Fellow Americans,
Alerting to all that there is likely to be voting to pass bills in the next two weeks before Memorial Day. Note on how our Congress moves– it is without doubt, that our Congress in working so well to do good for Americans, always try to jam pass legislation just before a holiday such as Memorial Day. At every point (holiday or recess) of the year Congress does this – 4th of July, August recess, Thanksgiving, X-mas, St. Pat’s recess, Easter, etc. that bottlenecks the legislation into unreadable hurried passing of bad bills with bad details in their many pages.
Two actions to be aware of in next two weeks and I strongly urge calling to Congressmen: Patriot Act, Free Trade Agreements (S. Korea, Colombia, Panama) — NO on both.
Also to be noted is possible movement on the debt-ceiling (watch for bad backroom deal cutting going on) or 2012 budget “negotiations”. ANY visit by Republicans to the White House should be closely hawked.
1) Patriot Act
Tell Congress NO on renewing/extending the Patriot Act provisions!
Here is link to learn info and send pre-made letter (can add your own words too) (sign in will not mean you joined jbs) : http://www.votervoice.net/core.aspx?AID=972&Screen=alert&IssueId=24744&APP=GAC&SiteID=-1&VV_CULTURE=en-us
Please call the Congressional Switchboard at 202-224-3121. Call Homeland Security Committee members in both House and Senate. Find info at: www.congress.org (go to bottom and click on Congress)
These provisions and others of the Patriot Act violate the 4th Amendment civil liberties of Americans in the Bill of Rights and then also bleeds into harming the 1st Amendment by indirectly suppressing free speech. These 4th Amendment violations by the Patriot Act have been stated to be SUNSET and retracted by government for its overreach of ’unreasonable search and seizure’ involving warrantless wiretaps. The 2006 Patriot Act Improvement and Reauthorization Act that made several violations of the 4th Amendment permanent should be repealed also!! The original 1978 FISA law (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) allowed a 72 hour window to warrantless surveillance a target before having to get a warrant.
Tell Congress that it is NOT OK that just because the government has gotten away with the assumed tactic practice of violating the 4th Amendment and it is has been done that it is then an excuse to blow off the 4th Amendment and keep doing it anyway! This is a prime example of government overreach, that once a power is taken or done — it does not get retracted.
It was Ben Franklin that stated, ”those who wish to give up liberty in the name of security, deserve and will get neither liberty nor security.”
In full assertion that in the wake of Osama Bin Laden’s death, with this milestone objective complete it is time to now reassess our Mid-East foreign policy and ‘war on terror’, especially in light of the $$$ costs to the budget, as well as a long dragged out war that should not include Nation building. Look at the recent media hype about Al-queda threats everywhere (meanwhile there are many other foreign threats as well)! Excuse me but there are always risks and the U.S. had risks and threats long before the ’war on terror’, before we had 24/7 media. On the bigger picture, it is beyond scope of Americans and the U.S. well-being to be doing the bidding of UN Elites and/or other Globalist minded Elites (CFR) who have a desire of “settling” or shaping the Middle East by way of OUR U.S. might and American families for objectives unforeseen or benign claims. Example: First Libya, then its talk about (“kinetic”) U.S. military action into Syria…then to continue to turn around and use this action to then perform crackdown and crack loose American liberty and principles into socialist control. This was exactly the idea made in regard to beware of Libya retaliating — more police state security for America, more TSA airport overkill.
Recall now what was first stated: Bin Laden wanted the U.S. to be financially destroyed and have its freedoms destroyed (by way of us imposing it on ourselves if so be)—has Bin Laden actually won?? If we continue with the likes of the Patriot Act as well as run deficits into bankruptcy then Bin Laden has won. NO — It’s Over!! It is no longer viable to run a policy of fear. CUT it back NOW! We have done what we have done in the Mid-East, set back the terrorist camps and if they come back we will do it again. We should not search the globe for enemies or seek some kind of global Empire with control over the Middle East or listen to the fear mongers who have false agendas involving money (profiteering off the wars)– say a perpetual war (as well as some– like George Soros– preferring some kind of detriment against American Principles such as the U.S. Constitution). Begin NOW to decelerate the ‘war on terror’ and a Mid-East policy that continues meddling in those Nations’ affairs! Take the first step and say NO to Patriot Act extensions.
