FISA Vote

Once again Mark Udall, Ed Perlmutter, and Diana DeGette demonstrate with their votes a shallow understanding of history. They are each too pacifistic to want to learn about the issues and technologies that might one day save countless American lives without in any way damaging 4th amendment protections for US citizens. That's what this vote was about, and they were on the wrong side of it.

The House passed the new FISA bill. Our understanding of this bill is that it eliminates an accidental legal roadblock to surveillance involving communications that originate in one foreign country, pass through communications switching in the United States, and are directed to another foreign country.

Readers may not know this, but the US and other countries have been doing exactly this since radio and telegraph communications began. The Zimmerman Telegram was an attempt by WWI Germany to entice Mexico into attacking to retake the Southeastern US. It was transmitted through the undersea cable from Germany to the US and on to Mexico. The undersea cable passed through Britain and was intercepted and decoded there.

Had that not happened, many American lives might have been lost to a surprise attack by Mexico. It doesn't seem likely that Mexico would have won, but having the Telegram made it impossible for Germany and Mexico to try.

That is just one of many historic examples of the interception of messages between hostile entities whose means of transmission passed through a third country and were intercepted there.

Hey Mark: Keep taking photos with soldiers in uniform and maybe people won't notice your lack of knowledge on military matters. Dukakas can likely arrange a tank ride, too.

Thanks to SquareState which has a whole different take, if you have the stomach to read it. Pun intended.