Sun shines for spies

Despite much-hyped promises of change, another sad example of status quo politics has presented itself with the Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote to extend several key elements of the publicly loathed Patriot Act—in some instances, actually making it worse.

To the dismay of civil liberties groups, the USA Patriot Act Sunset Extension Act grants another four years of invasive, seedy life to such worrisome Patriot Act elements as roving wiretaps; the Lone Wolf provision, which allows the FBI to track individuals with no terrorist affiliations; and the provision giving the FBI access to personal U.S. citizen records through the already highly abused use of National Security Letters. Proposed amendments to the Act impose limits on new privacy protections and solidify the government’s ability to manoeuvre the Big Brother landscape with continued unaccountability.

“Instead of adding more protections to the bill,” lamented Kevin Bankston of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, “the committee voted to accept seven Republican amendments to remove the few civil liberties protections left. Disappointingly, those amendments were recommended by the Obama administration.”

The Act still has to get through the powerhouse thinkers of the full Senate before being finalized.

by SCOTT SAXON