I will be on C-Span’s Washington Journal this morning discussing privacy and other issues in a call-in program.
The program will focus on the loss of privacy in America and other recent columns.
FLOG THE BLOG: Have you voted yet for the top legal opinion blog? WE NEED YOUR VOTE! You can vote at HERE by clicking on the “opinion” category. Voting ends December 31, 2011.
“Vote Obama – if you want a centrist Republican for US president”
by Glenn Greenwald
Because Barack Obama has adopted so many core Republican beliefs, the US opposition race is a shambles
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/dec/27/vote-obama-centrist-republican
“In sum, how do you demonise Obama as a terrorist-loving secret Muslim intent on empowering US enemies when he has adopted, and in some cases extended, what was rightwing orthodoxy for the last decade? The core problem for GOP challengers is that they cannot be respectable Republicans because, as Krugman pointed out, Obama has that position occupied. They are forced to move so far to the right that they render themselves inherently absurd.”
http://www.salon.com/2011/12/28/snapshots_of_washingtons_essence/singleton/
Excerpt:
Americans love to think that they are so very informed as a result of the robust, free press they enjoy, while those primitive, benighted Muslims are tragically manipulated and propagandized by their governments. Yet here we have an extraordinarily consequential “vast drone/killing operation,” and while those in the Muslim world are well aware of what it is and what it does and debate all of that openly and vigorously, Americans are largely kept in the dark about it. That’s because: (a) the U.S. Government shields it all in secrecy (hiding it from nobody except their own citizens); (b) the U.S. media generally avoid highlighting the innocent victims of American violence; and — most of all — (c) this is all now enshrined as bipartisan consensus, with the GOP consistently approving of any covert government aggression that kills foreigners, and Democrats remaining mute because it is their leader doing it.
That’s why this Post article provides such a vivid snapshot of what Washington is and how it works.Americans love to think that they are so very informed as a result of the robust, free press they enjoy, while those primitive, benighted Muslims are tragically manipulated and propagandized by their governments. Yet here we have an extraordinarily consequential “vast drone/killing operation,” and while those in the Muslim world are well aware of what it is and what it does and debate all of that openly and vigorously, Americans are largely kept in the dark about it. That’s because: (a) the U.S. Government shields it all in secrecy (hiding it from nobody except their own citizens); (b) the U.S. media generally avoid highlighting the innocent victims of American violence; and — most of all — (c) this is all now enshrined as bipartisan consensus, with the GOP consistently approving of any covert government aggression that kills foreigners, and Democrats remaining mute because it is their leader doing it. That’s why this Post article provides such a vivid snapshot of what Washington is and how it works. (end excerpt)
Thank you for standing up for us…The American People!
Great interview Turley,
This is the first time I have heard of you, but I am not a lawyer, nor did I attend law school, or college for that matter. That’s why there are so many commas. One thing I wish you could have covered in the the interview would be the importance of the grand jury and the roll that it plays in protection of the 4th amendment if any. I would like to hear your comments on that or any links to some previous articles on the subject would be great. By the way the required email address makes me laugh, but only a little.
Duce
And in all of this, let’s not forget about that little “misinterpretation” of the Patriot Act…
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/us/27patriot.html
As Ron Wyden said, “Americans would be alarmed if they knew how this law is being carried out.”
Indeed. There;’s a domestic program in play that, to date, remains hidden from many. When will Americans learn the truth?
A couple of interesting, related articles:
http://blogs.computerworld.com/19447/yes_virginia_even_the_led_lights_might_be_listening
Recording Everything: Digital Storage as an Enabler of Authoritarian Governments
by John Villasenor
December 14, 2011
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/papers/2011/1214_digital_storage_villasenor/1214_digital_storage_villasenor.pdf
I was struck by Prof. Turley’s assertion , paraphrasing, with regard to the indefinite detention issue and context, that shortly after assuming office, it seems Obama decided noone would get to the right of him with regard to national security issues.
Was this a deduction, assumption, or derived from some unnamed insider confidence?
Bonnie,
You can watch the broadcast online any time at http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/PrivacyIssues4
Unfortunately, by the time I read this on the west coast, the time for you to be on has come and gone. Three a.m. is just way too early even if I had advance notice.
CEJ,
It took four Gorillaz to get that tune out of my head! 😉
Johnice,
I am 53 since we’re confessing today. I can understand that you are older now. Probably live in fear. You’ve been convinced that you live in a country where it isn’t safe to walk outside your door. But unless you live in a statistically high crime area; probably an urban area; it really isn’t that dangerous. If you are a crack head or dealer; you are more likely to meet with violence but the actual incidence of people being attacked out beyond the cities is not very high. The wealthier you are; the less likely it is you will encounter a problem. Funny thing is; the wealthier you are; the more you like that high security feel. Of course wealthy people don’t have to worry as much about False Imprisonment, Indefinite Detention and such matters. They generally are able to hide their crimes more effectively than the poor also. So, I get it. Fear is a terrible thing but would you still want those cameras if you knew that they were being used to target American citizens for Indefinite Detention? Or what if you knew that the cameras were being used to track American citizens marked for assasination by the Government? Because that is where we are headed. The Government has already taken most of our rights. Shall we just sit and let them take the rest because we are afraid to go outside? Shall we seek safety for ourselves at the risk of the whole nation? At the risk of losing the country our grandchildren will have to live in to a bunch of Fascist Politicians an Yeh well I say let’s get the textbooks out and teach themd Corporate Moguls. That is the choice. Hey! I think I’ll take a walk………..alone…………………..in the dark………………………..and save my country from Tyrany
Kim Libera,
Sure you meant “Learn” what with the new law and all. Heh; Heh; Heh. Well I say we all need to get out the text books………….and perhaps the rod and teach them what freedom means.
Jonathan:
I would love more information about how privacy used to work and where you think we are heading.
Great Privacy was abeautiful thing. When you left home; no one could reach you or knew where you were. Anyway I am sure that isn’t the answer you are seeking. Just a thought about life before cell phones.
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/12/19/prbf1219.htm
News in brief – Dec. 19, 2011
Video surveillance improves hand hygiene – Illinois to provide more transparency of physician discipline
“A Big Brother-style approach to monitoring whether physicians, nurses and other health professionals wash their hands when they are supposed to is effective, according to a Nov. 21 Clinical Infectious Diseases study (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22109950).
A 17-bed hospital intensive care unit in Manhasset, N.Y., had hand-hygiene compliance rates of 10% as measured by a remote video monitoring service in which recording began when sensors detected that a person entered the patient area. After the 16-week observation period, health professionals received feedback on their hand-hygiene compliance as observed by the service, and performance was displayed on electronic boards mounted in the ICU’s hallways. With the feedback, hand-washing compliance improved to 82% in the subsequent 16 weeks and increased to 88% over 75 weeks, the study said.”
CEJ — Enjoyed the song. Thanks.
Many Americans, it would seem, are fine with all that we’ve lost. I wonder how people will feel when they one day learn about pinpoint cameras in the home, compliments of the government. When will Americans finally say that enough is enough?