The Patriot Act supporters claim it is JUST about surveillance of foreign communication, or that also we simply need to keep up with today’s technology. At the same time they and the government know full well, the potential capabilities of the government without checks in this area of doing unknowing eavesdropping that violates Americans privacy and freedom of speech for all kinds of motivations. In that regard the potential for abuse is enormous, given the size of our government and the potential for rogue activity and it has occurred. It is also not an acceptable excuse to do or continue the Patriot Act in order to maintain a propaganda front in order to make potential terrorists think we still have the Patriot Act wiretaps going, because the Patriot Act still then is violating Americans meanwhile the CIA and Homeland Security are staffed, equipped enough now to carry out intelligence with proper checks per the original FISA Act.
The Patriot Act surveillance provisions are a direct mark against Americans 4th Amendment and indirectly the 1st Amendment. This Patriot Act extension up for vote is for three provisions (but other manipulations could be done too): All of the proposed measures would extend the most wretched parts of the Patriot Act; the “lone wolf” provision that permits indiscriminate government surveillance of individuals for no reason; the “library records” provision; and the “John Doe roving wiretap” provision that ignores the Fourth Amendment’s guarantee of probable cause and proper court order.
Already made permanent in the original Patriot Act or in the 2006 “ improvement” legislation are expanded wiretapping for computers and all wireless communications, the notorious National Security Letters, a stealthy “sneak-and-peek” provision, and the dreaded “business records” search that allows the government to wiretap businesses for “any tangible thing” and an accompanying gag order on the businesses, lest they go public with the government’s unconstitutional actions.
Tell Congress NO on the Patriot Act extension! The following is a video against the Patriot Act. I don’t agree with all of Ron Paul’s stances but many I do and on this issue as well.
I will put forth free trade arguments on next post shortly.
Caldwell TEA Party 
I might be persuaded on the Patriot Act although I like giving all the tools necessary to protect against individuals or groups out to do harm to this nation. I am in favor of the free trade agreements.
Bill, I will get you more info on the Patriot Act. I talked with Patrick McHenry’s office. McHenry has consistently voted Yes and supported the Patriot Act provisions. I have disagreed with him about this matter. Some info about this new extension I talked about with the staffer: she said this extension bill would go to 2015. (!) She also stated that roving wiretaps allows for the intelligence to move or follow across different modes of communication (i.e – from cell phone to e-mail to facebook, etc.) without having the hang ups of having to go back and forth to the courts for warrants hence the various new technologies calls for the Patriot Act protections. She also tried to reassure that the oversight and checks of this government use are stepped up in the bill. Also that the main focus is on foreign communications. (But we all know the power is there to go domestic!)
Maybe Bill. God forbid an attack (of say large scale proportion). Yet these Patriot Act provisions really does a job on the 4th Amendment (just about gutting it). This really puts a great deal of trust in power to the centralized Federal gov’t that was warned as dangerous. This really puts the American People on the underside of vulnerability to say the power is with the government and not the People, a clear relinquish of authority.
It can be the two-faced other side of this action that can occur. (You know, the crisis-opportunity theory – don’t let a crisis go to waste) It allows a vulnerability for ulterior motives or agendas to use it wrongly… if there is rogue activity or corrpution in our gov’t (which we know there is)…an example (relative) is the Nixon Watergate scandal… or more recent was particular elements in the DHS that did wrongful blaming and accusing of law-abiding Americans or conservative groups right on the heels of the Giffords-Tuscon murder shooting — to slander–for political calculation…(say against gun rights,etc.). And an agenda that comes to mind is the kind of “cornering in” or path to squelching Americans freedom and our Amendments toward a road of socialism. The DHS TSA at our airports and train stations really gives a sense of the ‘nudge’ toward more regulation and “cornering in”. This is where then you get into a continuing want for some ‘boogeyman’ or terrorist fear to be maintained.
