Warrantless Wiretapping Supporter Sam Brownback Now Outraged Over Chinese Government’s Domestic Spying
Warrantless Wiretapping Supporter Sam Brownback Now Outraged Over Chinese Government’s Domestic Spying
Yesterday, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) expressed fear that “foreign-owned hotels in China face the prospect of ’severe retaliation’ if they refuse to install government software that can spy on Internet use by hotel guests coming to watch the summer Olympic games.” Brownback, who is pushing the Senate to urge China to reverse course, said China’s action is “not right” and “not in the Olympic spirit.”
This morning on CNN, asked by host John Roberts if China’s action amounts to “spying,” Brownback continued his outrage:
BROWNBACK: This is the public security bureau in China requiring the installation of hardware that they can listen to anybody and everybody’s and their communications and their recordings that are sent over the internet in a real-time purpose or over long-term. That’s spying, John. […] Your internet communications can all be monitored in a real time basis by the public security bureau of the Chinese government. I think they’re clearly intent upon spying. they’re going to be spying.
Watch it:
Brownback seems more concerned about the Chinese government’s spying practices than the eavesdropping being conducted right here in the U.S.
In early 2006, Brownback questioned the legal basis for the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program. Nevertheless, as Glenn Greenwald notes, Brownback voted last year in favor of the Protect America Act which allowed the government to monitor international communications without warrants and without “meaningful oversight by either Congress or the courts.”
Brownback also recently voted for the FISA reform legislation which gave the government greater powers “to tap directly into the U.S. telecommunications systems in order to monitor international emails and telephone calls with no individual warrant required.”
When asked about the difference between the Chinese and American spying practices, Brownback said, “We don’t put the hardware and software on hotels.” He added that the Chinese program can be used “on journalists,” “on athletes,” “on their families,” “democracy advocates,” and “human rights advocates ” — seemingly oblivious that all these groups could be spied on here as well. (HT: Atrios)
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Don’t tell me: another hypocrite Republican.
July 30th, 2008 at 10:36 amI wonder if he thinks it would be ok if the Chinese were republicans?
July 30th, 2008 at 10:36 amAh yes… Sam Brownback… poster boy for the Flat Earth Society…
July 30th, 2008 at 10:37 am“We don’t put the hardware and software on hotels.”
But we’re working on it.
I believe this is mostly American technology they’re using
July 30th, 2008 at 10:38 amIsn’t it fun when endemic spying societies point out the stick in the other’s eye? Your log is protuding, Sam.
July 30th, 2008 at 10:44 amcognitive dissonance: An uncomfortable feeling or stress caused by holding two contradictory ideas simultaneously.
The only problem is the fact that holding a duplicitous double standard doesn’t phase these zombies.
July 30th, 2008 at 10:45 amI wonder if mr brownback owns stock in some of the American companies that are assisting the Chinese goverment spy program with American spy technology? If so, what could be his complaint? He maybe on the receiving end of an up tic in his stock price. MIght he be one of those silent hypocrite disguising his pleasure while running to the bank?
July 30th, 2008 at 10:45 am“…Brownback continued his outrage…”
TP you must install a Spellchecker!
That should be “Brownnose.”
July 30th, 2008 at 10:46 amAnd hotels use an ISP, the level of Bush data aggregation. No difference in outcome, just a fine line for Brownback to parse.
July 30th, 2008 at 10:46 amseemingly oblivious that all these groups could be spied on here as well.
….are being spied on here…
fyt.
July 30th, 2008 at 10:48 amDoes Brownback even begin to realize how foolish he sounds? Does he realize how obvious his double-standard is? I’m just waiting for him to openly say “It’s OK when we do it, but not OK when other countries do it” — with a straight face.
It seems to me that if he doesn’t like the way China does things, he can stay home. But he should probably remember that we are in hock to China for hundreds of billions of dollars, as they are financing the war HIS party got us into. So we’re really not in a good position to dictate to China.
