The patriot act, hastily enacted after 9/11, was a huge turn away from policies which had at least put some policy control on domestic espionage.
In an atmosphere of fear and a ramp up to war, we allowed a hastily put together and Byzantine piece of legislation to be passed, in the hope that it would help our government keep us safe from harm.
What we gave our government is what any government would need to make it's citizens safe from an enemy which can strike from within.
The right to surveillance of all communications, which technology makes easier and easier. In our new age of all is digital, that surveillance, coupled with the increasing use of cameras allows for the monitoring of an ever increasing fraction of our lives, and with an exponentially increasing efficiency.
The control of encryption technology insures that citizens will not have an ability to prevent this.
The use of this technology will inevitably make it's way into law enforcement and intellectual property protection, making law enforcement more efficient.
And it will be abused. Because perfect law enforcement and absolute control of a society by its government has other names, and none of them have anything to do with freedom.
So if you don't like what's going on right now, and you think that blowing the whistle on it was the right thing, then please remember what we are really saying..
Which is: I will take my chances with crime and terror. With the possibility that a bomb may go off, and I will deprive my government of these tools to keep me in perfect safety because perfect safety is not worth it.
Perfect safety is a rubber room.
Providing any government with the tools of perfect tyranny, regardless of the intention goes too far.
Freedom is the ability to act without oversight, without being watched.
Freedom from fear ends with all of us in a controlled, monitored compound cowering in fear of our assailants and those who guard us from them.
Free societies require courage.
Not the kind that picks up a gun.
The kind that speaks truth to power, and votes, and says "not in my name".
The kind the NSA whistleblower displayed.
Call your representatives and tell them what Ben said...
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
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