Time to Tame the NSA

Really great article about the NSA’s overreach by The Guardian: Time to tame the NSA behemoth trampling our rights

One of my favorite paragraphs from the piece provides a great teaser:

“We have learned that in pursuit of its bureaucratic mission to obtain signals intelligence in a pervasively networked world, the NSA has mounted a systematic campaign against the foundations of American power: constitutional checks and balances, technological leadership, and market entrepreneurship. The NSA scandal is no longer about privacy, or a particular violation of constitutional or legislative obligations. The American body politic is suffering a severe case of auto-immune disease: our defense system is attacking other critical systems of our body.”

I keep wishing the defenders of our fourth amendment rights were as loud, as well organized, and as well funded as those that defend our second amendment rights.  I also can’t help but think about the probability of dying from a terrorist attack as compared to say a car accident, heart disease, or gun violence.  It is a minuscule probability at best – so why undermine the constitution over it? (as if there is ever a good reason to undermine the constitution – give me liberty or give me death!)  I get angry thinking of all the men and women that have died defending our constitution and how quickly those that have sworn to defend it subvert it.

For a long recap of how the NSA and America’s broader security apparatus have violated our rights see New NSA Revelations Are Breaking Every Day

If reading isn’t your thing there is a great Frontline episode available online called Top Secret America

Both articles were found via The Big Picture