Monday, January 23, 2006

Why Bush Can Spy On You

According to General Hayden, who manages the wiretapping program, the NSA can spy on you if they have a "reasonable basis to believe" that you are working with Osama. Not probable cause, not evidence, "a reasonable basis to believe".

Given the other things Bush claimed to have a reasonable basis to believe, this is a pretty fucking frightening standard. I suppose this means that if your neighbor is captured by the CIA, taken for a two-year long torture stretch in the People's Democratic Republic of Scrotumrippia, and he screams out your name while he has an elephant's foot rammed up his ass, you can have your phone tapped (pending confirmation of your reservation in the Shiny Happy People's Democratic Republic of Boilyournutsoffwhileyouwatchia).

Don't laugh. This is pretty much how they connected Osama Bin Laden to Saddam Hussein.

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