Big Brother is listening to you

This humble little personal blog doesn't even pretend to be a comprehensive news source. But this story is just too big to ignore.

NSA has massive database of Americans' phone calls (USA Today)

This is in direct contravention of the law. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has filed a class-action suit against AT&T's participation in the scheme, which is forbidden by Section 222 of the Communications Act (as described in the article linked above.)

The Bush administration's response has been, basically, a big f*ck-you. "Rule of law? We don't need no schtinkin' rule of law. Shut up because we say so."

Meanwhile, Bush's appointee to head the CIA is none other than the military officer who ran this blatantly illegal scheme to spy on American citizens. Not "terra-ists" or criminals. All American citizens. That includes you, your Aunt Mabel, your friends, your co-workers. It includes everyone whom the ruling political deems a political "threat" or wishes to exert pressure on. It's well documented that this includes Catholic pacifist groups, the Quakers, and just about anyone who isn't in lockstep with the Bushite drive for perpetual war and absolute "unitary executive" power.

"Unitary executive" is a synonym for dictator.

Meanwhile, in little-remarked news, Dick Cheney's cronies at Halliburton have received yet another sweetheart no-bid contract, this time to construct a series of military prisons within the United States. The stated purpose is to deal with "an emergency influx of immigrants, or to support the rapid development of new programs".

Just what "new programs" are contemplated that might require such a chain of concentration camps? And why does the government need to compile a massive database of its citizens' personal communications?

Well, I don't know, not being a "unitary executive". But Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican from South Carolina, offers some helpful suggestions to our torture-authorizing Attorney General:

“The administration has not only the right, but the duty, in my opinion, to pursue Fifth Column movements,” Graham, R-S.C., told Gonzales during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Feb. 6.

“I stand by this President’s ability, inherent to being Commander in Chief, to find out about Fifth Column movements, and I don’t think you need a warrant to do that,” Graham added, volunteering to work with the administration to draft guidelines for how best to neutralize this alleged threat.

“Senator,” a smiling Gonzales responded, “the President already said we’d be happy to listen to your ideas.”

This is the "unitary executive", you may recall, who has asserted that, for the duration of the fraudulent war which he has illegally started and intends to continue perpetually, he has the power to arbitrarily arrest any American citizen and imprison them indefinitely without ever showing any legal cause for doing so.

Meanwhile, the Army mutters something about a "Civilian Inmate Labor Program".

Elections are coming up. Gotta be ready for 'em.