http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/funddocs/billeng.htm

Amendment IV

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Amendment X

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."

If Jefferson were alive today...

The real issue here is not whether the government is spying on its citizens, but rather that an unelected Junta is using the resources of the US government to potentially (and probably) spy on its business and political competitors.
Bush's 'Ownership Society' is one where an increasingly smaller percentage of the population (as well as a disturbing number of non-Americans) own the resources of American society.... and those resources include the CIA, the Pentagon, the FBI, the Homeland Security Corporation (each to varying degrees).
Giving the Bush Cult Junta the power to spy on citizens is in effect giving it the power to squelch or destroy all opposition, be it political, or economic or both.... and we must also remember that Bush does not stand alone.... he has both American and international corporate fascist business allies who are sucking America dry, and don't seem to care if we hobble to the grave.
If left to remain 'The Decider', what will the Bush Cult Junta do to the United States? Strengthen it, or sell it off at the auction block, willingly, or under subtle persuasion?
Creatures like the experienced cult leader Sun Myung Moon and his political entourage, and the sleazy Saudis and their Emirate buddies hanging around Washington and elsewhere around the Bushes should not be overlooked.... nor should Nazi-judge-pardoned war criminal Rumsfeld and his Chicago Mafia buddy contractors profiting to excess from the oil-drenched Southwest Asian war theater.

You got it *RestoreD'*. At this point The Bush Junta has to figure it has nothing to lose, and can use this low ebb to really push for leveraging Repugnant power using this eavesdropping opportunity as a powerfully clandestine party tool. It's right out of the tom delay/Karl rove play book.

The recent reports that the NSA approached major telecom providers months before 9/11 goes to show that this has nothing to do with 'preventing terrorism' and everything to do with spying on the U.S. public for various reasons (see the above two posts for those reasons).

Why does congress keep passing these invasive laws if the administration doesn't need them anyway? They break the law and then seek congressional approval (and forgiveness) for their actions. But why if they don't need to follow the law, do they seek authorization? And why does congress give them what they want if really don't need it? The only answer I can think of is that Congress is just a bunch of chicken-shit losers, and nothing they try to do for the common good will work out to that benefit because of that cowardly demeanor. In reference to another post I was reading at CD, I bet all those DoD and FBI agents are wearing flag lapel pins. These people are suppose to be Constitution loving americans too, but they are more than willing to abandon our principles when it makes their job easier.

zhongman, I have a name for them, neo-conartists.

I wouldn't be surprisded if big business is behind a lot of the spam ads.
"Dr. in Nicauraga needs help."
"I am a foreign student in need of.." etc, etc.
After all it is coming from only a few locations.
If american people take part in these scams they must pay and suffer thousands of dollars to set it right.
I guess there are no laws anymore except just don't get caught.

I'm sending $ to ACLU when I can. They get results! Thank you ACLU.

Of course big business is responsible for spam. Business could charge per email sent.

The government could charge a tiny tax per email that would only be a problem for mass spammers.

The concept that advertisers can pester people unmercifully is absurd. Telephone and door to door peddlers have regulation. Spammers have worked hard to earn their very own set of regulations.

shakker,

forget any idea that taxes the internet. The spammers would get a gov exemption or loophole, that's all. The megacorps are already trying to stop our use of the internet basing speed and access on ability to buy these things. They would outbid all users (including us.)

MA_Matriarch, I just love it. NeoConArtists.

And thanks Paul for the relevant ammendments.

The onslaught of abuses just keeps on coming doesn't it?

"but after a long train of abuses......" d of indpnc

Only 11 comments, so far. I guess this makes 12. Why, so relatively few? Are we adopting a "ho-hum" attitude? Does every new revelation of domestic spying just weigh us down, until its no longer new news?

Let Freedom Ring!

Bobh: The reason for lack of comments is the purpose of the article. What makes you think that they're not keeping track of all these comments and eventually will use them against us?

Edward: When did fear crush Washington?

Even if they track everything and jail us, we're still obliged to rattle the cages and look for an escape. It's all a bluff, a social control mechanism, government by fear. In fact, it's indicative not of their strength but of their weakness. Hitler governed by fear alright -- but he was also widely adored by many. Bush has nothing but technicalities and a non-opposition keeping him in the White House.

Fear is the political equivalent of "pulling rank", the last hope for any failed manager.