Spying and Lying in 21st Century America

[gristy]

By Col. Daniel Smith, U.S. Army (Ret.) | January 25, 2006
Editor: John Gershman, IRC
Foreign Policy In Focus
www.fpif.org

"Most people just don't understand how pervasive government surveillance is. If you place an international phone call, the odds that the National Security Agency is looking are very good. If it goes by oceanic fiber-optic cable, they are listening to it. If it goes by satellite, they are listening to it. If it is a radio broadcast or a cell phone conversation, in principle, they could listen to it. Frankly, they can get what they want."

John Pike (U.S. military analyst)

John Pike made that observation in late February 2002, a mere five months after nearly 3,000 individuals were killed by the explosive force of fuel-laden jets plowing into the World Trade Center and the subsequent collapse of the Twin Towers.

But more than buildings were brought down that September 11. Historical protections of speech, assembly, protest, and privacy enjoyed by U.S. citizens and legal residents (“U.S. persons”), also came under attack as a stampeded Congress, goaded by a panicked and paranoid administration, abdicated its constitutional role—rather, its constitutional duty—to prevent the undue concentration of power in the Chief Executive. The immediate result was the “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorists Act of 2001”—better known by its acronym, USA PATRIOT Act.

much more....

Original source of article: http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/3090
I saw the article here first: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/HA27Aa01.html