July 30th, 2008 at 10:52 amFor a list of endemic spying societies go to:
http://www.privacyinternational.org/ article.shtml?cmd%5B347%5D=x-347-559597
July 30th, 2008 at 10:55 am[Brownback (slimy, dissembling Rethuglican-KS, oh, but I repeat myself)]: When asked about the difference between the Chinese and American spying practices, Brownback said, “We don’t put the hardware and software on hotels.”
“We don’t need to. We go straight to teh InterToobz to install our vacuum cleaners….”
Cheers,
July 30th, 2008 at 10:56 amChina is a sovereign nation that we don’t have the resources to ‘liberate’. Sit down and shut up.
July 30th, 2008 at 10:56 amYes, but WE are God’s chosen people, don’t you know? White hats and all that.
July 30th, 2008 at 10:57 amWhats the old line? ‘If you have nothing to hide, then what’s the problem?’
July 30th, 2008 at 10:58 am…said China’s action is “not right” and “not in the Olympic spirit.”
But apparently it is in the American spirit, much to our surprise.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
July 30th, 2008 at 10:58 amBrownback, […] said China’s action is “not in the Olympic spirit.”
Wow. Who knew the right to privacy was captured by “faster, higher, stronger”. Or, “the important thing is not to win, but to take part”. Or “don’t get caught doing drugs”.
Or whatever the Olympic spirit is supposed to mean these days.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:02 amIs brownback whining because China thought of this first?
July 30th, 2008 at 11:05 amOr is he whining because he’s afraid they’ll listen in on some American officials?
What is this whiner hiding?
This is an excellent example of “doublethink,” the term used in Orwell’s novel, “1984.”
Another quotation from the novel, when Winston starts thinking about doublethink while exercising:
“ His mind slid away into the labyrinthine world of doublethink. To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully-constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them; to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy; to forget whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again: and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself. That was the ultimate subtlety: consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. Even to understand the word ‘doublethink’ involved using doublethink.[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doublethink
July 30th, 2008 at 11:05 amIronically, Republicans like Chrs Smith (R-NJ) back the “Global Online Freedom Act,” which would among other things make it illegal for US tech companies to divulge identifying user information to repressive regimes like China, and allow affected parties to bring civil suits against such companies in the United States.
For more background,see:
July 30th, 2008 at 11:07 am“FISA, China and the GOP Double-Standard on Telecom Immunity.”
No one listens to Brownback anyway, so really, who cares.
¶ AIO
July 30th, 2008 at 11:07 amBrownback: “This nuclear-armed power spies on its citizens, jails political dissidents on trumped-up charges and controls the media. Its leaders are immune from accountability; it papers over its failings and stages self-serving events to divert its citizens from the truth.
Its justice system is completely controlled by the Party faithful.
Its industries are unregulated, spewing toxins and greenhouse gases that destroy the health and welfare of its citizens. It is now on the hunt for more oil around the world to feed its voracious demand without regard for the political, environmental and economic consequences. A vast number of its citizens toil in sweatshops and soulless businesses for disproportionately low wages whist a privileged few hoard most of the wealth.
I call upon my colleagues and my friends on the other side of the aisle to join me in condemning this nation’s oppressive regime in the strongest possible terms and furthermore—what?
No….I’m criticizing China, you idiot! “
July 30th, 2008 at 11:18 amSo Brownback says, “Do as I say, not as I do.” Nice!
July 30th, 2008 at 11:20 amPerhaps Sammy was just remarking on the inefficiency of going room by room instead of scooping up everything back at the phone company or ISP like in the good ol’ US of A.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:22 amAt least, China is being upfront about it. You know that your communications are being monitored because you have to install the hardware and software. Bush kept it secret. We still do not know the extent of spying on our electronic communications. It took much effort to learn of the physical surveillance over any protesting group on the war. Yes, at least in China, you know that you are in a fascist surveillance state and can act accordingly. You have no such notice in the US.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:25 amgeez, China is getting to be as bad as the Cheney Administration
July 30th, 2008 at 11:32 amJebus. What a complete friggin’ IDIOT.
This is the world you Repukes wanted, Sammy - NOW SHUT THE FLARK UP.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:32 amJMOHR says:
At least, China is being upfront about it.
Irony of the day.
Jesus F***ing Christ how far this nation has sunk.
