"I have nothing to hide"

[SHRED]

People are not thinking this NSA thing through.
The Repubs have purged many governmental departments and divisions, via pressure and hiring practices, to resemble mini Republican encampments.
Oversight is waining, even at the employee level. Whistleblower laws have been rendered toothless by this regime.

How is it possible to "trust" that this information is not being used, to the detriment of our representative democracy?
How can we be sure that political blackmail is not taking place to change a vote or a policy that affects us?

The focus by the narrow thinkers is "I have nothing to hide".
That line of thinking misses the bigger picture, completely.
:banghead:

Losing the 4th Amendment threatens our Representative Democracy.

[liberalpress]

1. R.I.P 4th Amanendment

Just add it to the list with the 5th, 6th and 1st. Think of as reducing the size of government. It hurts less that way.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

2. "I have nothing to hide" is has nothing to do with anything

Neither does most of America. That still doesn't mean that the government has the right to burst into my private world and monitor who I talk to. Just because I have nothing to hide doesn't mean that they should be able to walk into my house unannounced just to make sure. Who are these Neandethals who use this stupid phrase to justify our own neo-Stalinist America? It's like the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights never happened.

[rodeodance]

7. Yes, this comment misses the point entirely!

[shadowknows69]

12. This is the new "if you don't agree you're not a patriot" BS

If you bitch about the wiretapping you MUST have something to hide. This will go nowhere.

[partylessinOhio]

3. Completely agree! "I have nothing to hide" either BUT

the government has no right to know anything about me, whom I speak with, where I go or whatever I do in my daily life.

Gathering lots of extraneous information can be harmful if it happens to be needed to be used against persons that the gatherers might want to target.

[tanyev]

4. "I applaud the Sovietization of the United States."

I'm going to start calling them "comrade".

[C_U_L8R]

5. They truly do have nothing to hide

Because George Bush and his Cronies are examining all
their medical records, their financial records, their business dealings,
they conversation with lawyers, stock brockers, tax preparers,
their conversations with their spouse, their lovers (and divorce lawyers),
their kids conversations, their postings on Freerepublic,
their purchases, their bills. their conversations with therapists
and psychiatrists, and....

Bush and the Creeps can do WHATEVER they want with that data....

they could turn around and give it to the IRS, your boss,
the police, your spouse, your kids, your insurance company,
your bank, your loan company , the ARMY... ANY ONE.

This is just fuel for blackmail.. and has NOTHING to do
with terrorism. Terrorism is easy.. all they need is a warrant.
THIS is a political crime.. and it is SICK !!!

[Crayson]

6. I do !!

I do have something to hide!

Actually everybody has something to hide.
If somebody tells you he doesn't, he's just lying.

Walk up to him and tell him to show you his salary, his tax documents, his bank account, his medical records, give you a gene sample, make a drug test, piss in a little plastic cup and tell you what turns him on sexually, does he touch himself... he has nothing to hide after all, does he?

EVERYBODY has something to hide!
And not because he is a criminal, but because he wants some privacy.

Not wanting to hide some things is plainly stupid because it makes you vulnearable for some real crimes like identity theft.

Being a decent citizen does absolutely NOT mean that I have nothing to hide!

I don't want other people to know stuff about me because the more they know the more power they have over me.
And I definitely don't want that to happen.

Now call me paranoid all you want, but I DO want to hide some things
^_^

[SHRED]

8. excellent!

[WinkyDink]

9. I think KO should start asking: "Let's see all of Dubya's and Dick's phone

records. How about those Jeff Gannon visits? Oh, and what about that energy Task force? Say, aren't there some TANG records we could find and read?"

ETC.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bdamomma]

10. what will those same people say

when they come knocking on our doors without a search warrant?

[in_cog_ni_to]

11. A DUer suggested that if anyone ever says that to you, personally,

you should grab her purse/his wallet and start going through it. Great idea and a simple way to make a point. The people who say they have nothing to hide are not seeing anything beyond the psycho's bullshit terrorist LIES. They're incapable of looking at the big picture. Going through their purse and wallet just might whack 'em upside the head enough to wake them the hell up.:banghead:

[SHRED]

13. Also...

...when someone says, "I've got nothing to hide", online, then ask them to post up their SSN, DL #, date of birth, and mother's maiden name.

[Gemini Cat]

15. And...

ask them about their porn collection. Especially if they are of the fundy persuasion.

[warrens]

14. How do you know you have nothing to hide?

They might make something you think is fine illegal without telling you. Your accountant may be the accountant for a terrorist and your little network of calls might get you a trip to Gitmo. The possibilities are endless.

[kestrel91316]

16. There are SO MANY laws, and so many ways to violate them, that

I'm sure we ALL are criminals in one way or another, without even knowing it sometimes. We ALL have something to hide.

My BF has been stealing cable and then satellite signals for years, but considers himself a GOOD Republican. Go figure.