the Register

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/28107.html

We all know that truth is stranger than fiction, and here we have an apparently real item straight from the realm of Tom Clancy. Imagine a huge, absolutely huge, central database containing both the official and commercial data of every single citizen, run by the US military ostensibly for anti-terror and Homeland Security purposes, and all of it under the direction of a convicted felon.

Well the database is in development and coming soon, according to the New York Times; and the felon who will run it is disgraced Reagan administration liar, dirty-trickster and cover-uper Admiral John M. Poindexter, who Dubya has taken out of mothballs to keep us all safe from dreadful evildoers.

Poindexter got caught up in a little Federal crime spree called Iran-Contra a decade ago, stood trial and was convicted, but managed to escape responsibility on an odd technicality.

As told succinctly by FAS.org, Poindexter was "Indicted March 16, 1988, on seven felony charges. After standing trial on five charges, Poindexter was found guilty April 7, 1990, on all counts: conspiracy (obstruction of inquiries and proceedings, false statements, falsification, destruction and removal of documents); two counts of obstruction of Congress and two counts of false statements.

District Judge Harold H. Greene sentenced Poindexter June 11, 1990, to six months in prison on each count, to be served concurrently. A three-judge appeals panel on November 15, 1991, reversed the convictions on the ground that Poindexter's immunized testimony may have influenced the trial testimony of witnesses. The Supreme Court on December 7, 1992, declined to review the case. In 1993, the indictment was dismissed on the motion of Independent Counsel."

Now he's in charge of the newly-invented Information Awareness Office, a part of that mixed bag of good and bad, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and he's got his eye on basically every scrap of data about every single citizen. The system Poindy is preparing to unleash on us "will provide intelligence analysts and law enforcement officials with instant access to information from Internet mail and calling records to credit card and banking transactions and travel documents, without a search warrant," the NYT article says.

And he's in no way embarrassed by his role ensuring that the US military and federal law enforcement and intelligence spooks can quite conveniently spy on the populace. He's said openly that the US government "needs to 'break down the stovepipes' that separate commercial and government databases," the article says.

Poindexter joins a slew of Reagan-era retreads and Iran-Contra alumni now operating brazenly in Dubya's bureaucracy. No doubt he feels quite comfortable among such familiar company, though I doubt I could say the same for the rest of us. ®

[ibGoodEnuf]

You can not call someone a felon unless they are convicted of a felonious act or acts. The case was ultimately dismissed against this individual. Technically speaking, you are guilty of slander.

[intercede007]

Actually, its Libel. Slander is spoken.

[Feanor]

http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/walsh/summpros.htm

Actually details were mentioned in a URL the article sited. And BTW, slander and libel don't apply to public officials or corporations, only to private citizens. Further, in the realm of politics, many cases can be dismissed for reasons other then innocense. The realm of politics is not free from an element of corruption. Kennedy didn't go to jail for Chapaquidick, but that doesn't mean he wasn't responsible for Mary Joe Kopechne's (sp?) death however. In fact the law enforcement agent who was in charge of the case, on his death bed mentioned his regrets on how he handled that case, and said if he could go back in time, he would have handled it differently.

BTW, lets indicate how the dismissals were made after convictions or guilty pleas were entered

Joseph F. Fernandez -- Indicted June 20, 1988 on five counts of conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstructing the inquiry of the Tower Commission and making false statements to government agencies. The case was dismissed in the District of Columbia for venue reasons on the motion of Independent Counsel. A four-count indictment was issued in the Eastern District of Virginia on April 24, 1989. U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton dismissed the four-count case November 24, 1989, after Attorney General Richard Thornburgh blocked the disclosure of classified information ruled relevant to the defense. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Va., on September 6, 1990, upheld Judge Hilton's rulings under the Classified Information Procedures Act (CIPA). On October 12, 1990, the Attorney General filed a final declaration that he would not disclose the classified information.

If one wanted to be cynical, they could suggest the motives in the dismissal was less then pure. In any case, that is a digression from question of whether to trust them running such a database today... With this proposal, privacy considerations aren't beyond consideration, and perhaps some of us would like "...the stovepipes' that separate commercial and government databases," to remain in place :D

[LORD-eX-Bu]

So what, my dad was involved in that too, he is not a felon. Hehehe. Iran contra was not the Reagan administration selling weapons to terrorists. What happened was the administration gave money for the release of some hostages. The money was in turn used by these terrorists to buy weapons. So its not like Reagan was trading guns for hostages, nah, he was trading money. I don't like the action, but hey, if I'd be a hostage, I'd want somebody to buy me out. Just because some of the people involved went to jail(i.e. Oliver North for refusing to give info on some stuff, not illegal activities) that doesn't mean they are bad people. They acted in despiration and while despicable, it is understandable.

