any opinions?

Question

It’s true. Dick Cheney and Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) have agreed that the government should be able to access Americans' conversations and emails without getting an individualized warrant. But that isn’t all they’re after.

Under the guise of responding to the NSA spying scandal, the Bush administration and its allies in Congress are actually pushing for new ways to invade your privacy, with unprecedented and dangerous spying legislation crafted under Dick Cheney’s supervision.

The bad news is, if these bills pass, our homes, cell phone records and email inboxes will be laid bare to new kinds of government spying that are currently completely illegal. The good news is that we have a chance to stop these bills now, before White House pressure drives them to a speedy vote.

By John Diamond, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — U.S. intelligence overheard al-Qaeda operatives discussing a major pending terrorist attack in the weeks prior to Sept. 11 and had agents inside the terror group, but the intercepts and field reports didn't specify where or when a strike might occur, according to U.S. officials. The disclosures add to a growing body of evidence to be examined in congressional hearings that open today into how the CIA, FBI and other agencies failed to seize on intelligence pointing to the deadliest terror attack in U.S. history.

Finally - written a year before 9/11 - it pinpoints North Korea, Syria and Iran as dangerous regimes, and says their existence justifies the creation of a "worldwide command and control system". This is a blueprint for US world domination. But before it is dismissed as an agenda for rightwing fantasists, it is clear it provides a much better explanation of what actually happened before, during and after 9/11 than the global war on terrorism thesis. This can be seen in several ways.

First, it is clear the US authorities did little or nothing to pre-empt the events of 9/11. It is known that at least 11 countries provided advance warning to the US of the 9/11 attacks. Two senior Mossad experts were sent to Washington in August 2001 to alert the CIA and FBI to a cell of 200 terrorists said to be preparing a big operation (Daily Telegraph, September 16 2001). The list they provided included the names of four of the 9/11 hijackers, none of whom was arrested.

Answer 1

John, you forget that it's a violation of our Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable search. Searching everyone without probable cause or a judge-issued warrant is unConstitutional and illegal. Furthermore, that attitude of "if you have nothing to hide, you have no problem" is irrelevant. Spying on all Americans is traitorous anti-Americanism, worthy only of dictatorships. Our government has no right to set itself above the law "for our security".

Chris, John: If you don't like our Constitutional rights, get the hell out of my country. :)

Answer 2

I really don't have anything to hide. I guess I'd worry more if they were trying to put listening devices and cameras in every home. However, I do believe that computers will listen for certain words to be said.. if the words are said it will alert someone on what ever task force is responsible for investigating terror activities.Then the conversations will be listened to by an actual person. So, if we aren't prepared to engage in terrorist activities, I don't think we have anything to worry about.

Answer 3

Are you a terrorist? No? Then what do you have to worry about?

Bush is trying to catch these bastards and all you guys can do is piss and moan about everything the poor guy does. Even if it makes you appear to be FOR the terrorists.

I am telling you the left in this country is only a breath away from an "adopt a terrorist" program.

Answer 4

Think you should recheck your facts on part of your question. Senator Specter publicly has stated his concerns on Big Brother, but don't know if he is saying one thing while doing the opposite, because he has to help the Junior Senator from PA bring home all the bacon he can.

Answer 5

If you have nothing to hide what do you care?

Do you know how many people have phones? Yet alone how many are on the phone at any given time? Know how many people it would take to "listen" to them?

Furthermore, the hijackers of 9-11 lived in Florida and they called back to their homeland. Those calls are what are being traced/

Answer 6

You forgot Clinton had been doing it for years. It was called "echelon".

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/12/18/221452.shtml
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/december2005/191205clintonnsa.htm