May. 20, 2003 - 22:39 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

Kaleidoscope

Seems to me that the old saw, "When in confusion and in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout," is about the way it is with the media these days.

Looks to me as if they are all clawing at subjects that are possibilities but to me are not necessarily probabilities. Conjecture to the fore it is.

Robyn Blumner of the St. Petersburg Times mentions some of the ins and outs of the Patriot Act. She says in short, "Section on section of the law imposes new obligations on businesses to produce the personal records of their customers, or to spy and snitch on their customers as a condition of operating." She goes on, "Million dollar fines and criminal liability are punishment for noncompliance. For example. under Section 215. one of the more notorious parts of the Patriot Act -- the one librarians have been raising a ruckus over -- the FBI now has the power to obtain library records, e-mail logs and entire business databases of all sorts of people just by claiming that the information is relevant to a counterterrorism or counter espionage investigation."

All the FBI has to do is claim it to be so -- thus bypassing all the legalities of their obtaining records and data by proving the relevance to their investigation to higher authorities.

Ms. Blumner also mentions, "But the Patriot Act stikes down these particularity constraints, promoting instead a fishing expedition. And since it makes no provision for reimbursing businesses ordered to produce the records, there is little cost to the FBI for demanding far more informations than is necessary."

Geez, Spanish Inquisition in modern dress ? Or did I commit an ethnic boo boo here ?

Ms. Blumner quotes from a magazine I am not familiar with here, "According to the December 2002 issue of CSO (chief security office) magazine, 45 per cent of the 797 businesses surveyed have given law enforcement or the government data on their customers, employees or business partners." Also she reports, "Internet service providers, financial institutions and telephone companies especially are repeated targets. Bell South for example, received 32,370 subpoenas and 636 court orders for information on customers last year and has an entire team of people who do nothing but respond to law enforcement."

Just like silicone liquid, it spreads and spreads. Robyn Blumner goes on, "Another part of the Patriot Act markedly expands the kinds of companies expected to spy on their customers. Banks have had to do this for decades, but the new law extends this responsibility to a vast array of businesses -- anywhere there is a potential for money laundering -- such as insurance companies, brokerage firms, even casinos, pawn brokers and jewelers. These businesses are now expected to know their customer's identity and financial habits, and report suspicious activities to the government."

That does it, I won't go to Bingo anymore or buy lottery tickets. Nor will I write checks or use the ATM and credit cards. If I want to buy a book and the clerk before accepting my cash insists on seeing my drivers license to verify who bought that book I'll say, "Never mind, I think I'll just go home and read one of my old books. They can put back on the shelves their copy of "Lady Chatterly's Lover," for some other sucker to buy. Guess I will spend my pension on gasoline, groceries and clothes -- all paid for by cash. Obviously, every traffic ticket I ever got is fair game to the snoops, who I married and when all a matter of public record anyhow, but who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men ? Ehhh, ehh, ehh, The Shadow knows and his name is the FBI.

The rest of the news recently seems to be guesses, conjecture and projected prophecy I guess, it is more of a mish mash than usual.

So much for another look through the media Kaleidoscope . . . . . . . . . .

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