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Well; I guess that we are all being investigated! If we have ever used hundreds of words like ‘Mexico’ or ‘cartel‘; we could have triggered and investigation by Homeland Security. Here is a link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/82701103/Analyst-Desktop-Binder-REDACTED It is a download and you have to go to page 21 through page 23. So much for free speech in America! I forgot to check if ‘free speech’ is on that list!
Well; I guess that we are all being investigated! If we have ever used hundreds of words like ‘Mexico’ or ‘cartel‘; we could have triggered and investigation by Homeland Security. Here is a link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/82701103/Analyst-Desktop-Binder-REDACTED It is a download and you have to go to page 21 through page 23. So much for free speech in America! I forgot to check if ‘free speech’ is on that list!
There is all sorts of sophisticated software out there that the FBI and Homeland Security uses that pick up on all sorts of words and phrases that are used on the internet now. People go online willy nilly and say what they want, post what they want without knowing or caring that there could be severe ramifications for doing just that. The internet is not a safe place to be if you are going to let yourself be wide open with what you say. Face facts, 9/11 made it perfectly clear how safe we are NOT. Still, I am amazed at how easily people will still go online and bare it all.
I am married to an internet GURU who works with a form of internet security so I know how very powerful of a tool the internet is and am happy to know that the FBI, Homeland Security and others are keeping an eye on us. Its a different world out there now; a very dangerous one indeed for us and for our children. I get it.
This isn't news, this began during the Bush admin. at some point after 9/11. Most of the domestic surveillance is aimed at finding terrorist cells. "Mexico" and "cartel" are far down the list of concerns.
This isn't news, this began during the Bush admin. at some point after 9/11. Most of the domestic surveillance is aimed at finding terrorist cells. "Mexico" and "cartel" are far down the list of concerns.
btw, it's spelled "s-p-e-e-c-h".
I said that I forgot to check the list for ‘free speech’. I was afraid that ‘speech’ was on the list - hence “speach’.
However by the miss-spelling; I could have thrown the discussion off track - I apologize.
The question that I really wanted to ask is how extensive are these “triggered” background checks? Many of the words on the list are words that we use everyday. We don’t even think about it. They do not have any nefarious meaning to us.
There is all sorts of sophisticated software out there that the FBI and Homeland Security uses that pick up on all sorts of words and phrases that are used on the internet now. People go online willy nilly and say what they want, post what they want without knowing or caring that there could be severe ramifications for doing just that. The internet is not a safe place to be if you are going to let yourself be wide open with what you say. Face facts, 9/11 made it perfectly clear how safe we are NOT. Still, I am amazed at how easily people will still go online and bare it all.
I am married to an internet GURU who works with a form of internet security so I know how very powerful of a tool the internet is and am happy to know that the FBI, Homeland Security and others are keeping an eye on us. Its a different world out there now; a very dangerous one indeed for us and for our children. I get it.
Here is a list copied from that link of just the health concerns key words:
“Outbreak, Contamination, Exposure, Virus, Evacuation, Bacteria, Recall, Ebola, Food Poisoning, Foot and Mouth (FMD), H5N1, Avian, Flu, Salmonella, Small Pox, Plague, Human to human, Human to Animal, Influenza, Center for Disease Control(CDC), Drug Administration (FDA), Public Health, Toxic, Agro, Terror, Tuberculosis (TB), Agriculture, Listeria, Symptoms, Mutation, Resistant, Antiviral, Wave, Pandemic, Infection, Water/air borne, Sick, Swine, Pork”
Every year, for the last five years, I have helped (part time for the season) make shots to protect people from the flu virus. Most of the words on this list are common words to me. I had also helped make the small pox vaccine forty five years ago. Plus; I am a hazmat qualified driver - that is another list of words that I am familiar with and use.
What I am saying is that it is impossible for me not to trigger any investigation - unless I give up who I am.
This isn't news, this began during the Bush admin. at some point after 9/11. Most of the domestic surveillance is aimed at finding terrorist cells. "Mexico" and "cartel" are far down the list of concerns.
btw, it's spelled "s-p-e-e-c-h".
The threat to our liberty from such sweeping surveillance isn't right now, but in the future. If such monitoring can catch terrorists and cartels now, it can catch any other future "designated" threat and nobody knows what those might be next week, let alone next decade.
Such authorities and capabilities can be used not only to suppress threats, but political opposition as well. Will it ever happen? Who knows? Anything is possible, especially in a political environment such as today when the noble opposition is routinely referred to as "enemies" and "traitors."
When all this first started during the Bush administration, some of us tried to point out the threat incrementalism posed with such powers, but the response was basically, "Yes, but we trust Bush with it."
"Ok," we said, "what about some future President? Will you trust him/her too?"
Apparently, the answer for many is..."No. We don't trust Obama with such authority."
Well...guess what? It's too late to be concerned now. Let this be a lesson to you about supporting dangerous government powers with long-term implications for short-term gain.
I said that I forgot to check the list for ‘free speech’. I was afraid that ‘speech’ was on the list - hence “speach’.
However by the mis-spelling; I could have thrown the discussion off track - I apologize.
The question that I really wanted to ask is how extensive are these “triggered” background checks? Many of the words on the list are words that we use everyday. We don’t even think about it. They do not have any nefarious meaning to us.
This is a good question, it makes more sense now, thx for the explanation. I see your point, with "Mexico" and "cartel". I don't think too many everyday words would trigger a check, because it would cause to many false leads, too much work for the analysts to sift through. The trigger words, as I mentioned, are more specific to whatever details of terrorist cells, middle-eastern individuals and so forth they're looking for. I do wonder, though, if certain gov't agency acronyms are among the trigger words. It's easy to get paranoid about this stuff.
This isn't news, this began during the Bush admin. at some point after 9/11. Most of the domestic surveillance is aimed at finding terrorist cells. "Mexico" and "cartel" are far down the list of concerns.
btw, it's spelled "s-p-e-e-c-h".
Yes. The John A s h c r o f t Justice Department, with the approval of President Bush.
If some shadow spook is upset with what I write too damn bad. If they want to know what I meant they can take a refresher English course or give me a call.
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