President Obama indicates some pull back of the improperly named ‘Patriot Act’

The US Bill of Rights

US President Obama discussed USA government surveillance today:

August 9, 2013

Saying the nation deserves a “vigorous public debate guided by our Constitution,” President Obama outlined plans Friday to improve privacy protections within National Security Agency surveillance programs and to better explain to the public how the NSA operates.

“It’s not enough for me as president to have confidence in these programs,” Obama told reporters at the White House. “The American people need to have confidence in them as well.”

While defending the programs in general — it’s “an important tool in our effort to disrupt terrorist plots” — Obama said he also understands concerns about possible abuses of privacy.

Opening a news conference with a prepared statement, Obama outlined “specific steps that we’re going to be taking very shortly to move the debate forward.”

They include:

— New talks with Congress to revise Section 215 of the Patriot Act, which governs NSA collections of telephone data. The goal would be to clarify the legal authority of the NSA, improve oversight of its actions and tighten restrictions on the use of information obtained by the Agency, all with the aim of improving public confidence in the programs. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/08/09/obama-privacy-nsa-surveillance/2635735/

August 9, 2013

WHITE HOUSE — U.S. President Barack Obama Friday announced new steps aimed at helping to reassure Americans about government electronic surveillance programs used to protect against terrorism. President Obama also discussed relations with Russia, and threats from al-Qaida and affiliated groups.

Obama announced steps he says will increase transparency and restore public trust in U.S. government surveillance programs.

The issue has been the subject of intense national debate since former intelligence analyst Edward Snowden released details of electronic methods used in the counterterrorism fight.

Obama said he will work with Congress to pursue “appropriate reforms,” including greater oversight and transparency, to a program that collects telephone records, which he again called an important tool to disrupt terrorist plots.

He also called for steps to give Americans more confidence in decisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, including measures to ensure that privacy and civil liberties concerns are taken into account.

As Obama spoke, the Department of Justice and National Security Agency released documents fulfilling a third step, containing additional information about surveillance programs. http://www.voanews.com/content/president-obama-hold-news-conference/1726979.html

While this could be a good first step, this still is not enough in my view. I have had issues with the improperly named Patriot Act for years, and while I agree that it needs to be scaled back, I do not believe that the steps I have seen go far enough (it appears to me that the goal is to increase the government’s legal ability to spy essentially by getting more judicial approval of it, as opposed to actually reducing the espionage and data collection).

Yet, even if they did reverse a lot of the Patriot Act, the proverbial “cat is out of the bag.” By this I mean that now that the USA has basically admitted what it has done, has shared with the Germans and other Europeans what it have been doing, etc., that this will make it easier for the Beast power to do the type of surveillance that the Bible warns about.

15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. (Revelation 13:15-18)

The above will require surveillance, both the technology to collect it and the ability to interpret it. What the USA has already done and agreed to do will help the Beast power be able to do that.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power? Various allegations have surfaced about the United States government spying on its own citizens as well as its supposed allies in the European Union. Whether or not all the allegations are true, and the main ones have not been publicly denied by the government of the USA, the reality is that this does have prophetic ramifications and will help the Beast of Revelation. This video provides quotes from the Bible showing how this is so. The USA is placing itself in a position to be taken over and its response to the allegations will make it easier for the Europeans to do so.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves?
Is The United States Mentioned In Bible Prophecy? Is the USA mentioned in Bible prophecy? Some Protestants say yes, while others say no. What do Greg Laurie, Irvin Baxter, Ed Mlynar, John Walvoord, and Gary DeMar teach? What does the Bible really teach? Why don’t many understand what the Bible teaches about this. What about Jesus’ return? Is there one clear scripture that is referring to the USA?