CISPA is back

 
(Sorta copy-pasted but)  
Do you remember SOPA? The bill that would give government the right to spy on internet activity without warrant, and let them censor “unwanted” sites by blocking people’s access to them?
 
Meet its twin. But this time it’s all the more frightening; the House has passed it despite Obama’s threats to veto. And by an alarmingly large margin, at that. CISPA threatens the US constitution’s guarantees of due privacy and free speech, permitting any government agency to access and transfer of vast amounts of data- from internet records to even the content of personal e-mails, and all without obtaining a warrant.
 
What’s even more disgusting than this bill actually making through the House is some of the arguments used to help it’s passage, and comments made by one of the bill’s biggest supporters admitting the bill helps big business while insulting opposers (whose is also speculated to have personal reasons for wanting CISPA made into law).
 
This threatens every element of your online presence. From personal emails to general activity, any government agency will have the ability to go fishing without consequence.
 
Please, PLEASE, sign the following petitions. You don’t even have to be a US citizen to sign most of them or act against CISPA, and please keep in mind that if this shit flies in America, who knows what country might use its example to do it, too.
 
Petition: Avaaz: Save the Internet from the US  
(you don’t have to be a US citizen to sign this)
 
Petition: Sites Not Spies  
(you don’t have to be a US citizen to sign this)
 
Petition: CISPA is Back: Write Congress
 
Petition: Tell Mike Rogers more that 14-year-olds oppose CISPA  
(you don’t have to be a US citizen to sign this)
 
Twitter: Tweet @RepMikeRogers with your age  
Twitter: Tweet @BarackObama and tell him to veto CISPA  
Twitter: Tweet reps like RepDelBene, GovHankJohnson, KeithEllison and GovGaryJohnson and thanks them for acting against CISPA. Look for other reps that have spoken against it, and thank them.
 
Call your reps: and tell them you strongly oppose the bill. You can look up your reps using the form on the lower portion of this page.
 
Resource: Fight for the Future
 
(TL;DR version: Congress basically went behind our back and passed it in House while everyone was distracted by the Boston Bomb issue)  
Even though it passed House, you can still stop it in Senate. Do what you can and let others be known of this.

I’ll update with news from time to time, as well as other movements against this when possible.

Not this shit again…

Oh come on. What is CISPA the final boss of the internet and every time it almost dies it automatically uses a phoenix down?

Urg…
 
If I may ask: Where exactly in Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution does it grant the federal government the power to not only violate the 4th Amendment, but everything else within CISPA (like granting companies immunity for violating their customer’s privacy). I know this forum isn’t where I’d usually discuss political issues (I usually discuss them here), but geez, how much does the government have to fuck you over before you decide enough is enough?!

@Ebalosus  
The Consti-haha good one…oh wait you’re serious…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Seriously the Constitution means nothing today. Politicians seem to make it their job to find ways around it and continue to strip people of their freedoms daily.
 
…how much does the government have to fuck you over before you decide enough is enough?!
 
Good question, but given how people seem to just get upset and then move on instead of doing anything, I’d say the government can do whatever it wants and as usual people will just complain for a while and then move on while the government continues it’s onslaught of oppression and corruption. So much for “A country by the people, for the people.”
 
Edit: Also OP, thank you for being one of the few people out there who take action instead of just sitting around and complaining.

I’m also pretty sure there’s an ammendment that states that the federal government is not given a power by the constitution then it does not have that power.
 
Ah yes, it is the tenth ammendment.  
I suppose they will argue that this is under the demesne of interstelate commerce or something.

@Whatevs  
Interstate!

@someguy111  
@Whatevs
 
Your government (assuming you’re both americans) is on of enumerated powers, in that, at least according to the constitution, it only has the powers outlined to it in Article 1, Section 8. Unfortunately, these have been broadly interpreted to give the federal government the power to do as it pleases in most cases. Lord T Hawkeye outlines this much better than I can.
 
Related to the enumerated powers clause is the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution, which states:
 
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
 
This means that although the states theoretically have more power than the federal government with regards to the power to govern their own affairs, they don’t have the powers enumerated in Article 1, Section 8, nor can they supersede the powers granted to the people outlined in the Bill of Rights.
 
Also, “regulate” does not mean “restrict.” It means “to make regular.”
 
If you want to know more about how the Constitution is meant to function, I suggest these videos by Shane Killian; They taught me pretty much everything I know of how your Constitution functions.
 
(And yes, I’ve signed the petition from avaaz)

This sort of reminds me of another bill that the Tories in Canada tried to pass.

Yeah i’m not worried one bit, this is never gonna pass and peopke who think it will are morons.

@Klonoahedgehog  
Apathy can be quite dangerous.

Not this bullshit again.

@Ebalosus  
Thank you.
 
It’s already game over though. The Supreme Court will interpret the constitution however it wants.

it still has to go through the sentate and the white house

Can I be honest and say that I think this idiot known as Mike Rogers probably needs to get his head out his arse and maybe kicked out of office for that comment?

Dear users of Derpibooru, it has come to my attention that Rep. Mike Rogers, the one behind CISPA, is from the state of Michigan. I too am from Michigan and wish to apologize on behalf of the entire state, specifically district 8, for electing this bastard. I know I didn’t vote for him.

@someguy111
 
I would like to apologize even deeper considering that ass-hole is from MY DISTRICT.

Never mind, she did. All of the representatives of my state did. Of course.

So basically I found a summary of CISPA in flashcards:  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In short, it’s very bad.

@Background Pony
 
Yes, I know. But what about the root cause of ALL of this:
 
The complete disregard of Article 1, Section 8, of the US Constitution!
 
Seriously, the federal government needs to have the constitution amended to give themselves this power. The Founding Fathers would be rolling in their graves knowing that the supreme law of the land was be as broadly interpreted as it is.
 
(And yes, the irony of a New Zealander lecturing Americans on Constitutional law is not lost on me)

@Ebalosus  
Oh no we know full well that the constitution is pretty much viewed as toilet paper nowadays by the government.

Again: I am terribly sorry for Mike Rogers.

@AaronMk  
As this is a government by the people, we have the right to kick him out of office. Ok, we can’t directly kick him out, but if we push for his impeachment, not only is there a chance he really will get kicked out, it would also send a strong message to the government that we will not tolerate these politicians or their stupid legislation and might make them shape up, lest they get shipped out. Let them know that we the people are always watching and if they try anything sleazy, like a boss supervising his employees, we will hold them accountable. Keep in mind we elected them. They are there to represent the desires of the voters, and if they do not then they are not doing their jobs which in any other context means getting fired.