Assange Watch

[emordnilap]

Edward Snowden's mail provider has suspended operations, for reasons that are not entirely clear but certainly ominous (unsurprisingly). Here's the message appearing at present on the website:

My Fellow Users,

I have been forced to make a difficult decision: to become complicit in crimes against the American people or walk away from nearly ten years of hard work by shutting down Lavabit. After significant soul searching, I have decided to suspend operations. I wish that I could legally share with you the events that led to my decision. I cannot. I feel you deserve to know what’s going on--the first amendment is supposed to guarantee me the freedom to speak out in situations like this. Unfortunately, Congress has passed laws that say otherwise. As things currently stand, I cannot share my experiences over the last six weeks, even though I have twice made the appropriate requests.

What’s going to happen now? We’ve already started preparing the paperwork needed to continue to fight for the Constitution in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. A favorable decision would allow me resurrect Lavabit as an American company.

This experience has taught me one very important lesson: without congressional action or a strong judicial precedent, I would _strongly_ recommend against anyone trusting their private data to a company with physical ties to the United States.

Sincerely,
Ladar Levison
Owner and Operator, Lavabit LLC

[UndercoverElephant]

That's pretty clear. He feels he has to shut it down because the US "security" agencies are forcing him to hand over all the communications going through his servers and keep it a secret that this is happening, and he considers this an anti-constitutional crime against the American people.

The US is a fascist state. Let's not pretend otherwise.

FASCISM: noun

1) An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.

2) (in general use) Extreme right-wing, authoritarian, or intolerant views or practice.

http://www.fascismusa.com/

[Little John]

That's pretty clear. He feels he has to shut it down because the US "security" agencies are forcing him to hand over all the communications going through his servers and keep it a secret that this is happening, and he considers this an anti-constitutional crime against the American people.

The US is a fascist state. Let's not pretend otherwise.

FASCISM: noun

1) An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.

2) (in general use) Extreme right-wing, authoritarian, or intolerant views or practice.

http://www.fascismusa.com/

Yes, I think fascism is the likely political end place for the US as times get tougher in the coming decades. Hopefully, for the rest of us, their other strong inclination to isolationism will mean we won't need to care. I'm not hopeful, though.

[biffvernon]

Fascism seems to be alive and well in Britain. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-23632096

How long till Krystallnacht II?

[emordnilap]

Fascism seems to be alive and well in Britain. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-23632096

Jeez, that's getting very low. Someone once said, "He couldn't see a belt without hitting below it" and this is it.

[Little John]

Fascism seems to be alive and well in Britain. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-23632096

How long till Krystallnacht II?

Those vans and signs are a low brow attempt by the Conservatives to pander to rising xenophobia in the population. Whilst their motivation for doing it and the manner in which they are doing it are condemnable, the reasons they are being compelled to do it (or, at least, perceive themselves to be) have a more complicated origin and are less easily morally identifiable in such black and white terms. The fact is, there has been a policy of open door immigration to this country for several decades, all in the absence of permission by the indigenous population, and accelerating over the last one or two decades. And all in order to keep the unsustainable growth model of capitalism going, often at significant economic and cultural expense of indigenous ordinary working people.

We reap what we sow.

[RevdTess]

I wonder if people feel good when they see those ads? Maybe they're like "Yeah! Go us! We really told 'em!"

[biffvernon]

The fact is, there has been a policy of open door immigration to this country for several decades,

Many centuries actually but it ended shortly before the First World War when passports were invented. British Nationality and Status Aliens Act 1914.

[woodburner]

Fascism seems to be alive and well in Britain. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-23632096

Jeez, that's getting very low. Someone once said, "He couldn't see a belt without hitting below it" and this is it.

In which case, what are the suggestions that will work to deal with illegal immigrants?

[biffvernon]

Change the law so they are not illegal.

[JavaScriptDonkey]

Change the law so they are not illegal.

And what are your suggestions to deal with the 100 millions parents living in poverty in the 3rd world that will immediately and quite naturally doing everything in their power to get their children here to take advantage of the free schooling, clean water and free health care?

When the rest of the world has free education, free pensions etc. then we can talk about freedom of movement.

It isn't about colour - it's about resources.

[Little John]

The fact is, there has been a policy of open door immigration to this country for several decades,

Many centuries actually but it ended shortly before the First World War when passports were invented. British Nationality and Status Aliens Act 1914.

It's at the point when you come out with these glib, facetious, fatuous comments that I cease to be interested in what you have to say B. The reason that act did not exist before 1914 is because there did not exist an issue on the ground deemed to be of sufficient severity to warrant it prior to that time.

But then you knew that already.

People like you are why we will get facism.

[Little John]

I wonder if people feel good when they see those ads? Maybe they're like "Yeah! Go us! We really told 'em!"

Some will, most won't is my guess.

[biffvernon]

It's at the point when you come out with these glib, facetious, fatuous comments that I cease to be interested in what you have to say B.

Ah, but you can't resist a comment. You could do what most folk do. Ignore me.

[woodburner]

Change the law so they are not illegal.

This is already the second most densly populated country on earth, I take it you are after first place then.