| | I salute the author as well. The other thing that Americans seem to not understand is that perhaps your ordinary American has nothing to fear from his calls being tracked. But not all Americans are ordinary. Some are journalists that criticize the current administration. Some are politicians who dissent and likewise criticize this administration. Some are prominent scholars in think tanks such as ARI, TOC, Cato institute, etc. that criticize this President and his policies.
We know that Presidents will do what they can to discredit a dissenter by twisting the truth and propagandizing their political and intellectual opponents by using private information about their opponents obtained without any judicial oversight. Or use trumped up charges against a dissenter on crimes that barely meet the moral definition of a crime. Or private information that indicates no crime but are of an embarrassing, personal nature.
E.g., could a prominent journalist who criticizes the president abuse prescription drugs? Could happen, so why not as the President destroy his intellectual opponent by prosecuting his dissenter on the phony crime of prescription drug abuse? Information about that abuse that he obtained without any judicial oversight? Is it that far a stretch of the imagination?
Need we be reminded of history? Nixon, Johnson, et al all wiretapped dissenters and even each other!
And library records being obtained without warrant could undermine Free Speech. If I take out a book from the library where I disagree with the author's writings, say for example Mein Kompf or Das Kapital, am I then guilty by association? What if I just want to see the bad argument so I know how to argue against it? Would you feel free to take out any book that you wish to dissent against its author without fear of the government misconstruing your actions?
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