The biggest practical problem with unaccountable spying

[morgan2]

when the head of one political party, the President, controls an organization that can eavesdrop on anyone with no oversight.. who are they going to abuse that power on first? Their political opponents. Nixon was willing to break into his opponents offices and plant spying equipment. Well now he wouldn't have to, just ring up the NSA and get it all recorded up and sent over to him. Why no one brings this up every time anyone says they don't have a problem with spying is beyond me. It's not about the NSA being able to listen to the average persons phone calls, its about them abusing it for political purposes and to a smaller extent industrial espionage. You think some guy with access to everyones phone calls wont be tempted to steal a few corporate secrets and making a few million?

[canoeist52]

1. Can also get them insider trading information on stocks

What an advantage.

[tekisui]

2. But, more importantly, to quote Naomi Wolf: Surveillance leads to fear.

Fear leads to silence. Silence is Un-American.

They spy, and they want to make sure we know they spy. It keeps us in line.

[canoeist52]

3. Reading Naomi Klein right now "The Shock Doctrine"

[L. Coyote]

4. is how easily they can cover up their own crimes. In fact, it may be the reason

they wiretap, to determine if the "political enemy" knows about their crimes!

So, who killed the Kennedys? Nixon's wiretapping makes me wonder if there was more to the situation than we yet realize!

Irrespective of that deeper past, we know the Bushh is administration is both criminal and stole the Executive.
So, the same motive prevails here, spying to ensure/maintain a cover up of past crimes.

[morgan2]

5. I'd say its more likely they cover up their crimes

by collecting blackmail material on opponents and getting their friends in positions of power.