[PsychoSy]

Originally posted by [eNv]-LORD-eX-Bu
So what, my dad was involved in that too, he is not a felon.

After all the people in the Reagan's administration who got fired, who quit, got investigated, etc. (and bear with me because I lost count after 225 of them), I find it hard to believe that your "involved" dad was totally innocent, okay? I'm sorry! Of course, you being his son...you're gonna stick up for Pops. That's "dispicable, yet understandable", too! :p

Iran contra was not the Reagan administration selling weapons to terrorists. What happened was the administration gave money for the release of some hostages. The money was in turn used by these terrorists to buy weapons.

Not much difference, in my book. If Reagan had the balls that people said he did, he would popped up on TV, held a little red button in the air and said to the camera, "Alright, Iran! You've got 1 hour to turn my people over to me ALIVE, or I'm going to turn your people over to Saint Peter!! Ulp, ya got 59 minutes now!!"

So its not like Reagan was trading guns for hostages, nah, he was trading money.

Tax payers money, too. He didn't have to use money, and that's the difference between him and Truman. Reagan was a wuss and it wasn't for his Alzheimers, he'd be having lead roles in 8mm prison porno movies to this day.

Just because some of the people involved went to jail (i.e. Oliver North for refusing to give info on some stuff, not illegal activities)...

HAHAH!!

...that doesn't mean they are bad people. They acted in despiration and while despicable, it is understandable.

Oh, get off it. If Clinton had done just 1% of the crapola that went on then (or the current garbage Bush Junyah is doing right now), the witchhunt would be so huge that the entire Wiccan community in Salem would be demanding residuals!! Actually, you guys allready had that witchhunt and all it involved was a fat government clerk and a cigar! Of all the people who know how dispicable a desperate man can act, you'd think the Republicans would've been nicer to Clinton. Sure, sodomy with a cigar is something that'll take me (and the rest of us) a lifetime to actually understand...but, in the context of desperation... :eek: :eek: Oh...that's...yeah....*shudders*

Interestingly enough, as a result of the Iran-Contra scandal, I believe Congress actually passed a resolution that said that from now on, all you had to do is think about commiting a crime and you'd be immediately guilty of doing it. Yep - just by thinking !!

Well gee, if we would have known THAT beforehand, we could have saved ourselves a whole ton of grief by depositing every single one of these Republican crooks directly into prison, which is where all the "involved" people belong.

And...and this is the good part...they'd still be there today. Why? Because we could've used this "thinking about it = doing it" resolution right now to give them new cells mates...like Dick Cheney for his role in funding terrorists with his Halliburton shell game, those crooks involved with Enron (that's 2 for Cheney and 1 for Dubyah for all of you keeping score at home), as well as the crooks involved with MCI WorldCom, and all the rest of the interestingly recent corporate scandals to crop up ever since Bush's first sqaut on federal land. Interesting because none of these huge, rampant corporate scandals went on during Clintons run - they all took place suddenly and nearly simulataneously after Bush was elected.

Could it be possible, considering their crooked background, that Cheney & Bush told these corporations, "yeah, go ahead and cook you books, steal from the company, and rob the shareholders blind and we'll turn our heads if you elect us"?

Actually, scratch that last question...nobody should answer it as they'll probably love & hate my prompt reply! :D :p

[Scooter]

who'll read this **** ????????
its like 10000000000000000000000 lines and stuff!!:o

[vampireuk]

Scooter, word of advice.....if there is one person you dont want to bug here its psychosy;)

[PsychoSy]

Originally posted by Scooter
who'll read this **** ????????
its like 10000000000000000000000 lines and stuff!!:o

Welcome to the internet...but you're gonna hate it if ya don't like to read because that's what 75% of internet is - lots and lots of reading! :D :p

What's the other 25% like?

Ya allready know (and probably have tons of it stored in some deep directory that you believe the wife/GF/parents haven't found yet). :D :p

[LORD-eX-Bu]

Originally posted by PsychoSy
After all the people in the Reagan's administration who got fired, who quit, got investigated, etc. (and bear with me because I lost count after 225 of them), I find it hard to believe that your "involved" dad was totally innocent, okay? I'm sorry! Of course, you being his son...you're gonna stick up for Pops. That's "dispicable, yet understandable", too! :p



Not much difference, in my book. If Reagan had the balls that people said he did, he would popped up on TV, held a little red button in the air and said to the camera, "Alright, Iran! You've got 1 hour to turn my people over to me ALIVE, or I'm going to turn your people over to Saint Peter!! Ulp, ya got 59 minutes now!!"



