Is Ron Wyden (Sen-OR) correct in warning of
a “surveillance state that cannot be reversed”?
A useful way to
evaluate this warning is to:
1. Consider former FBI Director Hoover’s decades-long blackmailing of all major US politicians, from Presidents on down, and his harassing and infiltrating of dissident movements. Other countries’ security services have shown the potential for even grosser abuses.
2. Extrapolate current trends in some or all of the following:
(a) surveillance technologies,
(b) vulnerability to terrorism of crowded societies dependent on complex technologies,
(c) public overreactions (both natural and artificially heightened) to this vulnerability,
(d) merging of national security with domestic law enforcement,
(e) spending on security,
(f) profitability of security equipment and services,
(g) influence of political contributions and revolving doors over government decision-making,
(h) media subordination to money, groupthink, pro-government leaks, and governmental intimidation,
(i) expanding scope of government secrecy and prosecution of whistleblowers,
(j) erosion of suspects’ right to confront accusers and evidence in court,
(k) erosion of groups’ right to assemble,
(l) erosion of accountability for governmental or other powerful personnel who violate any remaining rights of powerless people.
Can unaccountable organizations be trusted not to abuse their knowledge of everybody’s secrets to punish and deter any challenge to their powers? (Off topic: Can the thousands of individuals in those organizations be trusted not to abuse this knowledge for personal gain, for settling personal scores or for simple sadistic pleasure?)
If Obama has not forgotten his formative experiences outside the bubble of high-level politics, then perhaps his administration’s present policies, on many of the above points, result from surveillance state momentum that is already too strong for the President to reverse. Hopefully his ability and/or willingness to reverse it can reach critical mass if supported by a groundswell of public opposition.
As Wyden said, this is a
unique moment in our Constitutional history
.
7:42 AM PT: Little or no extrapolation is needed on some of the above points, as detailed in today's rec listed diary here: http://www.dailykos.com/...