Those Who Make Fun Of Fundamentalist Christians, But Have Faith In The Evil That Is George Bush
Found this discussion posting on Democratic Underground to be both funny and disturbing.
What do I believe but cannot prove? Searching my thoughts, I decided to take a look at recent headlines and take a leap that, while something I cannot now prove, I'm confident will soon be seen as fact.
I believe, but cannot prove, that the Bush administration is not only tracking international calls and mining phone records, but is also actively listening to purely domestic calls. What's more, that, at the behest of the highest authorities, the administration is actively spying on its political opponents, from massive, nationwide groups to everyday individuals.
Generally, believing what we can not prove is called faith, and usually faith is reserved for things like, you know, God. What does it say about people who faithfully believe, without any facts, that bad and evil things are happening?
In a way, it's amazing how much this NSA program has been blown out of proportion. I suppose if you believe everything above, then we do have a problem. Of course, if anything so nefarious was going on, I have trouble believing that such activities would be limited to any one political party. And more importantly, as bad as spying is, it can only get you so far. I'm more concerned about the control government actually exerts over our lives.
The reaction to the news that broke in USA Today last week about the NSA's databases of phone records was almost amusing. These are phone company records! These are the sorts of records that arouse our anger on the numerous occasions where such records are sold to advertising agencies and other businesses. Maybe it's a nuisance, and maybe it's some sort of violation of contract. But it's hardly a blatant abuse of our civil liberties in the same way that say, the War on Drugs is.
And to return to the old issue of NSA wiretapping. Someone once asked me whether I’d be happy if I found out the government was listening in on my phone calls. My response was that I'd be pretty damn upset. Why waste time and money on me when you should be hunting down terrorists. Once again, if the government accidentally listens in on your conversations, is this really a violation on the same level as being locked away for years in prison for a marijuana violation.
The story changes if we start talking about government actions in response to domestic spying. The moment I hear of a drug offender locked away because his calls were monitored without a warrant, you'll hear me change my tune. But for now I'll stick with the facts, and leave faith for love, God, and the good in life.
What do I believe but cannot prove? Searching my thoughts, I decided to take a look at recent headlines and take a leap that, while something I cannot now prove, I'm confident will soon be seen as fact.
I believe, but cannot prove, that the Bush administration is not only tracking international calls and mining phone records, but is also actively listening to purely domestic calls. What's more, that, at the behest of the highest authorities, the administration is actively spying on its political opponents, from massive, nationwide groups to everyday individuals.
Generally, believing what we can not prove is called faith, and usually faith is reserved for things like, you know, God. What does it say about people who faithfully believe, without any facts, that bad and evil things are happening?
In a way, it's amazing how much this NSA program has been blown out of proportion. I suppose if you believe everything above, then we do have a problem. Of course, if anything so nefarious was going on, I have trouble believing that such activities would be limited to any one political party. And more importantly, as bad as spying is, it can only get you so far. I'm more concerned about the control government actually exerts over our lives.
The reaction to the news that broke in USA Today last week about the NSA's databases of phone records was almost amusing. These are phone company records! These are the sorts of records that arouse our anger on the numerous occasions where such records are sold to advertising agencies and other businesses. Maybe it's a nuisance, and maybe it's some sort of violation of contract. But it's hardly a blatant abuse of our civil liberties in the same way that say, the War on Drugs is.
And to return to the old issue of NSA wiretapping. Someone once asked me whether I’d be happy if I found out the government was listening in on my phone calls. My response was that I'd be pretty damn upset. Why waste time and money on me when you should be hunting down terrorists. Once again, if the government accidentally listens in on your conversations, is this really a violation on the same level as being locked away for years in prison for a marijuana violation.
The story changes if we start talking about government actions in response to domestic spying. The moment I hear of a drug offender locked away because his calls were monitored without a warrant, you'll hear me change my tune. But for now I'll stick with the facts, and leave faith for love, God, and the good in life.
posted by lonely libertarian at 12:01 PM
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