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Noticed the Patriot Act's effects on PayPal?

I work with PCs and use PayPal to conduct my financial transactions. I recently sold some hardware for $800 and tried to transfer the money into my bank account only to be told I can only move $500 a month due to the Patriot Act. After fuming over this for an hour, I realized the ramifications of my true hobby...high end audio. So now, if I sell my amp, preamp, voltage regulator, etc... in an effort to upgrade my system, I will be affected by The Patriot Act. Has anyone else noticed this? I can only question how much more control we will allow our government into our daily lives before we say enough. I'm still pi$$ed that I can now be pulled over for not wearing my seatbelt...when the seatbelt law was passed, we were told we would NOT get pulled over for this violation. I ask you, what value is there in wearing my seatbelt as I drive to the gas station to buy a carton of cigarettes? I’m not some bleeding heart liberal, but am close to my fill of crap I can take from my government. Am I alone? Will I be investigated for this post?
mdomnick
rja's avatar
rja
2,112 posts
 
Ever notice the results of the Patriot Act when attempting to purchase cold pills?
The big time meth guys buy this stuff in 55 gallon drums not little cold capsules.
mrvco
50 posts
 
Now you have to check the sky for drones before you transfer $500 or more via Paypal.
mechans
2,999 posts
 
Don't be surprised to learn that cameras are all over the place. Almost every business has them and there are the Police cameras at intersections. With the advent and explosion of servalliance Drones, our privacy is pretty much shot. I guess we either have fight it or accept it as a necessary evil.
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
4,382 posts
 
Ah, the Patriot Act. I can't believe this thread wasn't several pages long and shut down by the moderators considering the strong feelings and beliefs we all have.

Naomi Kleins 'Shock Doctrine' pretty much sums things up. It goes something like this: ideas are debated and laws envisioned that would never get passed in the light of day. They are shelved until something shocking happens and presto, chango, some huge, voluminous doctrine is trotted out and sold to us as the only way to set thing right.

It's generally too big to read and great amounts of pressure are taken to ensure it's passed lest you are some kind of traitor, commie, or leftist. The situation is dire, or made to seem so, and drastic programs are touted as the only answer. It's only after the fact that as things take a turn for the worse, strange or completely absurd that one asks why are you doing this and the answer is,
"The Patriot Act".

Looking back, it was just one big excuse to do massive amounts of data mining on the citizenry: their buying habits, trading, communications, etc.

This revelation was withheld from the public by the New York Times a couple of months after Bush won his second term. Had that info been made public, he wouldn't have won re-elction.

Go figure.

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

--Ben Franklin 1759

All the best,
Nonoise
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
4,163 posts
 
As it turns out the government's use of personal info is somewhat benign. They're looking for data that points to unusual activity. What's scarier to me is the deep data mining by commercial companies that are interested in our normal everyday activities. It directly effects you financially as a consumer, employee, borrower and investor.
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