As public opposition to NSA surveillance grows, many of the surveillance state’s long-standing backers are jumping ship and throwing their weight behind Judiary Committee head Sen. Patrick Leahy’s (D – VT) bill that would roll back many of the NSA’s most onerous abuses of power.
Leahy’s USA Freedom Act is co-authored by Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R – WI), and would end bulk collection of Americans’ phone records, while strengthening prohibitions against other surveillance of Americans by the NSA.
At one point the bill seemed short on support, but growing outrage at the NSA and a seemingly never-ending number of scandals have the bill on the verge of passing in the House and gaining steam in the Senate.
The bill faces opposition primarily from Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D – CA), who is offering her own legislation that would formally legalize all of the NSA’s current practices, as well as adding more authority for surveillance targeting Americans in the future.
Based on Leahy's past, one would be advised to read closely the innards of his bill. He has been known to hide gaping loopholes so that in the end not much changes. For instance, the text of Jason's article states that the bill's intent is to circumscribe the NSA's surveillance practices. Well, that's nice but what about the other 16 intelligence agencies? How much anyone want to bet that if all the intelligence producing agencies are not similarly brought to heel, there is a slight of hand and the function just moves under a different umbrella – using the NSA data centers of course.
So, one is left to wonder: is the problem that the government of the United States is bugging the entire planet, including its own citizens? Or is the problem that somebody has exposed this fact?
Contained within the answer to that question is the future of this nation.
There are those who are comfortable with and indeed comforted by the revelations, yet outraged at their coming to light. And there are those who are revolted by them and thankful that there are people of integrity and courage.
The future of this nation depends entirely upon how many feel which way, and are prepared to act upon their feelings. It is really no more complex, or simpler, than that.
And upon that simple, complex fact depends whether this nation is entering deeper into the beginning of a long, dark winter’s nite, or the beginning of the birth of a spring’s new dawn.
America must become again the force of good.