Hacker News Reader

Comment by ballard | Hacker News Reader

This type of prosecution is having the opposite effect as intended: it gives Barrett a larger platform and more credibility because the unusual unfairness is itself newsworthy. It shows just how abusive and insecure USG has become.

Moreover, for USG going after journalists is a naked abandonment of any sense of first amendment protections.

It is wrong and the leadership should be ashamed. Period.

If this trend continues, I will turn in my SAR membership and my citizenship.

View on HN

They should be but they won't. They just do it because they can, and because courts routinely defer to most outrageous claims and requests by government - like recent decision that TSA is free to lie in responses to FOIA requests. These guys have absolutely no shame and the only way they can be stopped is for US public to expose them and to vote out anybody who helps this happen. If they fail to do so, it will only get worse.

Somehow in many excessively publicized cases we've seen over the years it never was a problem for the government that everybody is talking about it. But when it comes to the surveillance case, suddenly there's an urgent need of protecting jury from being tainted. It smells as fishy as it gets. A complete and open abuse of power.

Manufacture consent of decision makers... get articles into CFR and the like to show the house of cards is crumbling down. Respect by fear does not endure and there is nowhere to hide with Twitter in every pocket.

I think a lot of people would love to cancel their citizenship with the USA, save for the small problem of not having citizenship anywhere else.

Obviously. [1] Any recommendations?

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6305232

Funny you linked that. I was going to say that I was just looking into permanent residence in Australia.

Sydney or similar.

Surprised there isn't a pirate bureau "sealand" island hackerspace / OTG community / datacenter.

Residency in New Zealand or Hong Kong, or possibly Switzerland. Getting residency is a step with zero negatives; gaining an additional citizenship has some, while renouncing one's US citizenship has exceptionally bad consequences.

Unfortunately, a larger platform and more credibility won't help Barrett in that kangaroo court. He's screwed.

Exactly! How is that a court order can abolish the free-speech amendment!?

> It is wrong and the leadership should be ashamed. Period.

They should... had they any feelings. They do not, though, and the only two languages they speak is money and violence. If you cannot speak neither then they will run you over and you will be forgotten about.

Let's face it, even with all of the NSA spying and drone attacks... how many US citizens are _really_ up in arms? A minority. The majority will continue to care more about their mortgages or where to get their next 420 high than they do about anything the government and the government's owners are want to do to the populace.

Idiocracy was a documentary.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com