
Mitch McConnell Moves to Allow Warrantless Collection of Browsing&Search History - IfOnlyYouKnew
https://www.thedailybeast.com/mitch-mcconnell-moves-to-expand-bill-barrs-surveillance-powers?via=twitter_page
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subhobroto
> Section 215 of the 2001 Patriot Act mandates records providers turn over
> “tangible things” “relevant” to an ongoing investigation–which McConnell’s
> amendment would extend to web-browsing and search-history records

This is the strong issue I have with passing regulations when people are
afraid and weak because of a short and near term disruption.

The ability to think logically and clearly is impacted during such times and
paranoia kick in.

The 2001 Patriot Act is now 20 years old.

It was meant to be _temporary_ but children were born when it was passed and
are past the age of drinking for how long it has carried over.

The SARS-COV2 is leading us down the same road of employing invasive tracking
and surveillance in the viel of "good for people"!

Osama is dead a long time. His legacy lives on! He won. We lost.

It does not have to be that way.

Don't just wait for it to expire - repeal it!

> “Under the McConnell amendment, Barr gets to look through the web browsing
> history of any American—including journalists, politicians, and political
> rivals—without a warrant, just by saying it is relevant to an
> investigation,” said Wyden, who has been trying to ban warrantless
> surveillance on such records.

Unacceptable!

Vote and rally against this.

Please. I am surprised every-time I have to make an argument for individual
freedom - it's one thing that can be lost so easily never to be ever gained
again.

~~~
gnusty_gnurc
I don't have much hope of Congress acting responsibly. At least the past 3
presidents haven't encouraged following constitutional procedures. Clearly
Justin Amash shines here - pretty much the only congressperson to very clearly
call for Congress to eschew party commands and become a body of debate and
discourse for representing the American people.

Right now it's a pipeline for captive congresspeople to vote however the party
leadership decides (usually by the direction of the sitting president). It's
madness.

~~~
subhobroto
> I don't have much hope of Congress acting responsibly. At least the past 3
> presidents haven't encouraged following constitutional procedures

I completely get where you are coming from but in this sentence I am getting
the sense that "someone out there" will make things right and we just have to
"complain enough" to get their attention.

NO.

I don't think so.

You and I have to take the action.

There's no angel looking out for us. Elbow grease and blood.

Constitutional procedures not being followed?

Take them to court!

It's more work than hoping and praying but that's how this country was
founded.

On action.

~~~
Accujack
Well put. Far too many people have fallen prey to learned helplessness in the
US.

We have to change the government ourselves, no one else can or will.

~~~
gnusty_gnurc
I think the only way to reform Congress is through voting and (indirectly)
through changing minds. Even though Biden, Bernie and Trump are atrocious
candidates - from a certain perspective (I expect most people disagree)
they're very similar. I think they're evidence that the establishment parties
are on the decline and people recognize that. Congress is a different matter,
but in terms of broad indicators of electoral politics - the presidential
elections are reflecting a change. Oddly this trends globally, so I think it's
related to the leveling of power in communication and news that came with the
internet.

~~~
subhobroto
> Oddly this trends globally, so I think it's related to the leveling of power
> in communication and news that came with the internet

An astute observation.

People on HN live in a bubble. That does include myself. We are pretty
isolated from reality given the rich life we live.

The person scrubbing floors at the gas station during COVID-19 infections have
a very different view of life.

In my bubble, I try my best to gain that view and inject it back here on HN.

> they're very similar.

Amen.

People like you are the reason why I continue commenting on HN.

There's strong distaste for differing opinions on here but input like yours
make all the hate worth this experience.

PS: We exchanged notes earlier on a health insurance topic here where I was
championing for repealing employer provided health insurance which is a
vestige from WW2 wage regulation.

------
vuln
It’s not the first time they’ve tried.

[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-
security/fbi-w...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/fbi-
wants-access-to-internet-browser-history-without-a-warrant-in-terrorism-and-
spy-cases/2016/06/06/2d257328-2c0d-11e6-9de3-6e6e7a14000c_story.html)

------
gowld
Which Congresspeople have stood up in support of repealing the PATRIOT Act?
It's been 2 decades years; time to sunset it.

~~~
gccxsse
The Republicans regurlarly vote no to the Patriot act. There is no need to
repeal it because it expired earlier this year. The democrats tried to renew
it but it failed. And then covid happened. I don't have any idea how NSA
handles the expiration of the act, but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't
even notice or care.

~~~
colejohnson66
Where do you get the idea that Republicans are against the Patriot Act? A
majority of them vote to reauthorize it every time it comes up. Yes, some
Democrats like Feinstein are for it, too, but that doesn’t mean they all are.
[https://twitter.com/SenateGOP/status/1261002222772551681](https://twitter.com/SenateGOP/status/1261002222772551681)

------
bluedemon
Ok, let's see McConnell's history.

~~~
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