EVERY SINGLE INSTANCE of a discussion instigated regarding Greenwald's character

[The Traveler]

119. I remain amazed ... and am thus somewhat ambivalent

I know how you feel.

I remember the (very appropriate in my view) reaction around here to the revelations regarding John Poindexter's Total Information Awareness (TIA) program. Now, Poindexter is indeed one of the creepiest figures in history of national security and intelligence ... but in my naivety I thought this reaction represented a Democratic consensus view on civil liberties and privacy.

Apparently, this is not the case, and I find that amazing. Apparently, it really is OK (in the minds of some) to do this sort of stuff if "our guy" is doing it. Justifications and rationales tend to get very technical sounding, but I don't buy them. (I worked in that national security world for over a decade ... I know how the rules have changed, and how relaxed the approach to securing Constitutional protections has indeed become. Don't expect my approval or acquiescence.)

I don't really give a damn about Snowden's, Greenwald's, or Assange's political leanings. I'm not sure I actually like any of these guys. I'm not sure I dislike them. But by their work I have learned some things about how the government (even under the leadership of "our guy&quot operates that trouble me immensely. I find the relationship between private security contractors and federal agencies disturbing ... particularly when that relationship focuses on suppressing dissent and punishing activists. (I also note that, curiously, that focus seems to be on dissent from the left ... threats of assassination, coup de tat, etc. from the right seem to draw a relatively mild reaction from federal agencies.)

And I find all that especially disturbing given the increasingly cavalier approach to the 4th and 5th Amendments typical of courts these days. Ya wanna know butt hurt? Imagine a Chris Christie armed with these powers of nearly unfettered surveillance, backed by the currently fashionable loosened interpretation of the 4th and 5th Amendments.

This is one area of policy in which I am at odds with the Administration, and evidently a good chunk of the Democratic Party's rank and file. There are other policy areas ... I find current environmental policy weak at best, and am completely opposed to the KXL pipeline as an example. I am distrustful of the cozy relationship between bankers and Congress, as well as the Administration, and the "too big to jail" approach that seems to have been taken. Etc. Still, I remain a Democrat, and each week gives me another opportunity to find gratitude in the election and re-election of Barack Obama.

But then, I do not expect the Party, its leaders, or its membership to perfectly agree with my views. Will I actively support Hillary? Not likely. She is too removed from my interests on too many issues for me to be that enthusiastic. Will I crawl across broken glass to vote for her against any Republican you can name? Ya damn betcha. I was never very keen on them, but in this day and age, those f'ers are whacked. (To paraphrase Jack Nicholson: "... I imagine a man ... and then remove reason and accountability.&quot

So I remain a Democrat, but my vote can be picked off by a realistic alternative that better represents my core issues ... and the surveillance thing really is one of those. So far, that realistic alternative has not presented itself ... but I note that there seems to be a large number of Democrats who feel similarly under-represented on these matters. It is likely that in time a viable alternative may develop, in which case the Democratic Party will be short of a sizable chunk of its supporters.

The virtually non stop assaults on the character of Greenwald, et al do absolutely nothing to address my concerns, nor energize my diminishing enthusiasm. Those assaults may (or may not be) warranted, but they help not at all with the issue at hand. Indeed, the determination to focus on those aspects of the story (and not on the issues and their implications) rather reinforces my position.

Take it as you will.

Trav