Living Down To Expectations

SW's Energy Gap: "The recent revelations that the Bush administration has likely been using the high tech capabilities of the NSA for the past five years to run an information gathering operation on their political enemies in the guise of the war on terror should surprise no one.The very definition in the common usage of the term 'Nixonian' is an inability to distinguish one's political security from national security.  To oppose the war in Iraq is not to oppose the U.S. Military or 'The United States'.  It is to oppose the policy of the current political leadership.  

We have a system of government that not only protects political opposition, but only functions when there is rigorous political opposition.  That is what keeps us from doing stupid things.  But the 'Nixonian' government, views dissent as treason, subversive and therefore a justifiable target of wiretaps.  The term Nixonian has been applied to this government for good reason.

Those who have spoken out against this government's policies must surely be aware of the potential consequences.  The NSA has impressive information gathering tools.  No one who participates in any sort of public forum should be naive enough to believe that they are granted any sort of real anonymity or not subject to some sort of probing.  So, when you throw around the word 'Nixonian' you expect this sort of behavior.  The degree of overt spying on US citizens, things that have already popped up in the media is enough to let you know that there is a lot more below the surface.

This is why this is such a dangerous thing.  When you realize that there were no impediments to getting legitimate authorization in the legal process it is clear that the reason that they needed to go around it is because they wanted to use the NSA for 'Nixonian' purposes.  That is to blur the line between national security concerns and policy differences.  This goes to the heart of the purpose of our constitutional form of government and was the basic underlying reason that RIchard Nixon was removed from office."