Privacy Concerns
Friday, June 23, 2006
So in the news today is word that the treasury department is searching through banking records for financial transactions related to terrorism. Now this concerns me, of course, but what I find particularly interesting is that I'm not THAT bothered. Not nearly as much as when I find out the government is trolling through our phone records. Nonetheless, what also troubles me is Treasury Secretary John Snow's attitude:
How have we as a nation come to the point where any of us can think that it's acceptable for the government to be spying on its own citizens, saying it's for our own good, and telling us we can't ask questions about it? I'm appalled, really. You should be, too.
"Public dissemination of our sources and methods of fighting terrorists not only harms national security, but also degrades the government's efforts to prevent terrorist activity in the future"Given that I don't trust the government at ALL at this point (mainly because I believe in civil liberties and civil rights) you're forgive me for being offended by this attitude. The idea of "we know better and it's in your best interest anyway, so shut up" just rubs me the wrong way and I've been seeing it a lot lately. For instance, consider the NSA wiretapping case. As reported by the New York Times, the government is asking a judge to dismiss a lawsuit against the NSA concerning its illegal wiretapping because the evidence we need to demonstrate to you that it lawful cannot be disclosed without that process itself causing grave harm to United States national security."
How have we as a nation come to the point where any of us can think that it's acceptable for the government to be spying on its own citizens, saying it's for our own good, and telling us we can't ask questions about it? I'm appalled, really. You should be, too.
posted by Burton at 8:00 AM
1 Comments:
I'm elevating George Orwell to prophet status.
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