Bush Says Americans Should "Thank" the Telecoms for Illegally Spying on Them

[marmar]

from AlterNet's PEEK:




Bush Says Americans Should "Thank" the Telecoms for Illegally Spying on Them

Posted by Amanda Terkel, Think Progress at 2:05 PM on March 4, 2008.

Bush is implying that Americans who oppose telecom immunity are unpatriotic.



The Bush administration has launched an aggressive campaign to pressure the House into passing retroactive immunity for telecoms that participated in the government's warrantless wiretapping program.

Because they complied in illegally wiretapping their customers, telecoms currently face around 40 lawsuits. Yesterday in a speech to the National Association of Attorneys General, Bush sharply criticized Americans who are suing the telecoms:

Now the question is, should these lawsuits be allowed to proceed, or should any company that may have helped save American lives be thanked for performing a patriotic service; should those who stepped forward to say we're going to help defend America have to go to the courthouse to defend themselves, or should the Congress and the President say thank you for doing your patriotic duty? I believe we ought to say thank you.

Bush is implying that Americans who oppose telecom immunity are unpatriotic. But the American people don't owe the telecoms any gratitude. These corporations chose to break the law and profited greatly from doing so. (At least one company refused to comply with the Bush administration's request because it knew the actions were illegal.)

Last week in a letter to Congress, the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) -- which represents groups such as Google and Microsoft -- said that it "strongly" opposes retroactive immunity: "To imply that our industry would refuse assistance under established law is an affront to the civic integrity of businesses that have consistently cooperated unquestioningly with legal requests for information." .......(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/78661/

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

1. It's like being thankful to a rapist for wanting to f*ck you. nt

[Echo In Light]

2. It's the corporatist way

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

14. Corporist=Fascist way,

[lynnertic]

5. I guess that's one way to put it

[Echo In Light]

7. What do you call the corporate/state nexus actively working in secret against citizens?

Fascism.

[lynnertic]

8. Agreed. n/t

[rpannier]

3. Keep it up George. I'm behind your efforts 100%

Everytime you've taken your case to the public, the majority of the public has sided against you.

I suggest you go around the country. Do those townhall meetings. You know, like you did with social security reform.

Remember how that worked out?

God, I'm begging you.

Make telecom immunity your big issue this year.

By the time you're finished 80% of the public will want every telecom ceo that cooperated castrated and boiled in sea sludge

[durablend]

11. Yet they'll still vote for McBush

Many of them will come back with the usual non sequiter "Well I'm not doing anything wrong so I don't care if they're listening. Besides, there's way more important battles to fight than something this trivial"

Watch!

[lynnertic]

4. Hey just like that guy who apologized for being shot by Cheney in the face

His job after all, was to dodge bullets.

My god the country's being run into the ground by grade school bullies.

[Lint Head]

6. Thank you Mr. Bush for being a lying treasonous traitor.

Thank you. All of the criminals of the world think you are great. :dem:

[bdamomma]

9. how insulting he is towards the American people.

boy, I hope to see the day when he will pay for all his murderous and criminal crimes. I want to see that smirk wiped right off his face.

[paparush]

10. This Just In - Orwell Rises from Grave. Gives Enthusiastic Golf Clap

That is all.

[Huge Ego Sorry]

12. Is a brick upside the head

an acceptable form of thanks?

[Jennicut]

13. "Mr. Bush, you are a fascist!"

K.O. said it better than I can.

[riderinthestorm]

15. Up is down, black is white, "thank you sir, may I have another??"

Sickening and truly Orwellian.