57 Comments
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John Wright's avatar

I haven't looked deeply into this but you give clarity to an issue that is of concern. Those opposed to "DOGE" make it sound like Elon and team are digging through all our (citizens) personal information. As far as I'm aware they aren't looking at (citizens) personal information at all. They are looking at the *government's* "personal information" and that is exactly what they should be doing.

If my government is spending my tax dollars (which of course they are), this should all be public information and there should be no issue with *anyone* digging through it!

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Phil Hannum's avatar

Good to see anyone citing our Bill of Rights. By any chance, have you worked for a Financial Institution and taken mandatory training in the GLBA?

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/privacy-security/gramm-leach-bliley-act

Harkening back to The “January 6” matter, Financial Institutions started violating the GLBA (providing customer information regarding ATM transactions in or around Capital Hill, to the FBI) and violating the 4th Amendment (since no search warrants or subpoenas were obtained).

By the way, there is no provision in the law that permits Financial Institutions to hand-over customer information …even under “exigent circumstances” if anyone tries such a justification.

We all know what many of the banks did when they identified ATM usage & customer’s information - warrantless - just self-initiated by FIs with no warrants & prohibited by the cited Act.

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chad's avatar

Great points Phil.

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J Debra Grube's avatar

The Democrats have long abandoned, the fourth amendment look what they did to all those J Sixers I am appalled that they even have the audacity to speak out about anything Trump is doing

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Raymond M Currey's avatar

The government has never been slow in capitalizing on a good crisis, either party. Post 9/11, whether by blatant allowances or by silent tolerance, this country has forfeit it's privacy for what they "think" is security. "Black" Ops used to be only in foreign nations and then only in the most severe and unavoidable situations. Now it is just another Monday. Foreign and domestic is a distinction without a difference and freedom is just a label for the reality they are peddling today.

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Kyle's avatar

...but national security and stuff!!! SMDH! The U.S. Constitution died a slow and painful death nearly 100 years ago. It's time for a "2nd Resurrection," since the 1st one was nearly 2000 years ago.

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Steven W. Aunan's avatar

A critical mass of Americans no longer believe in limited government. They only care what the government *must* do for them (thanks Obama). So *any* Amendment that limits government power is a *threat* -- not just to their idea of government, but to them personally. Vivek Ramaswamy was right that this is 1776 all over again.

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chad's avatar

Good to hear from you Mr. Aunan. Very astute observation, as usual.

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Steven W. Aunan's avatar

In case anyone has doubts, just look at what Rep. Al Green said the other day. "Ask not what your country can do for you, but how many Benjamins you can drain from your government."

https://x.com/RepAlGreen/status/1897448534821019858

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chad's avatar

Male Sheila Jackson Lee, and from the same city.

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Rebecca's avatar

I’m not sure they are violating the fourth amendment. Yet. So far they are just looking at accounting for socialist security to find the cheating. What’s been reported is millions of people still on an active status with SS that clearly should be dead. There are also hundreds of thousands of people around the world collecting in some capacity or other that aren’t even citizens of the USA. and have never contributed to SS or Medicare/Medicaid. Also SS numbers with multiple people assigned to them. I believe these are the people being investigated. It is government so I could be wrong. But almost all of us have paid into and accepted SS, although not by choice, so I believe they have a right to make sure people aren’t cheating the system. I believe the Democrats to be fear mongering because this investigation is going to expose their paid voter base collecting benefits for votes. One of the thing that points to that is the fact there is a list of SS numbers assigned to way more than one person. We do need to find out what’s going on here. I’m giving them the benefit of doubt because it’s democrats calling the foul and I believe they are likely lying. The stupid little protest signs they held up at the address were laughable. They are not taking SS or Medicaid away from anyone who is legally receiving it. They are trying to get the cheaters off the dole and I’m all for that.

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chad's avatar
Mar 6Edited

I wasn’t saying DOGE is violating the Fourth. I highly doubt they’re looking at the health information and bank accounts of private citizens. The government on the other hand…

I've written multiple pieces about how government continuously violates the Fourth Amendment eight ways from Sunday:

https://curetsky.substack.com/p/if-youre-doing-nothing-wrong

https://curetsky.substack.com/p/the-all-seeing-eye-of-government

https://curetsky.substack.com/p/is-it-time-to-eliminate-your-home

And others in which it is mentioned or discussed.

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Rebecca's avatar

I understand “the government on the other hand…” that’s why I said Yet. I wasn’t clear. I understood you meant those crying there’s a violation aren’t credible to even discuss it. Sorry for the confusion. Was just stating my take on their stupid behavior.

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MichaelH: Storyteller's avatar

I have said for many years that "the general public is generally STUPID." This is especially true where our government, and the LACK of understanding the masses have of the process that was INTENDED by our Founders.

The saddest part is, many of those don't CARE what the government is doing to take away their rights.

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Cody's avatar

With our corrupt court system, even the probable cause and warrant provision means absolutely nothing. Simple hearsay is all they need to get a judge to sign a warrant. Remember they are allowed to lie, whether to a judge or the public it doesn't matter.

