In this season of giving, the NY Times may have unwittingly given those who detest Corporate America a reason to celebrate.
It's now being reported that not only has Bush been knowingly violating the Constitution for three years by illegally wiretapping US citizens, but that telecommunication data (phone calls, emails, and other such electronic communications) has been voluntarily, and cooperatively given in massive loads to the NSA, likewise WITHOUT a court order or warrant.
It has become apparent, to this blogger, why publications like Barron's (posted via Mydd.com) have come out against what this President has done regarding SnoopGate. Barron's is a publication that, according to John Aravosis of AMERICABlog, is read by every CEO in the country and is as repudiable as the Wall Street Journal for the articles they write.
Why do I mention this? Because it is looking like Bush's domestic spying venture could gravely effect Corporate America:
Quite simply, in the pages and pages of privacy practices that your phone, email, and cell phone company have sent you over the last several years, all in an effort to convince you that your data will not be given out to anyone, does it mention anywhere that the company reserves the right to share data files on you with the federal government without a court order, a legal requirement to do so, due process, or probable cause? Mine don't.
Steve Soto outlines brilliantly how Corporate America, out of their own greedy desires for more power and control, is up to their eyeballs in this mess. So much so...(emphasis mine)
It isn't hard to see why so many telephone, cable, and cellular mergers and acquisitions have been approved by the Bush Administration these last five years. ... [I]n an ultimate "you scratch my back, and I'll scratch your back" game, BushCo gets the active support of the telecommunications industry for turning over vast data collected on customers by the companies themselves, rather than the government and escaping some blame from outraged citizens.
And what do the companies get out of it? Well, they get their mergers and takeovers approved quickly and with nary a concern for the consumers from the federal government, which pleases the stockholders, board members, and company executives as their share prices and buyout packages increase accordingly while donating heavily to the GOP all the time.
Gee, wasn't Tort Reform a major GOP issue? Now we know why.
The initial fallout of this whole scandal will rest with George Bush and his claimed dictatorial powers, and how Congress and the American people react to it. And should Bush be finally held accountable for this clear, law-breaking manuever, that will lead to the next phase. It's no wonder why editorials of business magazines have come out against this President's "impeachable offense:" Big Business is next on the chopping block.
As this domestic spying scandal widens, I predict that in light of the recent NY Times story, we are going to see a sea of class action lawsuits brought against these telecommunication companies. If the plaintiffs prove that these corporations voluntarily offered the government streams of data from their own wires WITHOUT a court order or proper warrant, they would be in breach of contract (given that most if not all these companies have privacy notices written in their agreements). The cost could be more than what we have seen with Big Tobacco.
It would be the biggest nightmare to hit Corporate America.
Why?
Because in addition to the billions of dollars these corporations would lose from damages and legal fees, the public will likely begin questioning the nature and power of all these other company mergers, not just the telecommunications companies. They are already having to deal with the problems surrounding Wal-Mart and their business practices, and don't get me started with Big Oil. They don't need another reason why the public should be concerned with the power of Corporate America and the ongoing mergers of major companies. This scandal could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
Despite billions and billions of dollars in profits, tax breaks, and other government incentives, Corporate America has not had a good decade as far as public opinion goes. Enron, MCI Worldcom, Telco, our airlines, K-Mart, and many other companies helped erode public confidence in Corporate America, and this scandal will likely shatter any hope of reconciling that. What was once abstract disgust has now become a matter of great legal concern.
Steve's talk of the back scratching deals between Corporate America and our government may be tin-foil hat fodder for now, but does it not seem that the pieces fit so nicely here? That will be up for political and social discussions in the days and weeks ahead. At this time, the actual legal issues surrounding this scandal will take center stage, beginning with the President and later towards those companies that aided and abetted our government in not only the violation of the Constitution, but also, possibly, in violation of their contract with their consumers.
2006 is looking more and more like a watershed year for not only this country and its future, but also that of Corporate America.