So here we are.

[solarbird]

Courtesy jwz's livejournal, we have this news story about how Federal agents are monitoring Inter-Library Loan, and investigating you if you request the wrong book. So we have warrentless spying on American citizens, monitoring of suspect book titles, every attempt they can get away with to eliminate posse comitatus for American citizens, and a desperate fight to be able to torture people on executive order.

Is there any power the Republican party won't trust the government with? Any? I really don't think so anymore. Once upon a time, I did. The complete betrayal of every professed principled position of the Republican party once had genuinely depresses me.

---

Agents' visit chills UMass Dartmouth senior
By AARON NICODEMUS, Standard-Times staff writer

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-05/12-17-05/a09lo650.htm

NEW BEDFORD -- A senior at UMass Dartmouth was visited by federal agents two months ago, after he requested a copy of Mao Tse-Tung's tome on Communism called "The Little Red Book."

Two history professors at UMass Dartmouth, Brian Glyn Williams and Robert Pontbriand, said the student told them he requested the book through the UMass Dartmouth library's interlibrary loan program.

The student, who was completing a research paper on Communism for Professor Pontbriand's class on fascism and totalitarianism, filled out a form for the request, leaving his name, address, phone number and Social Security number. He was later visited at his parents' home in New Bedford by two agents of the Department of Homeland Security, the professors said.

The professors said the student was told by the agents that the book is on a "watch list," and that his background, which included significant time abroad, triggered them to investigate the student further.

[More at URL]

Comments

[banner.livejournal.com]

As I understand it, the FISA (sp) court was/is reviewing and writing warrents for all of the NSA searches. And of course Congress was briefed on it.

As for the FBI questioning this student solely because he took out that book, well I'm sorry but it just sounds like a crock to me. I suspect that either the student was involved in a lot more than he's letting on, or that the story is BS. If they investigated people solely for taking books out of a library, the FBI would never have time to do anything else.

[flashfire.livejournal.com]

So in your eyes, the student's either up to something more he wasn't telling the media about or he's just trying to get attention?

Nice.

[banner.livejournal.com]

So in your eyes, the student is completely reliable, and completely believable?

Nice.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.

[flashfire.livejournal.com]

Innocent until proven guilty. Remember that?

You're ascribing things to him that may not even be true.

Reading the rest of the story reveals that the student has made calls to that region of the world and has spent time there as well, but if that's what they consider an excuse to go check on someone these days, that's pretty sad.

I could take a trip to the Middle East or happen to know a few people there and call them, and I'd probably be as likely to have the FBI show up at my door.

That's bullshit.

[banner.livejournal.com]

Assuming his story is true, of course.

No one has convicted him, just investigated (if of course his story is true).

On the otherhand, you have assumed that the FBI is guilty and not afforded them the same 'innocent until proven guilty' that you claim to believe in.

It's just that I've seen so much outright bullshit and lies published in the newspapers of late that I no longer believe anything I read in them without corroborating evidence.

[flashfire.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've seen a lot of bullshit too.

Just not the same kind you're seeing.

[banner.livejournal.com]

Federal agents' visit was a hoax (http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/12-05/12-24-05/a01lo719.htm)
Student admits he lied about Mao book

Just not the same kind you're seeing.
Well now you have.

[mathmuffin.livejournal.com]

I agree with banner. The student's story is suspicious. I can imagine FBI agents creating a watch list of books, but in order for the FBI to notice that the student requested a book through the Inter-Library Loan program, the librarians in that program must be cooperating with the FBI. The librarians that I know would have spoken to the press immediately if asked to monitor a watch list.

The problem with many theories about secret conspiracies of government agenices drastically violating people's rights is that government agencies are made of real people. A few idiots anywhere might ignore the Constitution and bend the law, but any conspiracy that requires the active cooperation of dozens of law-abiding people has a credibility problem. Yes, the Bush administration has bent the law in evil ways, such as holding enemy combatants indefinitely in Guatamano Bay with no good way to free innocent people immediately or guilty people after a suitable sentence. But those disgraceful acts are known to the public.

Erin Schram

[sir-quirky-k.livejournal.com]

If that story's true it's terrifying. I'm not entirely sure it is, but the very fact it's conceivable almost tells its own story.

[jessie-c.livejournal.com]

At least the RCMP (http://umanitoba.ca/manitoban/2002-2003/0115/news_7.shtml) were nice enough to stop once they were caught (sort of. I find it ironic that CSIS was founded in the year of Big Brother).

[dpawtows.livejournal.com]

I predict that particular book is about to become very popular at libraries across the country.

[ravyngyngvar.livejournal.com]

Is there any power the Republican party won't trust the government with?

Well, not that I claim to know a lot about American politics, but... how about gun control?

[ravyngyngvar.livejournal.com]

One more thing. When I studied in Kongsberg, I noticed that the local library had a copy of Hitler's Mein Kampf. I was genuinely curious. I doubt very much that I would have had the patience to read it from end to end, but I wonder where that book would stand on a government watchlist. :-)

Of course, the book was there and easily accessible. It's more doubtful that lending it directly from the library could be monitored.

It became academic anyway, because an arsonist burned down the library before I got around to borrowing it. Before you ask, i doubt that the book had anything to do with it. He burned down the city hall, too!