Spying On the Home Front

One of my favorite TV programs is FRONTLINE from PBS.

The show that aired on May 15, 2007, Spying On the Home Front, was both informative and a cause for concern. By clicking any of the links above you can watch it (and many other Frontline programs) online, for free.

Make some popcorn, or open a bag of chips, and be sure to view all five parts. It's something like 50 minutes in total.

It's interesting on several levels. First, there's the troubling aspect of the invasion of privacy. Then, there's the mentioning of the various special computer equipment and software used to spy on us.

You hear a lot of people say things like, "I'm not doing anything wrong and so it doesn't bother me." What strikes me most is that we know how data, once gathered, never goes away. And, once law makers are moved to create loopholes in the laws to allow our own government to spy on us, you never see those laws reversed and taken back to what they once were... things only get worse from there.

Let's even give the current administration the benefit of doubt and say that they're all well meaning and that they have the best of intensions... that they're only looking out for our best interest. And then, consider that some totalitarian dictator elected in the future, or one who might take over the presidency in some way other than by an election, is placed in office. And that this person might not have the same concern for our well-being, but is more concerned that he or she has to maintain control over a population that doesn't want him or her in office.

And now that the flood gates have been open... now that they have the technical ability and the legal right to invade our privacy... and destroy individuals... like say, by erasing your bank account... how could you fight it? What if it was just a mistake, and an innocent person's name was similar to a bad guy's name. How do you recover? Who would care?

Something that comes up from time to time is the repeal of Article II of the Constitution that states, "No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States... shall be eligible to the office of President..." so that someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger can become president. Just imagine what that could lead to.