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Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Jason's Fan Club at work 
I've been spending a lot of time over at Jay Rosen's Press Think.


One of my correspondents, "ami," who proudly boasts of her membership in "the reality based community" got a little frustrated with my arguments concerning FISA, and writes:



Jason represents the right-wing noise machine at its most insidious and dangerous, because he spread lies solely for ideological purposes. No serious person -- and by "serious" I mean intellectually honest -- can read the relevant laws and do anything but conclude that you can be both a "United States person" and an "agent of Al Qaeda."


That's an interesting argument, especially when viewed in light of this paragraph from Section 1801 of the law:

(i) “United States person” means a citizen of the United States, an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence (as defined in section 1101 (a)(20) of title 8), an unincorporated association a substantial number of members of which are citizens of the United States or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence, or a corporation which is incorporated in the United States, but does not include a corporation or an association which is a foreign power, as defined in subsection (a)(1), (2), or (3) of this section.

So unless she is willing to argue that Al Qaeda is not an "associatiation which is a foreign power," her argument clearly fails.

Point that out, though, and here's what you get:

Jason represents the right-wing noise machine at its most insidious and dangerous, because he spread lies solely for ideological purposes. No serious person -- and by "serious" I mean intellectually honest -- can read the relevant laws and do anything but conclude that you can be both a "United States person" and an "agent of Al Qaeda."


Hilarity ensues:



Jason represents the worst aspects of the lynch-mob mentality --- driven by fear and hate, they are not merely willing, but eager, to deny anyone thought to be a terrorist the basic rights afforded to Americans under the Constitution.


Nevertheless, the law is clear - members of an association which is a foreign power do not qualify as United States Persons, and do not qualify for warrant protection.

What's not clear at all, obviously, is ami's muddled little head.

Splash, out

Jason

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