Over here, we have George W. Bush defending a secret program he instituted to spy on his own citizens - without the transparency of a court vetting the requests. (Not that I have any belief that governments don't engage in such activities, but rather most of the time, they don't make major programs of it either)
Bush claims that this fiasco's leakage into the public is hurting "national security" interests. Bullfeathers. Clandestine programs such as this do far more damage to a democracy than any tin-pot conspiracy is going to. By doing this, Bush has essentially positioned the NSA and the FBI to operate in a mode little different than the East German Stasi, or the Russian KGB. Ordinary people now have to look "over their shoulder" when writing e-mail, or talking on the phone.
The story from The White House has changed so many times in the weeks since the story broke into public view that any claims by the Bush Administration about it's purpose, intent or scope are suspect. One day it's broad and far reaching, the next day it's "restricted to persons of interest"? Which is it?
Or, more cynically, is it - like the infamous PATRIOT act - little more than a thinly disguised attack on the civil and legal rights of American citizens?
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It has been my observation that most conservative types believe that rights are only something they (the conservatives) should have. They seem to be incapable of accepting that there are other ways of seeing the world and they seem to think that democracy is great, as long as they win. If they start losing, they seem to see democracy as a threat, since they can't force their world view on people. It wouldn't suprise me that Bush and co. try to pull something to prevent the next presidential election.
It also wouldn't suprise me if Harper and the CPC also try to do the same things here, given that the Liberals have started on that path.
JN
www.nishiyama.tzo.com
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