alternative hippopotamus

progressive cyberdadaism from our nation’s capital

August 7, 2007

Watching You Watching Me

by AltHippo @ 2:29 pm. Filed under Uncategorized

It’s a safe bet that Sunday’s FISA bill (which goes under the Orwellian title “Protect America Act”) will be used to spy on the Republican party’s political enemies. It’s what right-wing authoritarian types like to do; these guys get the same kind of warm glow from electronic surveillance that my mother gets from baking Christmas cookies.

And, just who are the Republican Party’s enemies? This NYT article, describing the surveillance of groups before the 2004 Republican convention in NYC gives us a few clues: (emphasis mine)

The city and the Police Department have come under intense scrutiny over the surveillance tactics, in which for more than a year before the convention undercover officers traveled to cities across the country, and to Canada and Europe, to conduct covert observations of people who planned to attend. But beyond potential troublemakers, those placed under surveillance included street theater companies, church groups, antiwar activists, environmentalists, and people opposed to the death penalty, globalization and other government policies.

And as the convention unfolded, more than 1,800 people were arrested, mostly for minor violations, and many were herded into pens at a Hudson River pier and fingerprinted instead of being released on summonses or desk appearance tickets, which are more customary for charges that amount to little more than a traffic ticket.

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