Friday's News

Wiretapping of the NSA and the reality it reflects

The wiretapping civil suits against the NSA are about to get underway, and one of the cases will be tried right here in Cincinnati. Reports today outline the shadowy, unorthodox methods that the NSA has been filing it's reports on the case. Experts point out that attorneys traditionally exchange files for examination, then open the files to the public. Not in this case. The NSA is keeping the documents in their headquarters and only allowing the judges to read the files and not keep copies for themselves. In a sense, they don't want us to see how they got caught.

Why should the NSA start playing by any agreed upon rules at this point? They've already violated the privacy of select Americans without a court order to do so and that's only what we know about. Imagine the countless infractions that go unnoticed or unchecked throughout every defense govt. agency. We all knew Big Brother existed. We, or at least I, never thought they would get caught with their hands in our cookie jars. At least not until they were ready to get caught, that is.

The whole issue provokes the question of how free are we really? How do you gauge something like that? Sure we can vote for public officers, but that's shown to be a faulty, if not a rigged, enterprise as well. We can spend our money and time as we please, but the govt. administered social constructs that have made certain we do so on their terms. That means we spend time working to make money that we spend on crap we've never needed in the first place. I worked out at my school's rec and out of 500 people I saw, maybe twelve who didn't have ipods (it's only fair to confess that I too would like to have one). We have freedom of expression, but the rigid limitations on that issue have been debated for eons. Speak any kind of dissenting truth and you're casted away labeled as a conspiracy theorist. Endorse one thing strongly enough and you're biased and therefore less credible about that of which you endorse. The word 'freedom' is difficult to precisely define. Are we not provided guidelines and recommended ways to spend our lives through media outlets and community leaders? Do we not fall into place among the mass of sheep being herded through this society of consumption and waste? We, the subjects of the all powerful capitalist puppet masters, dance accordingly to the pull of their strings. We jump when we're told and out casted when we refuse. That is a sickening kind of freedom.

The fact that Big Brother is slipping is concerning. America as a superpower is, if not in it's decline, at least in it's twilight. China is rapidly catching up and our nations leadership can be called anything but strong. The masses are becoming increasingly out of touch with reality and the national debt is now laughable. At least I'm laughing. If the agency who spies on it's people and it's enemies alike, the agency we're to fear but not notice, can't go about their work efficiently, then what can US citizens feel confident about?

I think the way the US allowed it's people to become genuinely dumber within the past 50 years is beginning to show it's side effects. Didn't the powers that be 50 years ago foresee this when they decided a dumber population would be easier to control? It worked it's way to the top and now we are being lead by extremely average, if not below average, elected officials. Dummies electing dummies is how I see it.

Good day.