To hear the privacy extremists tell it, you would think that abolishing government surveillance is, or should be, our top priority– miles ahead of wealth income inequality, healthcare, education, the environment, gun policy, and immigration, blah, blah, blah… Obummer is coming for you!
In the president’s recent speech accompanied by serious proposals addressing these dire concerns of vote-depressing trolls and strange bedfellows everywhere– from Russia to China– President Obama answered the call of the wild, yellow-bellied dude-bro by totally getting “it” and articulating very well the pros and cons of what it is they’re so concerned about.
But, as it turns out, however brilliant in his thorough analysis of where we are and how we got here in terms of foreign and domestic surveillance history– the president’s proposals just didn’t go far enough to free up our national defenses and classified materials for admitted hackers and cyber-terrorists of the world to exploit. Booooo!
If it doesn’t have famed champion of all-things liberty and freedom and privacy– Patriot Act author James Sensenbrenner(R-WI) on board– an expert on giving things names that sound patriotic and then literally turning the lights out while patriotism is being debated, there will be no peace and reconciliation until absolute privacy is a guaranteed right for all, except in cases of rape and incest. See terms and conditions for user agreement.
Which is kind of odd because U.S. surveillance isn’t exactly a high priority for Americans, but more and more just a knee-jerk attack line from the glorified fringe to forever taint the most progressive president in modern history whenever his name is mentioned. You take down that family photo of the Obamas immediately, Obama-lover!
Our actual national priorities in perspective:
Priorities, man. Priorities.