Technocracy

Supreme Court: Rights groups cannot prove harm from warrantless wiretapping

"The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that human rights groups do not have standing to sue the government over its warrantless wiretapping program because they have no proof that the wiretapping has harmed them. The vote was split 5-4 along partisan lines, with the conservative majority supporting the Obama administration’s argument that the FISA Amendments Act was above reproach in this case because the harms were 'speculative,' and not 'actual.' Roving, warrantless wiretaps were authorized by President George W. Bush after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, turning the National Security Agency into the nation’s spy machine." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSupreme Court: Rights groups cannot prove harm from warrantless wiretapping

Supreme Court: Rights groups cannot prove harm from warrantless wiretapping

"The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that human rights groups do not have standing to sue the government over its warrantless wiretapping program because they have no proof that the wiretapping has harmed them. The vote was split 5-4 along partisan lines, with the conservative majority supporting the Obama administration’s argument that the FISA Amendments Act was above reproach in this case because the harms were 'speculative,' and not 'actual.' Roving, warrantless wiretaps were authorized by President George W. Bush after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, turning the National Security Agency into the nation’s spy machine." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSupreme Court: Rights groups cannot prove harm from warrantless wiretapping

Bills to Require the Registration of the Buyers and Sellers of Gold and Silver Coins

"First they came to register your guns, and now they want to register when you sell (and sometimes when you buy gold) gold. A bill has been introduced in Illinois, the most anti-gun state in the US, that will require the registration of the buyers and sellers of gold. In Houston, a law has been passed in the city that requires any consumer selling gold to submit to fingerprints and mugshots." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBills to Require the Registration of the Buyers and Sellers of Gold and Silver Coins

Bills to Require the Registration of the Buyers and Sellers of Gold and Silver Coins

"First they came to register your guns, and now they want to register when you sell (and sometimes when you buy gold) gold. A bill has been introduced in Illinois, the most anti-gun state in the US, that will require the registration of the buyers and sellers of gold. In Houston, a law has been passed in the city that requires any consumer selling gold to submit to fingerprints and mugshots." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBills to Require the Registration of the Buyers and Sellers of Gold and Silver Coins

The Feds Promote Hunger and Poverty in America but the Kids Are Alright

"The tasty little lunch pictured above conforms to newly proposed federal regulations aimed at foods and drinks served in the nation’s public schools. Among other mandates, these regulations would cap serving sizes and calorie counts. Ironically, these proposals are part of the second round of regulations deriving from the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, a laughable bureaucratic misnomer if ever there were one. The proposed regulations will also place a hefty fiscal burden on school districts and their long-suffering taxpayers. It is estimated that they will cost $127 million and require 926 thousand hours of paperwork to comply with." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Feds Promote Hunger and Poverty in America but the Kids Are Alright

How to buy EU citizenship

"The touts were easy to spot, having practically set up stall outside government ministries and the Romanian consulate. They wore pouches around the waist and carried business cards in their hands. At the gates of official buildings they huddled together, drinking coffee or speaking intently into mobile phones. For €700, all the essential citizenship documents could be arranged within 15 months. Payment of €1,000 guaranteed the documents within 10 months. Meanwhile in Chisinau, several Moldovans said they had used their new nationality to take jobs in the EU. All said they had migrated in order to support families struggling in dire poverty." Continue reading →

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FATCA, Place of Birth in Passports & Second Class Citizenship

"Place of birth was first added to the U.S. passport designed in 1917. An October 4, 1963 staff study by the Passport Office on 'Place of Birth' information in the United States Passport reflects 'the passport used during World War I was the first in which including the place of birth of the passport holder was mandatory as part of the identification of the bearer, probably was a wartime travel control measure. The item was included in all subsequent revisions of the passport format, down to and including the present issuances.'" Continue reading →

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British vigilantes fighting revenue-driven traffic enforcement

"Meet the NoTo Mob, a group dedicated to fighting what they see as unfair parking tickets and charges. During the week they're normal blokes (and the odd woman). But on Saturdays they come together for a common cause. They follow council CCTV cars, or 'spy cars', then stand nearby holding signs to warn drivers about the presence of a CCTV vehicle and potential fine if they break the rules. It's opposed to what it sees an unfair parking enforcement. The group targets 'honey pots' – high-ticket areas with confusing road markings or unclear signs where the CCTV cars are most likely to operate." Continue reading →

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More Redflex Executives Fall Over Red Light Camera Bribery Scandal

"According to the inquiry conducted by the law firm Sidley Austin, a consultant was paid $2 million between 2003 and 2012 for his work in landing the nation's most lucrative photo ticketing contract. Redflex sent a city contracting official on 17 different trips between 2003 and 2010, paying for everything including hotels, flights, car rentals, golfing, meals and a computer worth a total of $20,000. So far, the company has also spent $1.2 million in legal fees related to the Chicago scandal. When Chicago's red light camera contract expires, Redflex will lose another 13.6 percent of its income. The company also warns of the possibility of bribery revelations in other cities." Continue reading →

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Wendy McElroy: Only Places Have Rights?

"The queue of 'rights that depend on geography' is growing. Texting while walking has become the new social sin. Portland, Oregon just made it illegal for a man to whistle on public streets unless he keeps walking and, so, distributes the noise pollution. Bloomberg's ban on donations of food to homeless shelters because the city could not guarantee the salt, fat and fiber content. Bureaucrats want to yank rights out from under individuals and make them a matter of place, not people. All you need to do is be in the wrong place, and you have no rights. Speak out, drink a large soda, hand out literature, walk your dog, or whistle too long in one place…crime is everywhere." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWendy McElroy: Only Places Have Rights?