I’m having a very difficult time this morning maintaining my composure. Well, let me put it this way – a harder time than normal. The reason is this latest kerfluffle over pointing scientific instruments at the homes and businesses of Muslim Americans in order to see if someone may be harboring nuclear material that could or could not be a nuclear weapon. The joint task force made up of FBI and Department of Energy “NEST” teams conducted the monitoring without first getting a warrant:
In search of a terrorist nuclear bomb, the federal government since 9/11 has run a far-reaching, top secret program to monitor radiation levels at over a hundred Muslim sites in the Washington, D.C., area, including mosques, homes, businesses, and warehouses, plus similar sites in at least five other cities, U.S. News has learned. In numerous cases, the monitoring required investigators to go on to the property under surveillance, although no search warrants or court orders were ever obtained, according to those with knowledge of the program. Some participants were threatened with loss of their jobs when they questioned the legality of the operation, according to these accounts.Federal officials familiar with the program maintain that warrants are unneeded for the kind of radiation sampling the operation entails, but some legal scholars disagree.
I will take a back seat to no one in my support for the Bill of Rights – ALL TEN OF THEM. Liberals usually like to stop at about #8. After all, the 9th and 10th Amendments limit the power of the federal government vis a vis the states and the people which is a total anathema to your average lefty. Come to think of it, liberals aren’t very supportive of the 2nd amendment and even several parts of the 1st – like freedom OF religion. In fact, looking at a liberal’s translation of the Constitution, it would probably appear very similar to one of those documents requested of the CIA under the FOIA; so much of it would be blacked out that about all you’d be able to read is the page number.
That said, what has me breathing fire this morning is the idea that, in order to prevent the greatest of catastrophes – a nuclear weapon being exploded on American soil – people actually want the government to get a warrant to aim a Geiger counter at someone’s house. This is nuts. This is lunacy. This is as close to suicidal as one can get without actually putting the gun to your head.
I guess we’re really in trouble now. The Constitutional absolutists (I’m beginning to include some of the more pompous libertarians out there who are starting to annoy me more and more every day) are acting as if this is some kind of gigantic abstract game we’re playing. I can assure you that al Qaeda is not playing games. And the people who are currently responsible for seeing that the last thing you see isn’t a bright flash in the sky followed by the sighting of a mushroom shaped cloud are, thank the Lord, not playing games either.
What is not serious is this spate of revelations regarding what the government is doing to prevent the destruction of the United States. What is not serious is this internet-wide hand wringing over what appears more and more as a sensible, rational, response to a threat posed by an enemy that has sworn to destroy us – or perhaps many of you have forgotten that salient fact.
And the next person that quotes Ben Franklin’s warning about security and liberty is going to get a pie in the face – or my boot up their ass. Ben Franklin didn’t have to worry about a goddamn nuclear weapon going off in Philadelphia while he was romping between the sheets with some harlot. He could afford to be smug. We can’t.
It is legitimate to question the legality of programs that actually snoop on people – physically read their email or listen to their phone conversations. But if your telephone number is caught up in some kind of digital dragnet being carried out by the NSA only to be sloughed off and forgotten within minutes after it becomes clear that you’re not a terrorist, what’s the big deal? Jesus Christ! Telephone solicitors keep your number longer than the NSA for God’s sake!
We still don’t know many details of the NSA intercept program. Apparently, they had the cooperation of Telecom companies who allowed the technospooks access to these “switches” where national and international calls can be intercepted:
Officials in the government and the telecommunications industry who have knowledge of parts of the program say the N.S.A. has sought to analyze communications patterns to glean clues from details like who is calling whom, how long a phone call lasts and what time of day it is made, and the origins and destinations of phone calls and e-mail messages. Calls to and from Afghanistan, for instance, are known to have been of particular interest to the N.S.A. since the Sept. 11 attacks, the officials said.This so-called “pattern analysis” on calls within the United States would, in many circumstances, require a court warrant if the government wanted to trace who calls whom.
With pattern analysis, there is no reason to physically listen in on or read your email unless there are some pretty good indications that you’re buddy-buddy with a terrorist. How can this be considered unreasonable? Only a muddle headed absolutist would insist on getting a warrant to analyze traffic patterns or have your telephone number briefly in some gigantic computer or aim radiation detection equipment at a home.
Can we afford the Constitutional absolutist position on these things?
Maybe it comes down to something much simpler – whether you really believe we are at war or not. If we are not at war or even if the threat to the US has been overblown for political purposes (either case being demonstrably untrue if you take the time to read what our enemies are saying) then by all means, impeach Bush. In quieter times – even during the cold war – I would have had a difficult time stomaching much of what has been revealed about our domestic spying over the past week.
