It's The Principle
As a matter of principle, it's wrong to conduct indiscriminate "domestic spying." Whether you call it "data harvesting," eavesdropping, or tag it with some other clever euphemism, the fundamental flaw remains: a government should not indiscriminately spy on it's own people.
And yes, I used "indiscriminate" twice on purpose. I understand that for a democratic government to function properly, citizens must forfeit certain civil liberties - sometimes privileges - in the larger interest of the State. I am, admittedly, an adamant defender of rights to privacy, but I know that in particular situations, including our present political climate, a government must take extra-ordinary steps to protect it's constituents. But I am not a terrorist, nor are the 10 people I call on a regular basis. In fact, I am willing to bet the family farm that of the 300+ million Americans (and others living on American soil), 99.99999 percent are not terrorists and have no interest in becoming one.
So what about the remaining .000001 percent? Well, my friend, that's where I get scared. If the best my government has to offer (at least publicly) in its efforts to thwart terrorism is call-tracking, then I fear for our future. Such policies are reactionary, while terrorism is, by definition and application, actionary. At best, we will always be one step behind terrorists if the United States' solution to terrorism is compiling millions of phone records. It simply won't work. And if the United States actually locates that needle in the hectare of hay, then I am truly scared of my government. It's the principle.
Maybe it's time the United States intelligence community collaborates with the American people instead of assuming us at fault. Isn't that, after all, what domestic spying is?
On a somewhat related note, news of NSA's "massive" telephone call database is yet another example of the Bush administration sidestepping necessary government procedures - and decencies - in the name of this seemingly incredible abstraction we inappropriately label "national security." What more will the intelligence community do in the name of "national security?" As William Arkin writes in today's Post, "Telephone records are just the tip of NSA's iceberg." Again, I am scared.
And yes, I used "indiscriminate" twice on purpose. I understand that for a democratic government to function properly, citizens must forfeit certain civil liberties - sometimes privileges - in the larger interest of the State. I am, admittedly, an adamant defender of rights to privacy, but I know that in particular situations, including our present political climate, a government must take extra-ordinary steps to protect it's constituents. But I am not a terrorist, nor are the 10 people I call on a regular basis. In fact, I am willing to bet the family farm that of the 300+ million Americans (and others living on American soil), 99.99999 percent are not terrorists and have no interest in becoming one.
So what about the remaining .000001 percent? Well, my friend, that's where I get scared. If the best my government has to offer (at least publicly) in its efforts to thwart terrorism is call-tracking, then I fear for our future. Such policies are reactionary, while terrorism is, by definition and application, actionary. At best, we will always be one step behind terrorists if the United States' solution to terrorism is compiling millions of phone records. It simply won't work. And if the United States actually locates that needle in the hectare of hay, then I am truly scared of my government. It's the principle.
Maybe it's time the United States intelligence community collaborates with the American people instead of assuming us at fault. Isn't that, after all, what domestic spying is?
On a somewhat related note, news of NSA's "massive" telephone call database is yet another example of the Bush administration sidestepping necessary government procedures - and decencies - in the name of this seemingly incredible abstraction we inappropriately label "national security." What more will the intelligence community do in the name of "national security?" As William Arkin writes in today's Post, "Telephone records are just the tip of NSA's iceberg." Again, I am scared.
posted by Dr. Cook at 9:54 AM
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