What a strange set of values the US politicians seem to hold ...
For the second time in months, the US House of Representatives has passed a controversial 'Cyber Information Sharing and Protection Act' (Cispa) which is designed to help combat cyber threats from other countries and criminal hackers, by making it easier for law enforcers to get at web data.
"If you want to take a shot across China's bow, this is the answer," said the Republican politician who both co-wrote Cispa and chairs the House Intelligence Committee.
On the other side of the argument, the 'American Civil Liberties Union', along with prominent members of the US Senate have opposed Cispa, saying the bill was "fatally flawed", or too intrusive. President Obama has threatened to veto it if he's not satisfied it offers only the minimum amount of data for investigations.
In the same week in US Politics - President Barack Obama has forcefully criticised the US Senators who blocked a bipartisan plan to support expanded background checks on firearms. The proposal, put forward as an amendment to a broader gun bill, sought to widen the current checks to include on-line and unlicensed gun show dealers.
"This was a pretty shameful day for Washington", Mr Obama said at the White House.
So basically this political schizophrenia has meant the right to own and sell guns has been defended by US Senators, over the right to live in a little more safety (NB: it was a pretty tame proposal to control gun sales after all - it didn't even affect sales in 'families' and to 'friends' - so could be bypassed easily!).
While the right to freedom from intrusive law enforcement agencies has been threatened with erosion by US Representatives and defended by the President.
The 'Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave', can be very confusing at times, even to its friends.
For the second time in months, the US House of Representatives has passed a controversial 'Cyber Information Sharing and Protection Act' (Cispa) which is designed to help combat cyber threats from other countries and criminal hackers, by making it easier for law enforcers to get at web data.
"If you want to take a shot across China's bow, this is the answer," said the Republican politician who both co-wrote Cispa and chairs the House Intelligence Committee.
On the other side of the argument, the 'American Civil Liberties Union', along with prominent members of the US Senate have opposed Cispa, saying the bill was "fatally flawed", or too intrusive. President Obama has threatened to veto it if he's not satisfied it offers only the minimum amount of data for investigations.
In the same week in US Politics - President Barack Obama has forcefully criticised the US Senators who blocked a bipartisan plan to support expanded background checks on firearms. The proposal, put forward as an amendment to a broader gun bill, sought to widen the current checks to include on-line and unlicensed gun show dealers.
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"This was a pretty shameful day for Washington", Mr Obama said at the White House.
So basically this political schizophrenia has meant the right to own and sell guns has been defended by US Senators, over the right to live in a little more safety (NB: it was a pretty tame proposal to control gun sales after all - it didn't even affect sales in 'families' and to 'friends' - so could be bypassed easily!).
While the right to freedom from intrusive law enforcement agencies has been threatened with erosion by US Representatives and defended by the President.
The 'Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave', can be very confusing at times, even to its friends.