I said to the staffer, “2015?”. “well, how long do you forsee needing these protections?” She said,”I don’t know”. See and this is where we get into the U.S. rumaging around (oh, for all kinds of purposes…) and meddling in the Middle East (yes we can have diplomacy and relations and intelligence monitoring) and how long that will be? 50 years? or what McCain once casually said, “100 years”?… Are we looking at a 100 year war?
I will talk to you more about this Bill.
In short, as for free trade agreements — why is it that the U.S. ends up with a raw deal, disadvantaged and economic deficit where the general skew of these agreements ends up being a transfer of wealth out of the U.S.? These “free” trade agreements are instruments designed with a wrongful or corporate consolidation purpose ($$$) that does not put U.S. well-being first. ‘Fair’ trade is where we should be and we can have trade without ‘free’ trade agreements. McHenry’s staffer seemed to indicate that the vote on these would not be until summer sometime. Still don’t put anything past them rush, rush, rushing some vote thru to keep Americans in the dark!! Talk more about this sometime. Here are some links to media reports on the FTA’s to get some background information. Mind you, the media reports are skewed fluff pieces (because the ‘lamestream’ media does have biased agendas –i.e. support Obama,make him look good) that won’t tell the bad details or the negative side effects of the legislation. Links:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/04/business/global/04trade.html —S.Korea FTA article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/03/AR2010120304293.html –SK FTA article
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110504/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_trade;_ylt=A0oG7oMGj9BNjEcAR4kPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTEyNjU1czhwBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMTEEY29sbwNhYzIEdnRpZAMEbANXUzE — Columbia FTA May 4 2011
This post by Snaketread is one of the best things I have read from the Caldwell Tea Party. This is the position that real patriots should take. I am in total agreement with the stated positions: Get rid of the Patriot Act and no more Free Trade deals. Also, I like the goal of ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the whole War on Terror mentality. The longer we continue these imperial policies the more hatred against us we create and therefore the more foreigners are likely to turn to terrorism to fight us. Plus, Snaketread is exactly right when he says we are playing into Osama bin Laden’s plan. We are bankrupting ourselves by over reacting to their terror tactics, and we are destroying our own American freedoms, too.
Those who oppose these positions are not true patriots at all. They are social conservatives with authoritarian tendencies, the kind who believe everything they hear on Fox News and vote for Big Government Republicans. These people actually support policies that foster bigger and more intrusive government — especially by supporting bloated military spending — and they almost always support economic policies that favor global corporations and hurt working-class and middle-class Americans. These are Republican positions and are always supported by the likes of Patrick McHenry. That’s why I’ve been so critical of this excessive coziness between the Republican Party and the Tea Party. True Tea Party followers do not share much in common with Big Government Republicans. Nor do they share much with authoritarian social conservatives (mostly Christian evangelicals and fundamentalists) who want to impose their values on the rest of society by controlling the government. Christian zealots of this type actually are no different than the Taliban and Muslim fundamentalists in Iran and throughout the Middle East who want a government based upon religious laws. This is not what America is about and never has been what America was about.
I agree with others in this thread who admire Ron Paul. I do not agree with him on all issues, but at least he is not a deceitful hypocrite. He has integrity and honesty, and I respect and admire him for that. He is consistent on the issues and how he applies his world view.
Rather than demonizing everyone on the political Left, Tea Party people should recognize there are many in the Left side of the Demoratic Party who share their views and goals on many issues, such as reigning in the excessive militarism and the wasteful spending to support it. These people are also opposed to the free trade deals that hurt working Americans. And they are against the Patriot Act because it threatens everyone’s freedoms. And they want a US foreign policy — particularly in the Middle East — that puts US interests ahead Israel’s interests and does not seek US imperialism anywhere. These are all positions that Ron Paul advocates — and has advocated all his career!
The real culprits are the Big Government Republicans and Wall-Street Democrats who work so well together to support our imperial military and foreign policy, who put the interests of big banks and Wall Street and global capitalism ahead of US interests. These are the people of both parties who vote for the Patriot Act, who vote for free-trade deals and vote for wasteful militarism and who basically vote for global capitalism and the global political structure that supports it.
Instead of demonizing everyone on the political left, we should fairly examine their positions on the issues and see where we share common values. And we should also fairly examine Republicans and Democra’s values and see where they actually are not in accord with our own.