▶ Democracy Now! Julian Assange on NSA, the TPP, Security Lapses, Refugee Boats Libya, Swedish Legal Setbacks

Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! interviews Julian Assange on the NSA, the TPP, and other current issues. The interview took place on Monday, May 25, 2015. Democracy Now! May 27, 2015 https://youtu.be/ic6YEWrjx5Q https://youtu.be/_5b-99oxCEs Subscribe or “Follow” us on RiseUpTimes.org. Rise Up Times is also on Facebook! Check the Rise Up Times page for posts from this blog More

Senate Fails to Pass USA Freedom Act but Blocks NSA Phone Data Collection

In what Truthdig Editor-in-Chief Robert Scheer calls “a big victory for Rand Paul and for all who fear uncontrolled government surveillance,” the legislative body was unable to extend the NSA phone data collection program. Scheer mentions the Kentucky senator because of his 10-hour, 30-minute filibuster Wednesday in which he aimed to prolong the voting process More

Section 215 of the Patriot Act Expires in June. Is Congress Ready?

You may have heard that the Patriot Act is set to expire soon. That’s not quite the case. The Patriot Act was a large bill, as were the reauthorizations that followed in 2005 and 2006. Not all of it sunsets. But three provisions do expire on June 1st: Section 215, the "Lone Wolf provision," and the "roving wiretap" provision.

Just Security: The Patriot Act’s Sunset is the Perfect Chance to Make the FISA Court More Like a Real Court

 The collection of Americans’ personal information by intelligence agencies is one of the most intrusive powers the executive branch can exercise. Such programs require a strong check in the form of robust judicial review. By Elizabeth Goitein, Faiza Patel  Just Security  CommonDreams.org  April 14, 2015 The collection of Americans’ personal information by intelligence agencies is one of More

Henry A. Giroux: Terrorism, Violence and the Culture of Madness

Giroux: Already imperiled before the aftershocks of the terrorists’ attacks, democracy became even more fragile in the aftermath of 9/11. Almost fourteen years later, the historical rupture produced by the events of 9/11 has transformed a terrorist attack into a war on terror that mimics the very crimes it pledged to eliminate.

The criminalization of political opposition in America

Editor's Note: This article briefly mentions the raids on the homes antiwar activists in Minneapolis and Chicago in 2010 after their organizations were infiltrated. The article does not mention the RNC8, who were accused of terrorism after the 2008 Republican convention in St. Paul MN. So really, this is not new news for those of us in Minnesota. More

Reed Richardson: What the Press Should Learn From the “Snowden Effect”

However, the Snowden revelations and their subsequent publication haven’t just had an impact on issues of privacy and national security. They’ve also occasioned a re-awakening of a debate about the role of journalism (and journalists) in a democracy and its relationship to authority.    By Reed Richardson  December 20, 2013  Moyers & Company This essay More

Jim Hightower> Repeal the Patriot Act

 "We the People have now learned that all three branches of government have furtively conspired for seven years to violate our privacy—so, no, we don't trust any of them."  Jim Hightower  Published: Wednesday 19 June 2013  NationofChange.org It's back. The Patriot Act — that grotesque, ever-mutating, hydra-headed monstrosity from the Bush-Cheney Little Shop of Horrors More

Jim Hightower> Repeal the Patriot Act

 "We the People have now learned that all three branches of government have furtively conspired for seven years to violate our privacy—so, no, we don't trust any of them."  Jim Hightower  Published: Wednesday 19 June 2013  NationofChange.org It's back. The Patriot Act — that grotesque, ever-mutating, hydra-headed monstrosity from the Bush-Cheney Little Shop of Horrors More

Glenn Greenwald> Video> On radical executive power and US political and media culture

On radical executive power and US political and media culture [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=edOYR79pL-w#at=167] Hampshire College • Critical Social Inquiry Lecture  March 5, 2013 Glenn Greenwald:  Last month, I spoke at Hampshire College on radical executive power and US political and media culture; that was followed by a conversation on those topics with the writer and philosophy professor More

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