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From net neutrality to digital privacy, Congress does diddly

washingtonpost.com

11–20 of 68 posts

Re: From net neutrality to digital privacy, Congress does diddly

#11

> In the case before the court, Timothy Carpenter’s cellular provider supplied investigators a record of his smartphone’s whereabouts. The pings placed Carpenter in the vicinity of several armed robberies in Ohio and Michigan. Now behind bars, he is asking the justices to find this a violation of his Fourth Amendment right to be safe from warrantless searches of his private domain. What is this bullshit?! Next a guy…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusionary_rule

Re: From net neutrality to digital privacy, Congress does diddly

#12
post #2

Anyone have thoughts on exams that require a passing grade to serve in Congress? I.e. demonstrate certain levels of knowledge in order to participate in certain conversations with new bills listing requirements at top thereby eliminating the ability to vote if that Congress person has not met the minimum? I realize this may be a bit off topic but my thought is that if more people in Congress (or other agencies/depart…

they are democratically elected, this would be questionable.

Re: From net neutrality to digital privacy, Congress does diddly

#13
post #7

Congress is becoming a non factor. The amount of pettiness and partisianship over the past few years had made Congress into the de factor weakest branch of government. Most of Obama's legacy was executed via executive order and guidance given to executive departments, a year into the Trump administration and we are seeing the same thing. The other big decisions (gay marriage, citizens United, etc.) are being made by…

We get the Congress for which we vote.

Re: From net neutrality to digital privacy, Congress does diddly

#14
post #13
post #7

Congress is becoming a non factor. The amount of pettiness and partisianship over the past few years had made Congress into the de factor weakest branch of government. Most of Obama's legacy was executed via executive order and guidance given to executive departments, a year into the Trump administration and we are seeing the same thing. The other big decisions (gay marriage, citizens United, etc.) are being made by…

We get the Congress for which we vote.

The problem isn’t Congress—most people are happy with their own representatives. The problem is us. If we took 10 random people from New York City and ten from rural Alabama, they wouldn’t be able to get anything done either. Why are we surprised that the people those people elect can’t work together?

Re: From net neutrality to digital privacy, Congress does diddly

#17
post #2

Anyone have thoughts on exams that require a passing grade to serve in Congress? I.e. demonstrate certain levels of knowledge in order to participate in certain conversations with new bills listing requirements at top thereby eliminating the ability to vote if that Congress person has not met the minimum? I realize this may be a bit off topic but my thought is that if more people in Congress (or other agencies/depart…

Ignoring the fact that this is never going to happen, it also is a unrealistic expectation. Not everyone can be a expert on everything but has to trust their colleagues and staffers on how to vote on some issues.

The problems with Congress isn't stupidity (not that they aren't stupid), it's corruption. There's no quiz for that.

Beyond that, considering the history of tests as a precondition for participation in American politics...funny that it comes up as often as it does. Plus, if there was a test, isn't that something that'd quite possibly be on it?

Re: From net neutrality to digital privacy, Congress does diddly

#18
post #2

Anyone have thoughts on exams that require a passing grade to serve in Congress? I.e. demonstrate certain levels of knowledge in order to participate in certain conversations with new bills listing requirements at top thereby eliminating the ability to vote if that Congress person has not met the minimum? I realize this may be a bit off topic but my thought is that if more people in Congress (or other agencies/depart…

American democracy is designed to elect a geographically representative legislature. I wish it could also elect an ideologically representative legislature.

Currently, I really appreciate how Senator Ron Johnson is fighting to give small business the same preferential tax treatment given to corporations by early drafts of the tax bill [1]. And you guessed it, he's doing it because he spent much of his career as a small businessman, unlike most congresspeople [2].

I have no idea how to achieve more of this, I don't think an exam would help at all!

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/27/us/politics/senate-tax-bi... [2] https://www.ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/biography

Re: From net neutrality to digital privacy, Congress does diddly

#19
post #13
post #7

Congress is becoming a non factor. The amount of pettiness and partisianship over the past few years had made Congress into the de factor weakest branch of government. Most of Obama's legacy was executed via executive order and guidance given to executive departments, a year into the Trump administration and we are seeing the same thing. The other big decisions (gay marriage, citizens United, etc.) are being made by…

We get the Congress for which we vote.

Speaking as a non-american closely following US politics, it appears you get the Congress for which you don't vote as well.

The amount of partisanship on one side of the aisle (first example that comes to mind: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/us/politics/syria-bombing...) and the fact that there are very few congress members who don't fall in line to their party means that no matter which party you vote for, you're getting what you're getting now.

Re: From net neutrality to digital privacy, Congress does diddly

#20

> In the case before the court, Timothy Carpenter’s cellular provider supplied investigators a record of his smartphone’s whereabouts. The pings placed Carpenter in the vicinity of several armed robberies in Ohio and Michigan. Now behind bars, he is asking the justices to find this a violation of his Fourth Amendment right to be safe from warrantless searches of his private domain. What is this bullshit?! Next a guy…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusionary_rule

Doesn't apply because this doesn't violate any rights.
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