I went back and forth on including Edward Snowden on my list, since I normally like to include just things that I’ve been directly involved with. There’s no denying that the spying revelations brought forth by Edward Snowden has affected me, if in no other way than to sour me on the state of American affairs. Tapping German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s phone? Go for it. Terrorists in Yemen plotting a bombing? Vector that Hellfire straight through that phone. But UNICEF? Brazilian oil companies? Innocent American citizens, who ostensibly have the right to be free from suspicion and unreasonable searches? Way, way, WAY over the line.
Fortunately one federal judge has seen the light and declared this collection is “likely unconstitutional.” Another one said it’s legal “because 9/11.” I saw a post somewhere today asking if we’ve reached the point where anyone spouting “because terrorists” to excuse their overreach can now properly be told “shut the hell up!” I’m thinking we have. In fact, I’m thinking we reached that point a long, long time ago.
Our vaunted surveillance state somehow couldn’t keep tabs on murderous Boston mobster Whitey Bulger even though he was living it up openly in Santa Monica, California for sixteen fucking years. Our surveillance overlords were blind to the Tsarnaev brothers, the Boston Marathon bombers, and this even after Russian intelligence all but begged the feds to investigate them. I mean, you hear all this bullshit talk about finding the “needle in a haystack” but when the Rooskies politely say “uh guys? These two are terrorists” why the hell didn’t someone do something? I guess they were too busy tracking that secretive UNICEF group. Damn them for helping kids!
At least I no longer feel paranoid about discovering the NSA may be tapping my cellphone. I couldn’t figure out what made me special. Mr. Snowden’s leaks proved I wasn’t special after all. Until then I had no idea that everyone’s phone was being tapped.
It makes me mad that an organization I once worked with has gone so far off the moral tracks. I had no idea how broken Washington really is.
Amen on all counts.
I think Snowden definitely belongs on your list. He’s almost solely responsible for confirming that the tin foil hat brigade’s worst fears and more, were correct all along.