Privacy and Civil Liberties

Well the big news today is that the president (I simply cannot spell that with a capital letter, I just can’t) finally briefed the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board on the NSA Warrantless Spying Program. It comes as no surprise that the Board thinks that he is doing a wonderful job of administering this illegal program.

Yes, of course they fail to address the fact that it is illegal in its entirety, and that comes as no surprise either. We’ll address that momentarily, but to finish the summarization of the Board’s report, they admire how much respect the president is showing for the privacy of the people he is spying on. I’m unclear on how one spies on a person and simultaneously respects that person’s privacy, but the Board seems satisfied, even quite pleased with the program’s performance in that respect.

As far as I can determine, the report does not so far address whether the civil liberties of the persons being spied upon are being respected, only the privacy thereof, so perhaps the Board should take another look at its name and assure us that civil liberties are being respected as well.

I rather doubt that civil liberties actually are being respected, but if the Board can believe that the privacy of the spyees is being respected, they should have no problem making the leap to a similar judgement regarding the civil liberties of those spyees.

The blogosphere is fulminating furiously about the report, but I’m not sure why. I mean, come on guys and girls, you knew a month ago who the Board was composed of so this report cannot come as any surprise.

"Fulminating furiously" Isn’t that a lovely phrase? It’s redundant, of course; fulmination is by definition furious. But I really like the way it rolls off of the tongue.

What amazes me is not the outcome, but the Board itself. Only the American Congress would create an oversight board the membership of which is in its entirety appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the person it is overseeing.

That is like deciding that our criminal system will allow the alleged criminal, by himself, to pick all twelve members of the jury that will be trying him. The new and improved “zero conviction” policy for reducing prison crowding.

The creation of this oversight board is in itself entirely corrupt in concept and execution. It was designed to have no purpose whatsoever other than to throw bullfeathers at the American people in an attempt by Congress to conceal the corrupt and illegal actions of the Executive branch.

So not only is the president violating the law, but Congress (or at least every member of it who voted for creation of this ludicrous Board) is entirely complicit in that illegality.

We elected a different Congress earlier this month. Now we need to keep an eye on it to be sure that it really is different. Pay attention America, our nation is at stake.