But these are not quiet times. And if the government is forced to abandon these vital monitoring programs or more likely, thanks to their being revealed, al Qaeda counters them, and if we are hit with a massive attack, those who are currently clucking their tongues like a bunch of old women at a quilting bee better not open their yaps criticizing the efforts government made to prevent the catastrophe. Your high falutin sense of the Constitution will be meaningless in the face of tens of thousands of dead and the country in shambles.
It’s time to grow up and get real. After all…there’s a war on, remember?
10:59 am
THE NEW YORK TIMES STRIKES AGAIN
‘Twas the day before Christmas And all through the Times Hysteria reigned over Bush’s “impeachable crimes”... Yes, the New York Times continues to show its disregard for our nation’s security, publishing additional classified information about the…
11:11 am
The Administration could have gotten the warrants in a reasonable time after surveillance started, if it was an emergency. Too bad you are such shill for W.
12:17 pm
Commenter #2, what evidence supports your assertion that a warrant was needed for surveillance and exactly which surveillance ‘problem’ is referenced – legally tracking internaional calls or legally detecting radioactive material in inappropriate places such as mosques, etc.
If this nation is attacked again the ‘I told you so’ left-wing loons and their shrill minions may in fact finish self-destructing.
Good riddance.
12:30 pm
the dem/left does NOT support the first amendment either; mccain-feingold is the most serious regulation of free speech of all time. and the 1st A says you can’t do that.
so the dem/left only supports 6/10, at best.
the nytimes and usnews reporters should be tried and executed for treason along with their leakers.
these leaks have made us ALL less safe and directly aided the enemy.
1:51 pm
How To Respond To A Moonbat
But this is what I wish I had said. Rick at Right Wing Nuthouse has the prefect response for moonbat constitutional absolutionists like Zatara. So Zatara I hope I haven’t run you off yet. If you would endulge, please read the following excerpt from Ri…
2:34 pm
NY Times Treasonous Tips To Terrorists
Updates at end
You would think the NY Times would think twice about leaking details about how we are trying to trace and track Al Qaeda, and Bin Laden especially. But no – today they run more details on our most secret counter terrorism operation, p…
4:18 pm
Not only the reporters, but Jay Rockefeller as well. Very slippery with his coziness to the pulpheads.
9:10 pm
Isn’t it lucky that none of your silly Bushista fascistas mind that your sweet girlyman King George totally ignored all warnings about dealing with Bin Laden and thus were totally responsible for failing to prevent 9/11?
Bwa ha ha frickin ha.
Oh, and do you prefer now belonging to an America that is both morally and fiscally bankrupt? Or is that not ok with you?
9:39 pm
The hypocrite lefties egging on the fundamentalist libertarian types want to have their cake and eat it too. Their fingers are crossed that the programs will continue, but they figure they can stab Bush anyway.
The backstabbing New York Times is dying a slow death. Faster please.
10:15 pm
Times Spins Again on NSA
Cross-posted from Right on the Right:
As if the New York Times didn’t seem slimey and untrustworthy enough, they’re now continuing to spin the NSA story. For the most comprehensive coverage, check out MICHELLE MALKIN who has a good legal …
11:46 pm
At the risk of pissing you off, Rick, it might be worthwhile to look at Ben Franklin actually said. He said those who would trade essential liberties for temporary security will have neither. (I’m paraphrasing.) Not the use of the modifiers “essential” and “temporary”. Big difference from what most of the bozos are quoting. Now, I can trade a “supposed” liberty for a “permanent” security, that’s a trade I’ll make. And I suspect Ben will be right there with me.
11:48 pm
The Times goes for broke
Apparently not satisfied with exposing critical national secrets, the Times has posted a follow…
11:56 pm
The righteous indignation is fun and all, Rick, but while you rant about how the FBI should be allowed to sit outside everyone’s house doing whatever they want to protect us from a nuclear attack, the simple fact of the matter is that Franklin was right – under Bush, we now have neither liberty nor security. Despite the ecommendstion of just about every expert ever, our shipping is woefully unsecured. Only 2% of containers entering the country are ever inspected. Al Qaeda is juat as aware of that as the administration is, but Bush has done nothing about it. So go ahead – cheer them on as they destroy everything this country once stood for, but remember this – it han’t made you any safer, just less of an American.
1:54 am
I’m with you, Rick. Have a Merry Christmas—we’ll need our energy for 2006. Idiots! Scoundrels!
3:01 am
After the NYTimes has managed to stop all necessary spying and intelligence-sharing/gathering, and the next 9/11 happens, they’ll be the first to scream about why we didn’t “connect the dots.” Hell, at the rate they are going, there won’t BE any dots to connect!
