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Previously: Democracy and the Constitution Government Spying Conservatives and Christianity CS Hall of Fame |
The recent story about the Bush administration conducting NSA spying without warrants is a perfect example of everything that is wrong with this country, and the mainstream media in particular. There are two issues here. One, how much should Americans be willing to compromise their right to privacy in order to allow the government to protect the people from terrorism. And two, whether the Bush administration can break the law in conducting these spying campaigns. The first issue -- the trade-off between privacy and safeguarding the country -- is certainly a difficult one, one for which there are excellent arguments on both sides of the issue. But there is nothing difficult about the second issue. We live in a democracy, and the President MUST obey the laws. That's what separates us from dictatorships and totalitarian states. There is a law in place for obtaining warrants to do this type of spying, and it's extremely flexible and extremely lenient in allowing this type of activity. There is absolutely NO reason why the administration could not have gotten warrants under this law in order to do this spying. They broke the law. Period. It's that simple. Why can't the mainstream media get this story correct? Why is so much of the press on this story about whether or not this type spying should happen? That is not the issue. The issue is that the President broke the law. Not only broke the law, but is now bragging about that fact and boasting that he will continue to break the law. This should be headline news. George Bush doesn't believe in democracy. And what's more amazing, according to opinion polls something like 50% of the American people are OK with what he has done! Are these people really saying that they don't like democracy? That's certainly the implication. Or are these people really that plain stupid? Idiot nation, indeed.
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