"Laptop-gate" segment begins at 0:58
Keith Olbermann's remarks on the new border security policy coincide nicely with yesterday's White House press release regarding the revision of Executive Order 12333, originally enacted in Reagan-era 1981. In the updated document, the Dark Forces of the Executive Branch commit yet another egregious act of political duplicity. Consider the revised security policy - which permits the search, investigation, copying, or seizing of any laptop belonging to any person entering or leaving the United States at any border, without warrant or probable cause - in light of this choicely-worded paragraph from said Executive Order:
The Executive Order maintains and strengthens existing protections for Americans' civil liberties and privacy rights.
The Executive Order retains and reinforces the provisions in place in the original Executive Order 12333 to ensure that all intelligence activities are conducted in a manner that protects the civil liberties and privacy rights of Americans. All collection, retention, and dissemination of information regarding United States persons must be conducted in accordance with procedures approved by the Attorney General.
Oh, I get it. It's public relations! The American people are supposed to believe that their government supports their individual privacy rights and their civil liberties. (Wink, wink; nudge, nudge!) Just like we are told as kids to believe there is a Santa Claus. And an Easter Bunny. And a Tooth Fairy. And a Fourth Amendment...
The Executive Order retains and reinforces the provisions in place in the original Executive Order 12333 to ensure that all intelligence activities are conducted in a manner that protects the civil liberties and privacy rights of Americans. All collection, retention, and dissemination of information regarding United States persons must be conducted in accordance with procedures approved by the Attorney General.
There 'ya go: another case of the warm-fuzzies, courtesy of your government and the leader who swore on a Bible to uphold and defend the Constitution of this great land. Will somebody please pass Dubya a thesaurus? I suspect he thinks "defend" and "trample" are synonymous. Also, I have to question one part of that excerpt: since when does our government care about protecting the civil liberties and privacy rights of Americans? I thought habeas corpus went out of fashion along with double-knit polyester and go-go boots. It obviously hasn't been de rigueur in recent years, so what's up with this Executive Order touting the government's renewed commitment to embrace it like a prodigal child?
Oh, I get it. It's public relations! The American people are supposed to believe that their government supports their individual privacy rights and their civil liberties. (Wink, wink; nudge, nudge!) Just like we are told as kids to believe there is a Santa Claus. And an Easter Bunny. And a Tooth Fairy. And a Fourth Amendment...
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