Sam “FISA” Brownback is OUTRAGED that China Will Spy on Guests
International hotel chains are making a fuss about having to install internet surveillance software at their Chinese properties, at the request of China’s government. Senator Sam Brownback is incensed that another government would potentially spy on their own people, as well as foreigners. Funny, that, since Brownback is one of the more vocal supporters of FISA in the U.S.
This is snort-out-loud laughable.
Sen. Sam Brownback is hopping mad that the Chinese government is requiring all international hotels in China to install internet monitoring software prior to the Olympics. Apparently, a few of the hotel chains have made a fuss.
Listen, it’s not like the Chinese government (unlike the American government) hasn’t been right up front about controlling use of the internet / world wide web within the borders of their country. In fact, back in 2005, China forced Yahoo! to give up email records on dissidents, and Google was forced to redesign their search engine software to make it easier for the Chinese government to spy and conduct oversight:
…However, some [U.S.] lawmakers at the hearing thought this argument dubious at best. Choices to operate in China have also led to Yahoo’s cooperation with Chinese authorities to arrest a dissident and Google’ redesign of its search engine to reflect Chinese censorship.
“U.S. technology companies today are engaged in a sickening cooperation decapitating the movements of Chinese dissidents,” human rights subcommittee chair Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said at the hearing. Smith will soon introduce the Global Online Freedom Act of 2006 that aims to “protect United States businesses from coercion to participate in repression by authoritarian foreign governments.” …
So, Sam Brownback is now carrying the anti-spy water for the hotel chains operating in China. As I said at the outset of this post, that’s quite laughable, coming from one of the strongest proponents of FISA, warrentless wiretapping, and internet surveillance. Glenn Greenwald has the details, but this stands out:
“These hotels are justifiably outraged by this order, which puts them in the awkward position of having to craft pop-up messages explaining to their customers that their Web history, communications, searches and key strokes are being spied on by the Chinese government,” Brownback said at a news conference…
At least you get a pop-up message in China. In the U.S., DHS just pops up at your door.
Guess we file this under ‘it’s ok if a Republican does it” since China isn’t Republican it’s not ok.
I just called his office about this.
“I saw Mr. Brownback on TV speakign about some awful plan China has to monitor people’s phone calls and emails during hte Olympics. he was pretty upset!”
“yes sir, that’s correct.”
“But didn’t Mr. Brownback vote for the Protect America Act?”
“yes sir, he did.”
“And didn’t he just vote for the FISA Amendments Act, which like PAA empowers the government to tap right into the country’s telcom systems to listen to phone calls and read emails without individual warrants?”
“yes, he did.”
“Hmmm.” Pause. Long Pause. Longer pause
“Umm.. do you see anything inconsistent about that?”
“Well, i’ll be sure to pass that along sir.”
-click-
Poor Sam is so minunderstood. The way Sam sees it, it’s an abominatin when China spies on its citizens because it’s a heathen commie country. But it’s okay if we spy on our citizens because we’re a democracy, and we sure as hell can’t have civil liberties endangering our freedom.
Guess we file this under ‘it’s ok if a Republican does it” since China isn’t Republican it’s not ok.
But given the business interests U.S. companies have in China, it might as well be Republican.
That’s why nothing is going to come of this beyond a few meaningless protests.