Category Archives: Civil liberties

Trump plans overhaul of intelligence agencies

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The review is being pushed by President Trump’s chief strategist, Stephen K. Bannon, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and would be led by Stephen A. Feinberg, a billionaire private equity executive.

President Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with the way the US intelligence community has maintained its independence and is apparently considering engaging Stephen A. Feinberg, a private equity executive, to do a top-to-bottom overhaul.

According to the voices I hear in my head, Steve Bannon immediately put in a call to former KGB Lt. Colonel Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, to ask for pointers on how to use the US intelligence apparatus to assassinate his opponents, harass the media, intimidate nongovernmental organizations, and round up hooligans and rootless cosmopolitans.

Source: White House Plans to Have Trump Ally Review Intelligence Agencies – The New York Times

The Bitemaster predicts

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Here’s your chance to match your prognosticating skills against the Bitemaster!

I predict:

  • The EPA gets eliminated
  • The Department of Education gets eliminated (liberals hate Common Core; conservatives want more Jesus in the curriculum)
  • There will be big changes in Social Security. The question is what those changes will be. Conservatives want to privatize it. The Bitemaster would have raised the eligibility age, raised the $118,500 cap, and means-tested the payout.
  • Tax cuts — you betcha!
  • Obamacare — gone
  • The Great Wall of Trump. The wall would cost ‘way more than any Republican wants to spend. They’ll build a fence instead.
  • Muslims — Bigots of every stripe are already feeling empowered, but the section on “Muslims” has been scrubbed from the Trump campaign website.
  • Defense spending — goes up.
    • We’ll need it as we become more isolationist
    • Trumpers are xenophobic
    • And every Member of Congress wants more defense spending in their district
  • Infrastructure spending — Trump loves it and the unions (remember them?) love it, too.
  • Abortion rights — kiss ’em goodbye.
  • Transgender bathroom rights — Gone; even the Bitemaster had problems with this one.
  • Protectionism — centerpiece of Trump’s plan but big business and many Republicans hate it. Hard to predict this one.
  • Trump’s enemies list — He’s promised to prosecute, sue, or deport tons of people from Mexicans to Hillary to journalists. It’s only a matter of time before you’re on the list.
  • Internal surveillance — all governments love it. Obama was horrible on privacy rights. Trump will be worse (hey, what have you got to hide?).

How and Why to Delete Your Yahoo Account

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So Yahoo! helped the gummint trawl through Yahoo! emails. And, presumably, not just the emails of Yahoo! users but all the emails you sent to friends with Yahoo! accounts and all the addresses (like yourfriend@example.com) that forward to Yahoo! accounts.

Of course, those of us who care about privacy are all bent out of shape.

But don’t forget that the original FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) was introduced in the Senate by Ted Kennedy, passed by a Democratic congress, and signed into law by Democrat Jimmy Carter.

Source: How and Why to Delete Your Yahoo Account

Terence Crutcher — it’s complicated

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Terence Crutcher was shot to death by an Oklahoma police officer last week.

Terence Crutcher:

  • a protective order from 12 years ago (c. 2004) that was dismissed
  • imprisoned on a drug charge in 2007
  • a “couple of financial things” — no date given
  • no violent criminal history, no warrants
  • unarmed when shot

Tulsa Police Officer Betty Shelby:

  • illegal drug use (marijuana) about 1992, when she was 18
  • temporary restraining order for damaging a boyfriend’s car during a breakup in 1993
  • 2002 protective order for harassment

The Hannitys of the world say that Crutcher has “a long criminal history,” which seems to be stretching the truth a bit.

The anti-Shelby voices say she had “multiple restraining orders” — but her run-ins with the law seem to pre-date Crutcher’s by quite a bit.

So it seems to me that partisans of both sides are trying to smear the other.

Source: Sean Hannity rebuffed after trying to smear Terence Crutcher

About the football players’ national anthem protests

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Some Dolphins protested, some didn't. I'm proud to be a citizens of a country where diverse views can be expressed.

Some Dolphins protested, some didn’t. I’m proud to be a citizen of a country where diverse views can be expressed.

Some Chiefs protested, and at least one staffer didn't. I'm proud to be a citizens of a country where diverse views can be expressed.

Some Chiefs protested, and at least one staffer didn’t. I’m proud to be a citizen of a country where diverse views can be expressed.

Some Chiefs protested, and at least one staffer didn't. I'm proud to be a citizens of a country where diverse views can be expressed.

Kate Upton is a great-looking model who doesn’t agree with the protests. From what I’ve read, she’s not a jerk, so what the heck.

Source: Kate Upton calls out Dolphins players national anthem protest

If you’re driving in Oklahoma, leave your prepaid cards at home

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If the Oklahoma Highway Patrol stops you, they can now swipe your prepaid card and take all your money on the spot.

The gizmo they’re using is called an ERAD or Electronic Recovery and Access to Data machine.

Is there a cause for worry here? Not really. According to Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lt. John Vincent,  “If you can prove that you have a legitimate reason to have that money, it will be given back to you.”

Source: OHP Uses New Device To Seize Money During Traffic Stops

Hat tip to: Lowering the Bar

Florida county employee: Pride flag creates ‘hostile’ environment

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In the days after the Orlando nightclub massacre, one county worker in Florida said she didn’t feel safe at work — because of a pride flag.

This actually raises an interesting question: What makes for a “hostile work environment”? Is there an objective standard? Is it whatever makes an employee uncomfortable? Maybe Kevin Underhill will supply an answer.

Source: Florida county employee: Pride flag creates ‘hostile’ environment

Idiot Police Commissioner Bratton does it again: decries ‘epidemic’ of citizens recording arrests

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The whole point of recording the police is to prevent the LEE (law enforcement establishment) from spinning police misconduct as the fault of the victim.

Some police encounters involve civilians breaking the law, attacking police, or resisting arrest. Biteme has no sympathy for them.

But some encounters involve law enforcement officers shooting unarmed civilians, stopping them because of their race, or beating people who are already in handcuffs.

I say: record them all. Then we’ll bust the bad guys, reward the good guys and stop the coverups.

As for the police having the elbow room to safely do their job, the Bitemaster proposed last year that we make it illegal for citizens to come within 25 feet of the cops they’re recording.

It’s a law that Bratton has so far declined to support.

Source: NYPD’s Bratton decries ‘epidemic’ of citizens recording arrests