Why isn't anyone talking about how the Gov is spying on it's citizens?
603074
This is just step 40032 in our slow but gradual march to an Orwellian 1984 hell.  I'm waiting for the majority of Americans to wake up (they may have already) to this fact that every day this war on terror is costing us our freedoms that we enjoyed just a few short years ago.  You should see the video of the woman getting arrested for having a copy of the Constitution in her car (and a Michener novel, LOL), after being almost sickeningly polite to the officer questioning her.  I just see myself in the same situation having the same thing done, it scares the hell out of me.
1087432
I don't think Bush knows what transparency means...People in our nation have got to wake up and realize the true patriotism is never afraid to question its government!
56010
To alert people and society about the possible dangers of allowing government too much control and monitoring over citizens.  Orwell would be turning over in his grave today if he could see what is happening.  Current events in the USA echo many of the themes that Orwell wrote about, such as the so-called 'Patriot Act'.  The 'Patriot Act' authorizes a huge range of previously illegal monitoring of U.S. citizens, wiretaps without approval, gag orders and other forms of oppression.  How ironic that we talk so much of freedom but are systematically stripping away those very freedoms.
643781
If they could, they probably would not tell anyone for fear of the govornment.\nCan you imagine what they would do to someone with those kind of powers?  They'd probably have them locked in a cell!
112745
It is a law that allows the Feds to spy on Americans without a reason. They say it is to fight terrorism...but who believes that without any proof. Check this out...
1151895
It isn't the government that's paranoid, but they're working very hard to be sure that *the citizens* are.  Since W's popularity (such as it is) comes from being "tough on terror," he has to be sure that enough of us continue to believe that we're under constant threat.\n\nHermann Goehring understood this and stated it perfectly:  "...the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country." \n\nAnd there you have it... people rush to sacrifice their freedoms like Disney's lemmings over a cliff and into the sea.
102672
Unless you are engaging in activity that could be construed as aiding and abetting terrorism, I think you are being overly paranoid.\n\nThe government is engaging in those activities, but it has more to do with data mining. The government has a program called Tempest that is capable of monitoring electronics within the nation, but it does not do so arbitarily. Tempest runs in the background. When certain key phrases come up (for instance, "I want to kill the President"), Tempest roars to life and signals agents that someone to watch out for has been identified.\n\nThe government does not just arbitrarily say, "I think I'm gonna listen in on Sam's conversation tonight and see what pops up." That is like finding a needle in a haystack.
775673
It does perturb me that the government is keeping secrets involving human rights abuses, especially if the government is violating the civil liberties of its own citizenry under the pretext of national security.  After all, most dictatorial regimes started with the slow and increasing curtailing of civil rights among their own population.\n\nI understand certain locations and points of interest cannot be divulged to the public out of a need to preserve the strategic integrity of clandestine efforts, but to not at least inform the public in a general way of the machinations of this government is disturbing.
1039069
Ethically, it's not okay for anyone to invade the privacy of an innocent person.  It's stupid and potentially dangerous to stalk celebrities, and many suits have been brought against various photographers and publications.  However, we have the right to know what the government is doing-- because it's with our money.  Governments steal from us, then use the fruits of their theft against us.\nAnyone arguing that the 4th Amendment protects our privacy from the government is living under a rock.  The 4th has been effectively nullified by SSNs, gun records, increasing search & seizure to look for a "probable cause", phone tapping, and the fact that the government is so vast and powerful that businesses are being forced to collude with bureaucrats and hand over what little privacy we had left.
60576
so the government can spy on you.
850640
yes they do have more power than they advertise. since 9-11 the government has passed things such as "The Patriot Act" and "terror Watch". Terror Watch allows the government to essentially spy on law abiding citizens when that is forbidden in the constitution. The Patriot Act allows the government to tap phone lines and check phone records on again law abiding citizens and the ability to search        cars,homes and businesses without a warrent which is also contradictory to the writting of the constitution.
1054908
How sad when people use terms they have absolutely no idea about.\n\nAirport security is not 'ludicrous', hell, it is barely even adequate.\n\nOnly phone calls with foreign numbers identified or suspected of being terrorist are listened to. Others get warrants for wiretapping. \n\nThe 1st amendment does not include publishing national security secrets.\n\nBut let me tell you about statism.\nThe government has been savaging the Constitution and Bill of Rights for the past century. And I'm talking real abuses, not these imaginary ones you listed.
1065023
First we are not a democracy, we are a representative republic.  We have a rule of law.  But we are submerging.  Information that is truthful is power and we have hid so much of what this country has done and not done.  JFK documents still sealed as an example, conspiracy or not, it is time to know what is in the reports.  We have millions of pages of documents censored to the gills to keep us from knowing the truth on who knows how many subjects.  The reason given...national securtiy.  Only military secrets should be given this classification, and intellegence processes should be protected.  I don't want to know how you got the info, I just want to know what the info is.
93746
I dont think well ever know exactly what our governemnt is doing, but with good watchdog organizations out there helping to keep an eye on them it is helping some. I wish there was a way to know more. There is too much secret shenanigans going on in our government that we dont know about untill the damage is done.
188410
People get too worked up about freedom of privacy.. It's so ridiculous.  We are trying catch terrorists here, give me a break with all this crap.
998624
I don't think it's possible to truly know that, without knowing about everything the government has been or is involved in, which would probably threaten "national security" and, more importantly to them, cost some politicians their jobs, and possibly their freedom, if all was revealed to us.
296154
Personally, I assume anything the Pentagon has is being used on other nations and not our own.  \n\nI'm also pretty sure the NSA has the whole domestic snooping thing down so solidly it would truly frighten us all if we knew for sure.