 |
 |
 |
|||
Legal
|
NSA SpyingGovernment Spying: Necessary Or Not?As I listened to various people rant about the NSA spying, I wondered what the big deal was. After all, it was only numbers and calls originating outside the U.S. to someone inside the U.S. All the talk about invasion of privacy and the destruction of civil right seemed excessive. So, I started thinking, "Why doesn’t this spying trouble me?" Would I worry more or less if someone else were president? I realized that I tend to trust President Bush but would have huge reservations if a Clinton were in the White House. From this I figured that how much we trust the government depends on who is in charge and represents the government. As a rule I tend to trust the government because it is only a system of rules, regulation, and laws but I distrust the people that interrupt and enforce those rules and laws. So why did I trust President Bush? For me it is because I know of no instance in which President Bush or his wife have tried to use any government agency to marginalize a political opponent or anyone that attached them. If the Clinton’s were still in power, I would not feel the same way. Why? Because of the stories I have read of how they used the FBI and other agencies to investigate and intimate people they disliked or talked against them. While it seems that Hillary did this more than Bill, he had to know and approved of her actions. So, if my trust depends on who is president then I can understand why some would be very disturbed by this information collection. Most of us assume that others would do what we might do, use the information for personal gain. But safety requires the loss of some privacy. If the numbers I call and the numbers of people who call me are part of a database why should I worry unless I have something to hide or unless I distrust the government. The problem is that safety can never be maintained unless some trust is given. I can see why some would be concerned about the phone patterns. Any politician may have secret helpers they may not want another politician to know about. Some of these helpers may well be foreign and some may not be on friendly terms with the U.S. Would any politician want it known that he or she receives regular phone calls from Iran or North Korea? Fear of exposure may well be the reason some politicians are against a phone number database because we do know not every politician or every person has the best interest of the U.S. in mind. Some politicians would prefer a weakened America, an America more compliant to the UN and more socialistic in government. There are some American citizens who blame us for the world’s problems; some who believe we are the enemy and that our destruction is needed; some who would gladly light the fuse to destroy America; and some who are too cowardly to do more than talk. To protect ourselves, it is necessary to look inside the country as well as outside. It is necessary to look at citizens as well as non-citizens. It is necessary to look at government officials and politicians as well as the rest of us. The problem is: Who monitors the monitors? Or for you science fiction fans: Who watches the watchers?
Author: Don Miller
|
2006 Articles |
|||