If indeed "freedom" is just another word for 'nothing left to
lose'...then we're not exactly free yet. We're at the precipice of
having nothing left to lose - Losing the freedom from warrantless
searches, freedom of association, freedom to express ourselves, freedom
to demand probably cause prior to having warrants issued, freedom to
visit "questionable" websites or check out certain periodicals/books
from our public libraries, etc.
The NSA spying program raises plenty of sensitive issues, but at
least one of them hasn't received the close scrutiny it deserves: it's
fundamentally a system for identifying criminals by statistical
analysis. Americans need to come to grips with whether they approve of
this.
Take a different, but equally incendiary example. Suppose that we
could semi-reliably create a statistical portrait of child molesters:
their age, geographical location, gender, and calling and buying
patterns. Suppose they tend to rent certain kinds of videos, make phone
calls to certain kinds of chat lines, and call up other known child
molesters.
Needless to say, the FBI could track these patterns using the same
methods as the NSA and then exploit the results to create lists of
"possible child molesters." And it might work. But would we be OK with
the FBI tapping someone's phone just because they fit a statistical
profile? Or staking out their house? Or investigating their friends?
And if we can do it for suspected terrorists and child molesters,
how about tax evaders and unlicensed gun owners? Can we tap their
phones too because they're the "kind of person" who might be breaking
the law? Should a court grant a search warrant based on a statistical
pattern rather than a showing of specific fact?
And if not, why not? After all, if you're not doing anything wrong,
why would you object to being investigated? And if the statistical
patterns just happen to target lots of wealthy Republicans or rural
white gun collectors — well, that's how the cookie crumbles. If that's
what the profiling turns up, then that's what the profiling turns up.
Any problems with that?
BTW, its hardly speculation that this might be extended beyond just
"terrorism" when the Attorney General has already said this same
technique is being used to look to identify leakers of classified
information to the media, and to gather evidence for potential
prosecution of the leakers and the reporters.
Its not something that could happen, or even that will certainly happen in the future, its something that has already, openly happening.
There are lies, damn lies, and statistics. When the government starts using stats to determine who is a terrorist, criminal, or political donor, we're all in trouble. Remember, statistically the average American has one testicle and one boob.
And who decides what "patterns" are authentic indicators of criminal behavior or intent? The Decider, of course
"After all, if you're not doing anything wrong, why would you object to being investigated?"
On the other hand, why did your parents tell you not to give information about the household to strangers?
Where's the guarantee that your personal information will not be
used by/sold to child molesters, identity traffickers, thieves
(personal and corporate), kidnappers, conmen, etc. Remember that guy, 3
or 4 at the Dept of Homeland Security, who was making dates with 14 year-olds. Who is watching the
watchers?
After all, if you're not doing anything wrong, why would you object to being investigated? If I'm not doing anything wrong, then why do you want to investigate me?
The NSA spying program raises plenty of sensitive issues, but at
least one of them hasn't received the close scrutiny it deserves: 
