After Edward Snowden told the Guardian and the Guardian informed the world, U.S. Tech Companies are finally questioning programs they've cooperated with for years.
Wouldn't it have been wonderful had we but a single company as concerned with the Constitution as it is with profit? Had that been the case, regardless of the Fisa orders requiring nondisclosure, the company still could have raised the issue of electronic surveillance for in depth public discussion. But since these companies use the technology to gain as much information about users as possible, one can understand why the issue was not raised. The issue would have conflicted with making as much money as possible.
The threat to American democracy does not come from terrorism. It comes from government secrecy, corporate greed and the failure of the press to do its job.
The Constitution of the United States becomes a worthless document when corporate leaders, members of Congress and the press do relatively nothing as the 4th Amendment is sacrificed in the name of what, security? Our security as a democracy is based on the Constitution, not the ability to electronically monitor millions of people.
We had a war in Iraq because the press played cheerleader. Years ago, we flushed the 4th Amendment down the toilet and the majority of the press didn't even question it. Now, because of the actions of a single person, questions that should have been asked years ago are finally being raised.
The true traitors to democracy are those who fail to stand up for the Constitution when it is being threatened.
When journalism fails, bad things happen.
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Wouldn't it have been wonderful had we but a single company as concerned with the Constitution as it is with profit? Had that been the case, regardless of the Fisa orders requiring nondisclosure, the company still could have raised the issue of electronic surveillance for in depth public discussion. But since these companies use the technology to gain as much information about users as possible, one can understand why the issue was not raised. The issue would have conflicted with making as much money as possible.
The threat to American democracy does not come from terrorism. It comes from government secrecy, corporate greed and the failure of the press to do its job.
The Constitution of the United States becomes a worthless document when corporate leaders, members of Congress and the press do relatively nothing as the 4th Amendment is sacrificed in the name of what, security? Our security as a democracy is based on the Constitution, not the ability to electronically monitor millions of people.
We had a war in Iraq because the press played cheerleader. Years ago, we flushed the 4th Amendment down the toilet and the majority of the press didn't even question it. Now, because of the actions of a single person, questions that should have been asked years ago are finally being raised.
The true traitors to democracy are those who fail to stand up for the Constitution when it is being threatened.
When journalism fails, bad things happen.
###
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