We should put one of those medical alert bracelets - a 3,000 mile long one - from coast to coast with a sign that says:
“HELP! We’ve fallen and we can’t get back up!!!!”
July 30th, 2008 at 11:33 amI respectfully request that all concerned parties contact Brownbacks office and read his quote back to them,
“BROWNBACK: This is the public security bureau in China requiring the installation of hardware that they can listen to anybody and everybody’s and their communications and their recordings that are sent over the internet in a real-time purpose or over long-term. That’s spying, John. […] Your internet communications can all be monitored in a real time basis by the public security bureau of the Chinese government. I think they’re clearly intent upon spying. they’re going to be spying.”
Then ask why he didn’t have a problem with our own goverment doing exactly that to all of us!
July 30th, 2008 at 11:37 amWhy should the US Constitution protect Americans overseas when it doesn’t even protect them in the US?
July 30th, 2008 at 11:45 amlokidog Says:
We should put one of those medical alert bracelets - a 3,000 mile long one - from coast to coast with a sign that says:
“HELP! We’ve fallen and we can’t get back up!!!!”
July 30th, 2008 at 11:33 am
_____
Good idea!
And I know just where we can have one manufactured real cheap. Though it might contain trace amounts of lead and/or antifreeze.
July 30th, 2008 at 11:54 amHas he been around Johnny Mcflipflopper lately? he sounds very republicanesque on this issue, lying,corrupt bastard….
The Chinese stole this idea from the re-pukes and Brownback doesn`t like it….
July 30th, 2008 at 11:55 amchristopher wiwi Says:
The Chinese stole this idea from the re-pukes and Brownback doesn`t like it….
July 30th, 2008 at 11:55 am
______
I tend to think it’s the other way around. The Chinese government has been perfecting the art of draconian rule since the Han Dynasty or so…
July 30th, 2008 at 12:01 pmClassic case of Repug stupidity - do as I say do, not as I do…what a joke.
Tell him ATT will have all the data in San Francisco…so Pelosi will be glad to bring it back for him….
July 30th, 2008 at 12:03 pmBut http://www.baltimoresun.com/ news/ custom/ iraq/ bal-te.md.nsa04mar04,0,4142714.story?coll=bal-home-headlines is okay?
‘Intelligence historians say U.S. eavesdropping at the United Nations is routine. The NSA’s predecessors listened in on foreign delegations to the United Nations’ founding conference in San Francisco in 1945 and pushed for its permanent location in New York to make listening in more convenient, historians say.
“One would have to have the innocence of an unborn child to believe that espionage doesn’t go on every day at the United Nations,” said Loch K. Johnson, an authority on intelligence at the University of Georgia.’
July 30th, 2008 at 12:11 pmThat link above was about the way the U.S. has been spying at the United Nations.
July 30th, 2008 at 12:12 pmJust like everything else - torture, rape, murder, WMDs, invading other countries for no reason - spying on everybody is a privilege reserved only for the government of the United States of America.
July 30th, 2008 at 12:33 pm.
Dear Senator Brownback,
It’s not Communistic spying when ‘WE’ do it… NO?
.
July 30th, 2008 at 12:35 pmDisgusting hypocrisy.
July 30th, 2008 at 12:39 pmIt’s only ok if the US does it.
July 30th, 2008 at 1:25 pmI wonder if the Chinese realize that all they have to do is say it is in the interest of national security and all moral and legal issues are immediately resolved. Voila!
July 30th, 2008 at 3:04 pmI wonder if the Chinese government hired some of the BushCo Spy experts to help them out? Maybe Blackwater or Halliburton got some great contracts out of this.
July 30th, 2008 at 4:36 pmI can here the Chinese conservative trollers now ….
July 30th, 2008 at 4:50 pm“Bbbbbb..But Bush did it too.”
/snark
I’m glad Brownback has the time and energy to stick up for the Chinese citizens. I’m guessing it helps that his calendar was cleared-up by writing off any concern for American citizens long ago.
July 30th, 2008 at 5:00 pmkeep in mind that the internet has made us all spies in a way. with everybody jumping into each others shit invited or not !
July 31st, 2008 at 9:28 am