Just when you think it can't get worse, more news erupts about this administration's cavalier attitude toward our constitutional rights. USA Today and the New York Times are reporting that the government is paying AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth for records of domestic phone calls -- billions of them -- to build a huge database for the National Security Agency to mine in its efforts to identify potential terrorists. Civil libertarians are appalled, and so are members of Congress from both parties.
President Bush hastily remarked, in defense of his administration, that "We're not mining or trolling through the personal lives of millions of innocent Americans." Well, yes, we are. Bush added: "The government does not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval." With all due respect, that's hogwash. One of the complaints arising out of earlier revelations of the NSA's domestic wiretapping is that in many cases the eavesdropping was done without warrants.
And now the president wants to appoint the chief NSA wiretapper, Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, to run the CIA. One day, someone in this bunch is going to tell us that "It became necessary to destroy the Constitution in order to save it."
I don't have anything to hide, but that's entirely beside the point. How do I know that someone I call isn't being watched because of someone they called, etc.?
Besides that, isn't freedom itself worth defending? President Bush loves to say we're fighting against people who "hate our freedom." At this rate, there may soon be little freedom left to hate.
President Bush said that his main job is to fight terrorists. WRONG! His main job is to uphold the Constitution and our rights. Indeed, it is possible that doing so would result in a terrorist attack, yet in the long run being true to our ideals will protect us best.
We are now hated throughout the world, and are losing our liberties. Is this what we are protecting? Instead of "Give me liberty or give me death," it is now: "Protect my miserable life at all costs including my freedom." Hogwash.
"I don't have anything to hide..."
I would have to say that, being a 20 year computer professional, you have EVERYTHING to hide as far as identity theft is concerned. The vulnerabilities of the data of ALL the named agencies listed have proven one thing: our identity and our rights are not safe.
Unfortunately, with government agencies investing heavily into software such as Carnivore and Dragonware Suite, our privacy has already become illusary.
I can't help but wonder if Pres. Bush's fight against terrorism is indicative of a man sadly trying to justify his failures in foreign policy.