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Originally Posted by aceventura3
I actually think the Clinton/Republican Congress years sets the new standard for me. A moderate Democratic President and a spend thrift Republican Congress.
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Equilibrium is necessary for fair representation, at least in my mind. While Clinton made his mistakes, and the republican congress made their mistakes, one had the feeling that they were able to step back and monitor one another. Admittedly, I was 9 when Clinton was sworn in but from what I remember it seemd to go a lot better than things are going now.
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Originally Posted by aceventura3
I think it would be more like looking through my mail (not stealing my mail, or opening my mail, just looking at the envelopes seeing who it is coming from and going to) If my mail is on public property when you do it, how am I a victim, how have I been harmed?
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The way I see it is if this is so harmless, then why do we have any privacy at all? Why do we have passwords on e-mail and pin numbers for ATM machines? To me the answer is simple: a level of privacy is necessary in order to remain individual in a representative democracy. I see the forced and/or secret release of my private information as a breach of my right to be an individual. I see this as being similar to warrentless entry into homes or businesses. The government takes information that is not free to be taken, and then tries to excuse it under the tactic of stopping terrorism. How could the government be stopping terrorism by going through my AT&T records? Maybe we should do away with warrents altogether so as to save us from terrorism. Maybe we should do away with free speach so as to stop terrorist from plotting. Maybe we should not allow free religion so as to prevent Islamic terrorists from coming over to US soil.
The damage that these actions are doing is not only present, but far reaching. If my phone and e-mail records are not safe, then what information is? The harm is that we have laws that protect our privacy, and those laws are being broken. I recognise and respect that you do not need your privacy. I am not that way. My right to privacy, at least on some level, is an inaliable right. I see the taking of my privacy as a travesty and a betrayel.
Edit: Actually, I think that it is a lot like
opening someone else's mail. It's illegal and it's a breach of privacy. The problem is that Congress is dominated by the party who is committing the crimes, so it is clearly less likely to presue the issue. The same is true of the Judicial branch.