It has been on the news lately that the NSA was authorized by Bush to wiretap some 30 American citizens without judicial consent. I've been hearing all about how this is further evidence of our civil liberties being eroded away, blah, blah. To be honest, this news actually makes me more comfortable, and not because I think the tapping has helped us catch terrorists.
The NSA has been reputed to have a budget that is five times larger than that of the CIA. The general public has very little knowledge about what the NSA actually does. Especially after 9/11, I had assumed that the NSA was wiretapping tens thousands of Americans without judicial -or- presidential consent. The fact that there were only 30 cases, authorized by an elected representative, makes me feel better. The situation isn't nearly as bad as I thought it was. Leave it to hollywood to make us more paranoid than we really should be (Enemy of the State?).
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NSA has a budget five times that of the CIA simply because the CIA is old news.
Leaders in every government want and need to keep important information from outsiders – Remember that the public is only average. The easiest way to secure information resourcefully is with an agency that has a low profile.
Your average person has no idea what the NSA is, yet every 12 year old in the country knows what the CIA is.
Oh and wiretapping; I have no feelings on it…. A few Stupid terrorists will be caught, but we’re more worried about the smarter (?) ones.
In the long run they will adjust to it, but it might be effective in the short run.
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