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The tri-letters seek more and more access to personal data, yet their own transparency worsens and their operations are increasingly classified or confidential,

The tri-letters seek more and more access to personal data, yet their own transparency worsens and their operations are increasingly classified or confidential, even to members of Congress. We have more reason to be concerned about the dark areas of government than Mr. Comey's "dark room" of civil privacy. Defending civil liberties is an uphill battle because their importance is not as immediately apparent as the security predicament of the day. On the other hand, once the government gains a new mandate and new authority it's rarely willing to relinquish this power once the cause for the mandate has been resolved or the solution demonstrated unworkable. So we should be cautious about granting broad authority to solve today's problems; we'll have to live with the consequences tomorrow and days to come even if it's realized the cure was worse than the disease.

themartorana 10y ago
The end game of government is all dark-room. Bills are written in secret by lobbying groups, treaties are negotiated and signed in secret, the TSA can arrest people through secret laws, more and more government lawsuits are in secret, we can withhold prisoners indefinitely in secret, the fact that a secret organization contacted you and demanded secret information is secret. This isn't just TLAs, it's the entirety of government. Some bits and pieces are farther along than others, but it's all heading that way (same with local governments). Edit: did I mention starting/conducting wars through secret re-interpretations of existing laws? Edit 2: did I mention you can be prosecuted with secret evidence you and your lawyer aren't allowed to see?