“MICHAEL RATNER, PRESIDENT EMERITUS, CENTER FOR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS: I sat there watching it really astounded, because…I think we got almost nothing in terms of actually reining in what I call this national surveillance state. And what was really amazing to me--you could tell it from the beginning--… is about the role of the Sons of Liberty and Paul Revere and the Revolution as spies, [Obama is] essentially saying spies are our patriots, spies are our heroes, surveillance, as he goes on to say, surveillance is essentially freedom. [Instead of saying] were citizens, were Americans, were protected by a constitution. We have a right to privacy. We have a right to First Amendment associations. And thats our core right. And yes, we may need to do surveillance for reasons, but we cant interfere with the core rights. So I knew from the beginning...that this thing was going in a very bad direction. And if I had to characterize it in one way, it would be a bouquet of roses to the national security agencies and the intelligence agencies, which us normal citizens, normal people came in really for the short shrift of protection. …what was sad about what he said about 9/11 is that it was a lie. Basically, we had the information to be able to stop 9/11. What they didnt do was put the information together. In other words, we had enough surveillance before 9/11 to stop 9/11, but they didnt do it. [so] how does taking in a billion phone calls a day, every single Americans phone call, really help do that? Its not about 9/11. Its not about stopping terrorism. They could do a much more limited program if thats what it was about.”
Posted on: Tue, 21 Jan 2014 22:09:19 +0000
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