An example of that here:

https://youtu.be/4eWJXW_vYTA?feature=shared

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MichaelH: Storyteller's avatar

Red flag laws are a perfect example of government trampling all over individual rights. They need NO REAL PROOF, just the word of ANYONE who want to take a person's 2nd Amendment rights away with a blink of an eye.

This is EXACTLY the type of government our Founders warned us about, or at least tried.

It is so incredibly sad how many people are OBLIVIOUS to how our government is SUPPOSED to operate and how they live without a care that they are being manipulated/controlled by those who were elected to REPRESENT them, NOT rule over them.

The 7 deadly sins are alive and thieving in DC, and every government run agency on the planet.

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Roger Kimber, MD's avatar

Do away with income tax and switch to various consumption taxes (sales, VAT, tariffs & the government has no need to be snooping.

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chad's avatar
Mar 9Edited

I agree with that sentiment (though maybe not the VAT - just consumption tax and tariffs). Heck, even a capitation/pool tax would be fine. And everyone pays the same.

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Sfwo98's avatar

My question is where did Slotkin get the information that proves DOGE is looking through tax docs, health records and bank accounts? Probably from the same fabricator that said Musk was cutting medicaid. The entire foundation of your thesis is based on something she said and this is where a democrat would say “without evidence”. The gaslighting is obvious. And oh by the way, how many govt officials, and I use that title loosely already have access to your private information not to mention your digital exhaust. I have seen no evidence that DOGE is writing down your social security number or poking around in your private accounts which was an early on accusation by the hysterical dems. I do see a future where when they start tracking the billions in waste that some folks will go under the microscope to include lots of these millionaire congressmen. You have to be very careful when quoting politicians especially in this day and age of TDS.

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Sfwo98's avatar

Chad, I apologize if I didn’t get the gist of your message. I also appreciate your candor. I stand corrected and we are in sync on this issue.

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chad's avatar

No worries at all. It happens. I do it too. And you are not wrong to point out that so many will use something like the Stefanik video as click-bait. I should have been more clear in the body of the article that I do not believe DOGE is accessing people's personal information.

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chad's avatar

Thank you for making my point for me. Yes, it's gaslighting, and government is already unconstitutionally accessing your information.

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Sfwo98's avatar

Which point are you talking about? The point that you are relying on fabricated accusations to justify talking points. I never said the government wasn’t accessing your information. I said you have zero evidence that DOGE is doing it. Wasn’t that your point? Do you know what digital exhaust is? Selling everyone’s personal data is a multibillion dollar business. It’s not illegal because you allow it every time you agree to a service agreement. Your claim backed up by Slotkin’s unsubstantiated claims makes your claims unsubstantiated. Show me some proof not more accusations, that DOGE is looking at our tax docs, health records and bank accounts and I’ll restack your article. Slotkin gets paid to publish disinformation. I’ve looked for evidence of what you claim. The only info out there is more accusations without evidence. When someone reprints disinformation without providing facts it’s still disinformation which by the way, goes in the circular reporting bin.

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chad's avatar
Mar 7Edited

No, my point was that DOGE *isn't* doing it. Pretty sure I stated that explicitly in the piece. Actually, I thought I had, but that must have been elsewhere (not seeing it in the piece now). I don't believe DOGE is accessing anyone's personal information; but the government, esp. the unelected bureaucracy, is doing it all the time, and they shouldn't be. That was my point. You seem to have overlooked that.

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13/1 NYS CONstitution's avatar

People are still filing their taxes, that’s the true crime imo

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chad's avatar

That is, indeed, a crime.

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Sally Carlin's avatar

I really don’t think these demoncrats are as stupid as they sound but they are as evil as they appear. Don’t forget that for many decades they have sneaked into our schools, government and even some churches. They have controlled teaching, especially history and basically destroyed common sense. Kids basically THINK they are entitled to everything and resent anyone who might disagree.

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DE's avatar

Yup. The atheist dimokratz believe they are gods. Anyone questioning their right to obtain, retain, and use all of your PII against you is a blasphemer. Anyone who opposes their profitably unsupervised use of that information is a deplorable heretic. They are eternally embroiled in religious conflict.

Wooden stakes by the pound and the yard.

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Dan Bass's avatar

Going back to your post about federal government digging into our education system. How many citizens take just the lessons they have in school and how “current politics”” are and think that’s how it goes? How many have quit voting for every office except President, thinking the president does it all? How many don’t vote at all?

It all leads back to misinformed education and the unwillingness to do the work to be informed. Not to mention the desire for individual wants vs what’s written and why it’s written in the constitution. The longer we force the wants of “the people” onto the people at a federal level, the worse it will be.

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chad's avatar

"The longer we force the wants of “the people” onto the people at a federal level, the worse it will be."

That pretty much encapsulates it. That is precisely what the founding fathers were striving to avoid.

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Dan Bass's avatar

Exactly! Yet people believe if they push for what they want, and vote accordingly, they will get what they want. They fail to even care that it comes at the expense of the tax payer.. at the expense of our nations extremely high deficit. I mean we can just tax the rich right?

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yd inman's avatar

I'm not opposed to the auditing role DOGE has. The greater question, if true of course, is the amassing of private financial and health information by our government. By Democrat opinion, DOGE shouldn't be digging around in it. But...it's ok that the government has that information??

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chad's avatar

Precisely.

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