Bashing Bush is cool, right?

[studmuff.livejournal.com]

Comments

[fleaplus.livejournal.com]

Even though I think the uproar over the phone records is overrated, this cartoon is rather silly/dumb.

[somefantastic10.livejournal.com]

seconded. this is a really really stupid cartoon.

[unluckystunt.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

/pointless "me too!" comment

[vlion.livejournal.com]

/snicker

[musikinov.livejournal.com]

Bashing Bush is cool, you're right. What does this have to do with it?

Tell you what, if Osama or other terrorists place calls through Qwest's long distance service (which, if you know anything about telecommunications, doesn't mean that the phone calls aren't traceable, tappable, or otherwise monitored; they still pass through other carriers), and in those calls they discuss their super-secret plans for the next terrorist attack, and that happens, we can go ahead and charge Qwest with aiding the terrorists (charges that would be laughed out of court).

Or they could use the internet instead. Or a million other forms of communication. I'm sure when the next bomb hits, everyone will be saying, "Gosh! If only Qwest hadn't been so unpatriotic and just handed over the information, this could have been prevented!" Right.

How about this. Rather than require the telecom companies to spend their resources on getting this information to the government, we use that money to better the conditions in countries that breed terrorists. That way, the incentive to become a terrorist isn't as great.

The mistake of capitalism: We act like Terrorist is a job description, and Al Queda is a corporation. We act like we're scaring terrorists out of their business by making it harder for them to do their jobs. "Gosh, it's just gotten so hard and expensive to kill the Infadels, I'll just go back to herding sheep." No, that's not going to happen. These are people who, by and large, believe death and matrydom is a good thing. It's easy to see why. Death is all around them. Prosperity is an oppressor. They're jealous. They think it's religiously wrong. They see nations playing favorites with certain religions. Threatening them with military presence and what amounts to capitalistic sanctions and regulations doesn't change any of that. Most of them didn't ask to play in the world's game. They have their goal, and they'll follow it through with whatever means possible.

I'll agree that wiretapping makes it harder for those 0.0005% of people using telephones for terrorist activity to carry out their 'jobs'. But their 'paycheck' is perceived salvation. It's not going to prevent shit in the long run. I won't go so far as to say that the wiretapping is some plot by Bush and his cronies to spy on average Americans (although it almost certainly can and will be used that way; if not by them, then perhaps in the future; it sets a dangerous precedent). It does, however, zero to prevent the conditions that create terrorism.

I'm insensitive. I'll sit back and watch more terrorist attacks, if they happen. I might even die in one. It happens. I'll be sad, I'll lament the horrible tragedy. I'll wonder how it could have been prevented. And I'll wonder why the terrorists chose this as their option. Then I'll order a pizza. Lost is on tonight, and it's getting good, 24, too. Maybe I'll watch Jack Bauer torture a suspected terrorist-- without a warrant-- and I'll cheer him on. Fuckers have to be taken care of. There's no time for warrants. And that's cool, it's fiction. Maybe I'll flip through to Fox News and watch them pretend that every word out of the Iranian leader's mouth is pure unadulterated evil, and then align that to things American 'liberals' say, implying that they too are evil.

That'll be fun, too. Little Iranian dude is just a character.

Sorry for the long post and blabbering, but this shit is just getting out of hand.

[madmethod.livejournal.com]

Props. Couldn't agree more.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_pandemonium/]

*applauds*

Thank you.

[thomasblair.livejournal.com]

You took the words right out of my mind.

[maladaptive.livejournal.com]

*thumps up*

[maladaptive.livejournal.com]

....thumbs, even. Har.

[njtech.livejournal.com]

you know if theres a murder in NYC we could jsut ask for everyone's DNA.

or use police work and invetigative techniques to come up with a suspect and ask that one person for his DNA.

casting a wide net is a waste of resources, energy, and time

And oh yeah, ILLEGAL. for those who say "pfft, so what, I'm not a terrorist", what happens when they come searching door to door and decide to rummage thru your house, ya know, just in case. no evidence of there being a terrorist there, but ya know, he just *might* be hiding in your home.

this is the digital equivilent.

and don't forget that if Bush can do it, so can hillary or whoever the next democratic presiden tis, whenever that is. thats the real problem. I wonder if Hillary starts monitoring who Hannity & Colmes have been calling if the re-blub-licahns will still be cheering on this sort of behavior...

[firebreathnchkn.livejournal.com]

Oh, and don't tell anyone why we want DNA, or even that murder is illegal. It would reveal too much.

And I don't know if I love your icon or it freaks me out.

[musikinov.livejournal.com]

Patients can stand to die. What can I say. It's like prescribing pills to prevent aging. (Which may be a more apt simile than I had intended, considering what the pharmaceutical companies (and let's say their metaphoric partners, defense companies) stand to gain from such a prescription.)

I'm not pretending our civil liberties are free. I'm saying that price is worth paying without diluting its value.

[towith.livejournal.com]

So Bin laden has been hiding in the US all this time, right under Bush's nose?

[hippopotassium.livejournal.com]

He's the press secretary.

[ccnuggie.livejournal.com]

I like it.

[thomasblair.livejournal.com]

Of course you do; it's lame.

[squidb0i.livejournal.com]

The whole arguement that the terrorists didnt know we were listening to them is pure bullshit. I WISH they were that stupid, because then they wouldn't be a threat, we could pick them off easily. Qwest did the right thing.. but dupes like you wouldn't know the right thing if it bit you on your ass, so whatever.

[madmethod.livejournal.com]

"Let's not pretend that civil liberties are free, mmmkay."

The cost of liberty is knowing that when you live in a free society, someone may take advantage of that freedom and cause you harm. I would rather risk being blown apart while suckin down a cup of coffee than live in a country where the government invades my home or my privacy without consent or justification.

"They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety." - Ben Franklin

[tubaboy81.livejournal.com]

Crap, if Osama did that, we'd need to get a warrant or something.