It’s not every day I would recommend a speech by a Senator, but Senator Ron Wyden recently gave a very important speech that you should read the whole way through.
The recent vote on putting the brakes on the US surveillance program was narrowly defeated and surprisingly not along the usual party lines.
There is a growing awareness and alarm by both sides of the political spectrum [NYT: A Bipartisan Warning on Surveillance] that what has been created is growing out of control beyond the original intent and is eroding America’s and the Founding Fathers principles.
If or when things change for the worse in our country, the Switch would be made and those in power (either right or left) would have access to an already in-place surveillance system – the most powerful the world has ever known – and no one would be safe.
“Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” said Lord Acton.
He also said, “Where you have a concentration of power in a few hands, all too frequently men with the mentality of gangsters get control. History has proven that,” as well as, “Everything secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity.”
In his speech Wyden warns that “if we don’t seize this unique moment in history to reform our surveillance laws and practices, we will all live to regret it.”
We are a turning point in American history and that’s why you should read this:
