Whenever i see mention of the Patriot Act in the news, I think it’s a clever play on words. You know … Patriot being someone who supports the country, etc.
Doing some paperwork at the office and came across an item that gives the official title. Anyone want to make a guess what it is? Not surprisingly, it’s a government acronym.
“When asked if you can do something, tell’em “Why certainly I can”, then get busy and find a way to do it.” T. Roosevelt
Replies
Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism
Yep. Except you forgot the word "Act" on the end. And it's an amendment to the bank Secrecy Act.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
They spent more time coming up the name (to make the acronym) than they did coming up with the language in the Act.
SHGFor every complex problem, there is a solution that is clear, simple, and wrong.
-H.L. Mencken
I just heard on the radio today the Patriot Act is what they call a "backronim". They came up with the name "Patriot" Act, then tried to figure out suitable words that fit the word. Apparently, this is a fairly common government/military thing. There's a "marketing" team that comes up with a catchy name of the program, operation, act, or whatever, then another bunch of lackeys that sit around filling in the blanks.
well, that's fitting. they name the same way they legistlate.
SHGFor every complex problem, there is a solution that is clear, simple, and wrong.
-H.L. Mencken
I heard that same show today. it was good.
They came up with the name "Patriot" Act, then tried to figure out suitable words that fit the word. Apparently, this is a fairly common government/military thing. There's a "marketing" team that comes up with a catchy name of the program, operation, act, or whatever, then another bunch of lackeys that sit around filling in the blanks.
You know that word you wrote as "marketing?" I think you might've made a slight typo there. The correct spelling is: P-R-O-P-A-G-A-N-D-A.
Tragic, that we've come to this. There surely must be a special spot in Hades for marketing people like those above, and the politicians who employ them.
Jason
why should any of this surprise anyone. Everybody here knows the "Patriot Act," but few know how it came about or what it says. Throw the word "Responsibility" into a name, or use some poor dead child's name, and you got a winner. People will have no clue what exactly the legislation means or does, but it's a marketing slam dunk.
By using the name of Legislation to obfuscate its contents, knowing with absolute certainty that 99% of the public will never have a clue what the legislation does, we're sold laws like laundry detergent. Ain't democracy great.
SHGFor every complex problem, there is a solution that is clear, simple, and wrong.
-H.L. Mencken
"Ain't democracy great."
Yes it is, because there's always hope to fix bad laws. Fixing the bad ones of the last 5 years should keep this congress busy for quite some time. Be interesting to see the voting patterns now that the people have expressed their displeasure. I think it's too bad, though, that independents didn't hop on this chance to bring some fresh blood to D.C.
There's a "marketing" team that comes up with a catchy name of the program, operation, act, or whatever, then another bunch of lackeys.......
Hey, careful there with the 'lackeys' thing. When I worked for GM as a Senior System analyst, I was on eof the guys that had to come up with names for computer functionality.
As a joke, I once named a warehousing system "Raw Meatloaf". And I was able to back that up with actual phrases/sentences which explained what the system was and what id did.
Unless you're the lead dog, the view just never changes.
Ya know what? I think the Patriot Act hysteria is interesting as well. Thousands of people rant and scream about it. Do they know, really KNOW, anything about it? The answer is a loud deafening NO.
Are you enraged now? Enraged by that analysis? OK. Then please inform everyone what you KNOW about the act. Not what one or two to fifty raving people have told you it says, but what it actaully says. And then tell me an actual incident where someone end up hung in some alleyway, or had is nuts cut off, or whatever someone TOLD you happened. An actual documented story, with sources, etal.
Now the proof of what I am saying will folow in the personal attacks that will fly my way as a result of this post. There will be no discourse on the actual issue, no documented abuses; but there will be attacks. So think about it.
Oh yeah and little green men live on Mars and are planning an invasion. Evidence you ask? Well, don't be a . . .
The first two sentences say it all.To deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around in the world. To enhance law enforcement investigatory tools and for other purposes.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
I might say the same thing. However, the tenor of other posts here imply that not all believe that. And as I said, they deride the act but know nothing about it other than what others tell them to fear and they have no anadotial evidence to support the fear and yet . . .
It is also interesting that people and clearly the left in congress have spent thousands of hours ranting and raving about the Patriot Act. No specifics, as I previously pointed out, naturally. In this ranting and screaming the left has spent this time deriding and vilifying Republicans for civil rights violations, (specifics again? well don't be ridiculous, we have covered that).
So now that the Democrats control the House and Senate and clearly spelled out that the Patriot Act was an evil perpatrated on Americans, will they craft a bill to repeal teh bill? Of course not! And why not? Becasue the PAtriout Act hysteria was about Democrats lying and decieving Americans to gain their votes. Plain and simple. If this is not the case then clearly they will act on their retoric and repeal the Act.
Well, it anit gonna happen, becaseu what I have said is true.