Does the National Security Agency need a warrant from the FISA (secret court) to listen to a domestic telephone call or read an e-mail? (c/net) Apparently not. Based on what I’m reading and hearing there are several thousand analysts who can select any telephone call they want to made to and from anyone in the US since 2006 and simply play it and listen to it.
Does the Fourth Amendment apply? Is there a right to privacy? Government executives and Congressional leaders have told us that there is no right to privacy and (wink) Janet Napolitano says, “Just because they can doesn’t mean that they do.” It seems that the Obama Administration has taken the posture that we need to trust them. The Founding Fathers had a different view of government, but as progressives point out all the time, they were simply old white men.
DHS Secretary reassures a jittery America:
“[T]here are lots of protections built into the system,” Ms. Napolitano said, pointing to a privacy office embedded in her own department that is “constantly reviewing our policies and procedures.” She further stressed the court review system.
“No one should believe that we are simply going willy-nilly and using any kind of data that we can gather,” she said…So it’s not simply going willy-nilly and using any kind of data and it’s far from Orwellian.”
The DHS Privacy Office is likely the group of bureaucrats who advise Secretary Napolitano on what she can get away with. I’m sure at least 50% of the professional staff is made up of attorneys.
Since Secretary Napolitano invoked Orwell, what did the Ministry of Truth in his novel, 1984 do?
(Wikipedia) The Ministry of Truth is involved with news media, entertainment, the fine arts and educational books. Its purpose is to rewrite history to change the facts to fit Party doctrine for propaganda effect. For example, if Big Brother makes a prediction that turns out to be wrong, the employees of the Ministry of Truth go back and rewrite the prediction so that any prediction Big Brother previously made is accurate.
Orwell elaborates that the deeper reason for its existence is to maintain the illusion that the Party is absolute. It cannot ever seem to change its mind (if, for instance, they perform one of their constant changes regarding enemies during war) or make a mistake (firing an official or making a grossly misjudged supply prediction), for that would imply weakness and to maintain power the Party must seem eternally right and strong.
Ministry of Truth?
"Just because they can doesn't mean that they do".
When dealing with government, it virtually guarantees that they do.
The only plus in the government's seeking and peeking is the fact that most government workers are inept and lazy, and get things wrong.
Yes it does.
So the drone will strike your house and they will later apologize…
Absolute power corrupts. Absolutely.
At LEAST 50%, probably higher… And you're right it's ALL about what they can get away with under the guise of state security!
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