How stupid do you think we are?

I think the answer is "Stupid enough that we can let the telcos get away with this shit with impunity".

Scholars and Rogues on telecom immunity:

I’m with Feingold (video) - I call bullshit. Of all the lies that the American public has been asked to endure since early 2001, this is easily one of the biggest. In terms of plausibility, this far surpasses the whole Iraq/WMD debacle, because in that case there was actually evidence to be fudged. Here we’re simply asked to accept that some of the nation’s finest corporate lawyers saw nothing remotely wrong with a program that a pre-law student with middling marks at a third-rate community college could tell you was iffy at best.

Two responses ought to quickly lay this parade of foolishness to rest. First, I’ve seen telecom lawyers throw up roadblocks over innocuous official communications due to little more than arguments over comma placement. Legal departments in these kinds of companies are legendary in their aversion to risk, and they can imagine risk in places that wouldn’t bother a textbook paranoid schizophrenic.

Second, Joe Nacchio realized it was illegal and politely declined. Let me repeat: Joe Freakin’ Nacchio, a guy whose epic lust for power and cash has him facing prison and brazilians of dollars in fines. When a deal is too crooked for the devil himself, I don’t want to hear a damned word about how Legal thought it was all kittens and rainbows (my em).

The Senate needs to nard-stomp this immunity crap and then start summoning attorneys at Verizon and AT&T. Bring a stick, too. Somebody will eventually sing, and once you get one on record the dominoes will start to fall.

Meanwhile, stop insulting our intelligence.

Ain't gonna happen. First, they don't think we have any, and second, they don't think we have the need, or even the curiosity, to know what they are up to.

Also, the telcos are among the top five largest lobbyists. The pols are scared to death of not getting those big checks.

I'm seriously considering trying to start a movement wherein everybody, in every phone call, e-mail, or internets entry, threatens Bush or talks about how to make and where to get ingredients for explosives, maybe a little about, er, product placement of same. They'll go nuts trying to investigate everybody.

Update:

In case you missed it, here's* KO, Jonathan Turley, and most of the Usual Suspects on telecom immunity:



*Just fer grins, check out 'Cop eats Pot'. Heh.