7:16 am
You need:
1. anger management classes
2. a girlfriend, fast
7:42 am
Alex:
Anyone who thinks we’ve lost any liberty whatsoever by the FBI pointing scientific measuring instruments at a house is a loon.
Whiney Lib: (Is there any other kind?:
Only an idiot liberal would think of “anger management classes” – touchy feely bull.
And Sue is fine, thanks.
8:18 am
You may not be not interested in your 4th Amendment rights, but I sure as Hell am interested in mine. If you are willing to give your rights away, I question what you think it means to be an American.
Giving up these rights is to give in to fear. It’s cowardace.
Merry Christmas! From, a Godless liberal.
8:22 am
You didn’t have to identify yourself as a liberal. Anyone who writes with such hyperbolic exaggeration couldn’t be anything else.
9:27 am
It’s funny that when you poll the people who were most directly affected by 9/11, that is, those of us who live in New York City, you find a shockingly low level of support for President Bush and his policies. The reason is that we know that the risks of liberty, freedom and diversity are worth it. Come visit and you’ll understand it better. Peace and goodwill towards all.
10:02 am
“Only 2% of containers entering the country are ever inspected. Al Qaeda is juat as aware of that as the administration is, but Bush has done nothing about it.”
There is nothing like common knowelege, so the US has an array of radiation detectors pointed here there and everywhere, but not at it ports. Strange.
Please note that 18 months ago or so, a single bolt that had been recycled in India, from a reactor was able to set off alarms at a British port. The story was buried pretty quickly.
BTW Do you need a court order to monitor water down stream from a factory or farm? If so the various Federal and State environmental agencies will soon be covered with law suits as they take soil and water samples from water courses all over the USA and analyse them for a great number of toxic chemicals, including radioactive ones.
12:29 pm
clb72, how like a New Yorker to claim that BDS is a sign of superior intelligence.
1:59 am
Rick,
Merry Christmas to you and your family!
An excellent post; I hope this gets many more trackbacks. I agree with every word you said. The libs seem to think that if only they could “get rid of Pres. Bush”, peace would flow over the earth.
I applaud everything the government does to keep my family and loved ones safe.
Thank God for Pres. Bush.
7:17 am
More Monday Morning Links
Why are the non-radical mulsims silent? They are intimidated. Schwartz at TCSThe well-paid limo liberals at the Beeb. Am. Thinker/ Tax-supported Leftist propaganda.Do you know about the New Yorker’s Film File? It’s online and you can check their movi…
2:22 pm
From the Horse’s Mouth – Tom Daschle Speaks
From the Washington Post
As Senate majority leader at the time, I helped negotiate that law with the White House counsel’s office over two harried days. I can state categorically that the subject of warrantless wiretaps of American citizens never cam…
2:43 pm
Stalking the wild Gamma Particle
Hat tip to Maggie's Farm for this link to Right Wing Nuthouse and their excellent post on the outcry over radiation surveillance of Muslim properties in the USA: The Warrentless Geiger CounterI’m having a very difficult time this morning main…
8:00 pm
Unbelievable exaggeration and pomposity. ” But, I would rather die, see my family die, in the defense of freedom than to live in slavery…” You sir, are a loon. To actually believe that we’re headed toward slavery takes a mind so removed from reality that its owner belongs in a mental institution.
When you come back to planet earth, make sure to visit again.
11:49 am
[...] s exaggeration in the numbers of people who have actually been “wiretapped.” I asked a similar question regarding the FBI-DOE program to moni [...]
10:14 pm
[...] g lights out moonbat. But this is what I wish I had said. Rick at Right Wing Nuthouse has the prefect response for moonbat constitutional absolutionists l [...]
1:18 pm
1. The NSA searches are not unreasonable under current national security circumstances. Therefore, they are not a violation of the 4th Amendment.
2. If anyone’s liberties were seriously threatened by the Bush Administration, those of you claiming they are would be jailed or dead by now.
3. Hating Bush has grown boring and self-defeating. What in the world will dems and liberals do with themselves in Feb. 2009? By the way, he’s not running for anything, so aren’t you wasting a lot of energy?
3:12 am
lycos
lycos
Life is to you a dashing and bold adventure.
12:24 pm
travel backgammon set
travel backgammon set
You will obey or molten silver will be poured into your ears.
3:56 pm
ringtone samsung
ringtone samsung
ringtone samsung – ringtone samsung
It’s lucky you’re going so slowly, because you’re going in the wrong direction.
Q:Why is it that Mexico isn’t sending anyone to the ‘84 summer games?
A:Anyone in Mexico who can run, swim or ju…
12:47 am
aids
aids
aids – aids
You look tired.
“You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.”—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “A Study in Scarlet”