General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I/m so tired of reading criticism of Obama on DU [View all]Savannahmann
(3,891 posts)Randomly pick them up and torture them to confess. If we don't, and one of them does something, like launch a terrorist attack, then we might be blamed for not torturing the people to make them confess.
Worrying about what someone might say if something bad happens, is a course of action that guarantees two outcomes, both bad. 1) Inaction. Inaction means you are afraid of making a move because if you do, someone may complain. That is where we are now. The machinery is set in motion, and everyone in power is afraid to shut it down, because if they do, and something happens, then the news stories will be full of how they could have violated the constitution and protected a dozen people, or a hundred.
There is one other kind of mistake you make when you are worried about what someone may say in some murky future. You become your enemy. Don't you realize that people dreamed of coming to this country from nations that did just this kind of privacy invading thing? The KGB used to spy on their citizens, and when the wall fell Russians chased their dream of freedom by coming here. Eastern Europe held for generations under the various secret police organizations. Look at history, there is no good outcome from a secret police. We might be the first, but there is every chance we'll be the next in line.
I can name many of them from the top of my head. I bet you can too. President Obama could have said "I am a constitutional Scholar, and I have taught Constitutional Law. These programs violate the 4th Amendment, and I am sworn to uphold the Constitution. I swore that oath when I got my law degree, and I swore it as a representative in Illinois, and I swore it again as a US Senator. I will not violate that oath, and I will not subvert the Constitution out of fear of the unknown."
I could write a speech that outlined the right course of action. You could write it. We could have started this debate years ago, instead even today our Government is struggling to put the genie back in the bottle. Oh we can't let the Courts hear this information, they might harm National Security. Every month our excuse sound weaker, because every month our excuses are weaker.
I will not march blithely into the arms of an authoritarian Government no matter who is the head of that Government. I will not stand by and remain silent when even one persons rights are being trampled. We as a people must demand that our Government places our rights first and foremost. Because if we don't, we might as well admit that the FBI/DHS/CIA/NSA has become nothing more than the Stazi/Savak/KGB/MSS/Bulgarian DS/Sigurimi and who knows how many others. Because if we don't arbitrarily detain and question people, one of them might be ready to commit a crime against the people, and imagine how many lives we could save by finding out ahead of time who the dissenters are.