Are your phonelines safe?

Paranoid people had a field day when congress legalized warrant less phone tapping of suspected terrorists to the National Security Agency. An agency made for cryptology, the NSA was secretly authorized to phone tap by the president after 9/11. Many people are wondering "how much should the government know?"

Bush has once again run into the alley on the bad side of the town as many clamor angrily against him for his authorization without the project's legalization. Unfortunately, most have already been subdued by the seemingly omnipotent question "What can we do?". This is truly a tragedy where the man on top remains unscathed for his wrong actions, such as Clinton's last day pardons. We need laws against such actions, but I cannot stray from the subject.

While its authorization was wrong, the warrant less wiretapping of the NSA has made substantial findings. In 2003, using satellites to identify his position, the NSA nabbed Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the 9/11 mastermind*. Utilizing a huge computer system called Echelon, they look for "phrases, names, phone numbers, and addresses"* trying to draw connections between them. In addition, this surveillance is a two-sided economic issue as well. Since 9/11 the estimated budget of the NSA has doubled to $9 billion, yet people doubt the proper management of the money as the NSA struggles keeping up with today's technologically advanced world*. On the other hand, it employs 30,000 to 40,000 people, pumping money back into the tax-payers*.

All in all, it comes down to how much we wants the government to know. I feel that there is no problem with the wiretapping. They wiretap only suspected terrorists and I myself have nothing to hide. As long as we treat these suspected terrorists innocent until proven guilty as well as with dignity and respect, and if the NSA program uses its budget effectively, no one should have a complaint. Hopefully, America can someday be a beacon of peace in foreign relations and the NSA will no longer be necessary, but until we resolve our conflicts this program only adds to our security.



* "America's most secret agency"; The Week; August 31, 2007; http://www.theweekmagazine.com/