Take 1 Part Patriot Act 2 + 1 part War On Drugs

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

WIRED Article

 

Congress may consider a bill that not only expands the government's wiretapping and investigative powers but also would link low-level drug dealing to terrorism and ban a traditional form of Middle Eastern banking.

 

The draft legislation -- titled the Vital Interdiction of Criminal Terrorist Organizations Act of 2003, or Victory Act -- includes significant portions of the so-called Patriot Act II, which faced broad opposition from conservatives and liberals alike and embarrassed the Justice Department when it was leaked to the press in February.

 

The Victory Act also seems to be an attempt to merge the war on terrorism and the war on drugs into a single campaign. It includes a raft of provisions increasing the government's ability to investigate, wiretap, prosecute and incarcerate money launderers, fugitives, "narco-terrorists" and nonviolent drug dealers....

 

Critics say the bill is an opportunistic attempt to link the fight against drugs to the fight against terrorism by creating a new crime called "narco-terrorism." According to the draft, narco-terrorism is the crime of selling, distributing or manufacturing a controlled substance with the intent of helping a terrorist group...

 

Among other things, the bill would:

 

-Allow the FBI to get a wiretap order on a wireless device, such as a cell phone, from any district court in the country

 

-Force defendants who are trying to exclude illegal wiretap evidence to prove police intentionally broke the rules

 

-Further restrict judges' sentencing discretion in drug cases

 

-Ease restrictions on government access to sensitive financial records

-Increase penalties for selling drugs to people under the age of 21

-Make it easier for the government to seize or freeze assets of people accused of money laundering

-Remove gradations of sentencing for those convicted of selling amphetamines so that anyone convicted of possessing more than 250 meth pills would automatically go to jail for 200 years

-Increase the ability of the FBI to self-issue subpoenas for terrorism investigations without having to consult a judge

 

Thats not the whole article. Basically I guess they are pushing ever forward with the drugs fund terrorism idea, even giving it a neato name. I especially like the go to jail for 200 years if you have 250 meth pills. I'd have more to say on the article but Im short on time..

[Hogan Made Wrestling 0]

Is it wrong of me to wish that John Ashcroft would just go fuck off and die somewhere?

[Guest SideFXs]

Traditional form of Middle Eastern Banking:

 

 

1. Saudi Arabia sells 2 million barrels of oil to Shell Oil of America.

 

2. Shell Oil wires 48 million dollars to The Saudi Arabian Bank, from Citicorp of Manhattan.

 

3. The Saudi Arabian Bank wires 10 million dollars to Arafat's Hamas headquarters in Tehran, Iran.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

3. The Saudi Arabian Bank wires 10 million dollars to Arafat's Hamas headquarters in Tehran, Iran.

While I'm sure some of that money goes to terrorism, I doubt it's THOSE terrorists.

 

 

(Hint: 28 blacked-out pages of reports)

[NoCalMike 0]

This Victory act is something I should wipe my ass with.

 

Would Ascroft just forget the notion that 2-bit drug dealers are directly helping terrorist organizations while somehow oil has nothing to do with it.

[Dr. Tom 0]

I've always been opposed to the Patriot Act, and this looks to be about 100 times worse. Hopefully, cooler (and smarter) heads will prevail and strike this down.

 

Memo to Mr. Ashcroft: spying on your own people isn't going to help you catch terrorists.

 

Memo 2 to Mr. Ashcroft: throwing pot peddlers in jail for 500 years isn't going to help you catch terrorists.

 

Memo 3 to Mr. Ashcroft: you're a fundie fuckhead. And being a fundie fuckhead isn't going to help you catch terrorists.

[NoCalMike 0]

It would be one thing if this actually had to do with catching terrorists, but it sounds like another stupid attempt at, "we hate drugs, so how can I disguise my hatred for drugs with a hatred for terrorism" ploy.

[The Czech Republic 0]

-Increase penalties for selling drugs to people under the age of 21

I see nothing wrong with this.

[Lando Griffin 0]

Is it wrong of me to wish that John Ashcroft would just go fuck off and die somewhere?

It would be wrong of you NOT to wish that.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

I see nothing wrong with this.

On some harder drugs I could agree, but the problem is that we've been warring away on drugs now for quite some time, much longer than terrorism, and I dare say it's quite a large disaster compared to that terror war.

 

People on both left and right wings want to reduce the DEA's power substantially from what they are now. Mr. Ashcroft buys commercials on your favorite TV channels where he tells you that buying pot is supporting terrorists, but if pot was legal and actual legit companies were able to produce it there wouldn't be a problem.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

I fail to see how buying pot from the dealer down the street from my house, who grows it himself, supports terrorists.

 

Although the dealer, who I've known for about 10 years, IS Canadian by birth...

[NoCalMike 0]

Well Ascroft's answer to everything is to put someone in jail it seems. For anything he doesn't happen to personally like, JAIL TIME FUCKER.

[Firestarter 0]

Too true.

 

"Mr Attorney General, sir, we have a problem - "

"Build more jails."

"Uh, sir... don't you want to know what the problem is?"

"No. Build more jails."

[Rendclaw 0]

This is making the fall of the Roman Empire look like a 25 cent porn movie booth.

 

This country is so doomed. Not in ten years, fifty, or maybe a hundred, but the collapse is coming, and ridiculous laws like this are what is going to accelerate the collapse.

 

And people wonder why I don't vote.

[Guest ILiveUnderABridge]

I too wish Ashcroft would die. The bush regime is getting old and it's time for a change.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

"Mr Attorney General, sir, we have a problem - "

"Build more jails."

"Uh, sir... don't you want to know what the problem is?"

"No. Build more jails."

Gold.

[NoCalMike 0]

"Mr Attorney General, sir, we have a problem - "

"Build more jails."

"Uh, sir... don't you want to know what the problem is?"

"No. Build more jails."

Gold.

Reading that quote makes me think of an exchange by Smithers & Mr. Burns....haha.

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

Thank God I'm Canadian.

[edotherocket 0]

Prisons in America are going to be pretty mellow places what with all the pot smokers and mp3 file swappers in your country.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Prisons in America are going to be pretty mellow places what with all the pot smokers and mp3 file swappers in your country.

They'll also be crowded!

 

Unfortunately, do to the threats of terrorism, Gee Dub hasn't had the chance to do his latest spring cleaning of our nation's jails like he so enjoyed in Texas. Too bad. There's one murderous cretin on death row who's affected my life personally that I'd like to see roasted.