We Can Hear You now!

   As the NSA scandal continues to unravel and we find out more and more about the NSA and other government entities ability to spy on its on citizens, I hear a growing chorus of "I have nothing to hide, let them look!" Or the more common "If they want to be bored listening to a conversation between me and my mom that's their business."
   Truth is, the Fourth amendment was written for a reason...

 "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized"

 "But that was written long ago ... it doesn't apply to digital media our founders couldn't have foreseen! " So, people coming to your house and riffling through your stuff with no warrant is illegal, but the ability to intercept every digital communication of yours is not? Basically that is a sophism over relative inconvenience, not intrusion or illegality. 
    My favorite one is those who argue "its just metadata they aren't listening to every phone call or email!" That is probably true, but I believe it was Rand Paul who said it best when he made the analogy of the government going to your mailbox everyday and making copies of all your mail and saving it for a later date. Would that be ok with you? And besides, lost in the argument is the fact that this is all we KNOW so far, they may have techniques and technologies to snoop into our lives we haven't yet even conceived. 
    There have been several Intelligence experts who say the government can tap your phone or see your computer in real time anytime they want. In 2006 the FBI tapped the phones of mobsters to activate their cell phone microphones as bugging devices (http://news.cnet.com/2100-1029-6140191.html). So that technology is also available to the government as well.
    In another related story recently, the FBI director was asked about his use of drones. He said the law enforcement agency very seldom uses drones now, but is developing guidelines that will shape how unmanned aerial vehicles are to be used (ABC News). Which basically means they are using drones to spy on American soil now, and will figure out rules to protect our rights later ... maybe.    So we have a government that can bug your house through your cellphone, read any text, email or phone call, has drones flying over head to spy on you, none of which has any real oversight ... If none of that bothers you, you must be a Liberal, welcome to the gulag!

Liberal Hypocrisy

   I really cannot stand the lack of logic used by Liberals. If they truly had convictions, it wouldn't matter what letter a Politician had by their name, if they are wrong, you call them out!
   It may help explain why Democrats keep getting elected ... we hold Republicans to a higher standard, and are not afraid to call them out when they stray from the points they run on. Most Democrats seem to give a pass to "their guy" no matter what they do, and Obama's daily growing list of scandals is all the proof you need.
   Notice you don't see any anti-war protests anymore like we do when a Republican is in office? We still have military engaged in several places around the globe and are funneling weapons to Libyans (and probably Syrians soon) so Libs, where is the ire? Hated GW for crony Capitalism? Where is the outrage for Solyndra, MF Global, 123 Systems, General Motors? Yes, GM, when you prop up a company just to appease the UAW and do nothing to change what put that company in fiscal trouble to begin with, that is cronyism! Don't like the government spying on you with the Patriot Act? Obama extended it and then passed the NDAA and now we find out about them snatching all Verizon phone "metadata" ... so where is the vitriol?
   I have no time for hypocritical bunny-huggers who do not possess the basic intelligence level to formulate a logic argument and certainly cannot understand a logic point presented to them! Thus I continue the "Liberal Thinking" series!