Tax payers money, too. He didn't have to use money, and that's the difference between him and Truman. Reagan was a wuss and it wasn't for his Alzheimers, he'd be having lead roles in 8mm prison porno movies to this day.



HAHAH!!



Oh, get off it. If Clinton had done just 1% of the crapola that went on then (or the current garbage Bush Junyah is doing right now), the witchhunt would be so huge that the entire Wiccan community in Salem would be demanding residuals!! Actually, you guys allready had that witchhunt and all it involved was a fat government clerk and a cigar! Of all the people who know how dispicable a desperate man can act, you'd think the Republicans would've been nicer to Clinton. Sure, sodomy with a cigar is something that'll take me (and the rest of us) a lifetime to actually understand...but, in the context of desperation... :eek: :eek: Oh...that's...yeah....*shudders*

Interestingly enough, as a result of the Iran-Contra scandal, I believe Congress actually passed a resolution that said that from now on, all you had to do is think about commiting a crime and you'd be immediately guilty of doing it. Yep - just by thinking !!

Well gee, if we would have known THAT beforehand, we could have saved ourselves a whole ton of grief by depositing every single one of these Republican crooks directly into prison, which is where all the "involved" people belong.

And...and this is the good part...they'd still be there today. Why? Because we could've used this "thinking about it = doing it" resolution right now to give them new cells mates...like Dick Cheney for his role in funding terrorists with his Halliburton shell game, those crooks involved with Enron (that's 2 for Cheney and 1 for Dubyah for all of you keeping score at home), as well as the crooks involved with MCI WorldCom, and all the rest of the interestingly recent corporate scandals to crop up ever since Bush's first sqaut on federal land. Interesting because none of these huge, rampant corporate scandals went on during Clintons run - they all took place suddenly and nearly simulataneously after Bush was elected.

Could it be possible, considering their crooked background, that Cheney & Bush told these corporations, "yeah, go ahead and cook you books, steal from the company, and rob the shareholders blind and we'll turn our heads if you elect us"?

Actually, scratch that last question...nobody should answer it as they'll probably love & hate my prompt reply! :D :p

Wow, thats alot to respond to. You really tore into my ass and I am kinda speechless. Maybe its that, or that I do agree with you.:eek:

[PsychoSy]

Originally posted by [eNv]-LORD-eX-Bu
Wow, thats alot to respond to. You really tore into my ass and I am kinda speechless. Maybe its that, or that I do agree with you.:eek:

http://www.fyremoon.net/~psychosy/images/Misc/scp.jpg

WHAT?!? :D :p

Wow, I never though you would agree with me. For some strange reason, I feel like...I...converted someone over to Satan or something. ;)

I dunno man - I seriously think that the Bush sitting in the oval office today isn't the same Bush some of you folks voted for and that's not a fun feeling at all.

As for tearing into your ass, I didn't mean too - I guess that's just the way I come off. I mainly wanted to attack the issues and I think...95% of that post is just that. The other 5% percent...yeah maybe it was a tongue lashing of sorts. :p

[Kruno]

Can I lash my tongue at your ass? Please... ;) :D

[Scooter]

oh man, u r so gonna hate me soon

[Kruno]

What's hate? I *LOVE* you. :p

You guys all conspiracy theorists?

PsychoSy, you can't even provide hard evidence that EVERY one under Reagan was crook.
Come on man, how do you know if people were not threatened to STFU?

[Scooter]

hihi
http://planet.nana.co.il/nanasux/colo%2Ejpg

[PsychoSy]

Originally posted by K.I.L.E.R
What's hate? I *LOVE* you. :p

You guys all conspiracy theorists?

PsychoSy, you can't even provide hard evidence that EVERY one under Reagan was crook.
Come on man, how do you know if people were not threatened to STFU?

I can't. They shredded it all, and in doing so, all the evidence pointing to one person's guilt over anothers innocence becomes a very fine line. :p Seriously, there's very little honesty in Politics, if any at all.

[Scooter]

us gov' keeps u away from teerroridts like im superman

[intercede007]

Huh?? :confused:

[styles-T]

Originally posted by PsychoSy

Ya allready know (and probably have tons of it stored in some deep directory that you believe the wife/GF/parents haven't found yet). :D :p

Speak for yourself..:D

caught my dad spanking it to chopped britney pron..

:D

[saturnotaku]

Originally posted by intercede007
Huh??

C'mon now, everyone knows about the teerroridts that are working to invade the US. And don't forget their even more extreme faction known as the terrortits.

caught my dad spanking it to chopped britney pron..

:eek:

[intercede007]

I dunno man, I could get down and party with some Terrortits. Does that make me a Dicktator? :D

[saturnotaku]

Originally posted by intercede007
Does that make me a Dicktator?

Yes, but we'd have to call you Richard. :D