FISA Bill.........It has nothing to do with terrorism, folks

Not really, not in the long run. Best read it again and see what our wonderful Senator Dodd has slipped in there. Oh, and if it passes, ya might want to be more careful about your internet transactions. Those books you buy at Amazon might be, oh, you know........subversive.

I don't understand Dodd's reasons for doing this. But it certainly gives Gov't an astonishingly broad ability to look at personal purchases.

Not that I buy much that could be considered "subversive" (only my DU subscription). Even PayPal and Ebay purchases are supposed to be reported. Nobody needs to be concerned with what I purchase except me. If this gets signed into law, I move to cash only. My cousins have already done that. I love ordering and paying thru PayPal. Just bought one of those microwave/rice heat neck wraps the other day. Guess I'll have to stop doing that. I can see where this would really hurt small vendors/craftspeople, and heck I'm just getting into that.

Any like my co-worker said yesterday "and whose ripe-for-the-taking laptop are they gonna store all this info on?"

No information on individual transactions is reported to the government. What is reported is AGGREGATE data - the annual gross amount of reportable transactions.

It's intended to catch tax cheats. It's not big brother. It's a stupid idea, but nobody in the government is going to have your credit card details.

state and local sales taxes have been an issue with internet purchases for some tome.

It could be an attempt to constrain internet trade in contraband...such as in on-line purchases from off-shore pharmacies, pirated video, etc.

But it certainly sets up a broad dragnet produced database that can undoubtedly produce "purchase alerts" that would create a file suitable for use in the governments continuing effort to gain TOTAL INFORMATION AWARENESS.

You just have to accept the fact that in Bush's America you're a terrorist.

Being flippant about US citizens LOSING their 4th Amendment RIGHTS, isn't very 'cool'... leftofcool

:(

... arent' you?