It was revealed recently that the Justice Department has just stolen phone records and other information from the Associate Press. Over 50 news agencies have protested and Attorney General Eric Holder properly handed responsibility over to a colleague because he was already interviewed for the case.
Why Does This Matter?
It matters because it's a very public example of how the government can take away your rights any time they find it necessary. Usually the government notifies the news agency before it does such things so that their can be some discussion on the matter. For example, if the US government is looking for a particular item there is no need to take unrelated information if possible. Reporters also have to try to protect their sources or risk the possibility of never having anyone give them a story again. There's a lot of trust that must be built up through relationships and actions to protect those relationships.
If the government takes what it wants, whenever it wants then they can violate your privacy whenever they please. People want to rant about the Obama Administration not following any rules, but the truth is the American government has historically ignored many of their own rules whether the President is a democrat or republican. There are clauses in the laws that give our government the right to invade any citizen's privacy whenever they "deem it necessary". All they have to do is call you a terrorist or associate you with one somehow.
Growth of Government Power
Despite the fuss over the budget, there is currently very little difference between the policies of our two party system. One thing they both have in common is growing the power and size of the US government. In recent years we have seen the criticism of Bush Jr./Cheney and now people are saying the same of Obama/Biden. Both administrations have terrible violations of civil rights on their records. The reality is much worse than the blame game politics show. This trend will continue unless there is major backlash from normal US citizens.
You can read the Washington Post article about this here.
Think. Organize. Protest.
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