Wait a minute...the Consti-WHAT-tion?

Another inflammatory day in the ongoing conflict between the dwindling base of American Judges willing to uphold the Constitution and the rights of the citizen, and the "Justice Department". If you can't detect the irony within that statement alone, then there's no point in me bungling my way through an explanation.
So, this is a battle that under the current political storm system a "Liberal" judge (in NeoCon speak LIberal Judge means "Horrible Godless Liar and Death-Bringer to Peace-Loving Supporters of the Military-Energy Power Establishment) is fighting a losing battle, but yesterday a flicker of light in the growing dark: U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs issued a ruling declaring, basically, that the wiretaps and overall spying program that the NSA is conducting against its own people (those whom it purports to be protecting) is clearly unconstitutional, and must be stopped. Wow. Three cheers for the judge but for cripes' sake, is this news to anyone? I guess this is what it takes, a legally-researched and judge-supported official 'ruling', just to stamp it in permanent ink. Sort of like when the court ruled that nicotine was, in fact, a drug, some years ago...much to the amusement of the smokers of the world, but ultimately it was important that such a ruling was made. Sadly that's what it takes in our country today. The spirit of the law has very nearly vanished, it's only the letter of the law that matters anymore.
So, of course, the Justice Department (sorry, I had to stop there for a moment, I was just laughing too hard to type)...whew, okay, anyway: the Justice Department has predictably "vowed" (there's perhaps the most over-used and utterly disingenuous word in politics) to combat this judgement. Big surprise. When's the last time the Bush Administration and it's store-bought Judicial Wing ever listened to anyone else? No matter how impassioned their speech or backed with reason and law their argument? They certainly never listened to the American people, so why bother with annoying "renegade" judges and their "constitutional protections". The juiciest part, however, is their avowed tactic: They say that they have validity and proof of the President's legal right to order these wiretaps...but, umm, they can't show it to us because it would be a breach of national security.

I would like you, the reader, to take a moment and really let the awesome stupidity of that statement sink in.

In essence: We have the right to do what we want with your privacy, but we can't prove it because if we did then the world would blow up. So we're told to accept their word that they're listening to our phone conversations, thumbing through our library records...purchases on credit cards, magazine subscriptions, party and community organization and religious affiliations, charity donations, monitor our state-to-state travel, and of course any international travel, subjects studied at school, our income and records at our places of work, and anything else you can think of, we're told that all this is done for the sake of our safety, and that don't-you-worry, we won't do anything naughty with it...TRUST US. And by the way, it's all legal, we just can't show you why and to ask such a question means you're probably in Al-Queda. Are you in Al-Queda, commie-boy?

Furthermore, they will march into court and with their army of lawyers (far more powerful than the army currently in the Iraqi meat grinder) and extoll all the virtues of the system, while in their words "leading members of the intelligence community will testify to the many valuable uses and the crucial knowledge" that has been gained. But you know what guys?

THAT'S NOT THE BLOODY POINT!

Even if that crap your guys are spinning were true, that's not the goddamn point! The point is that this action is unconstitutional, and do we protect our country by turning our back on what it was supposedly founded upon? They'll argue that the information being gained is USEFUL! Ohh, well...hell's bells Ma Kettle! Bring it on! I didn't know it was useful! I guess we should make anything legal that someone finds useful, eh? You know what? I'd find it pretty goddamn useful to rob a handful of neighborhood banks, knock over a liquor store and mount a submachine gun on the hood of my car to get moron drivers out of my way! Let's make it legal! It's USEFUL!

Is it worth being "safe" by surrendering our rights? Are we even safe in the first place? No! Where's the benefit that they gas on about? We're less safe from international terrorism now than ever before in our country's history! Ever! That is fact which can be backed up by numbers or logic, or both...look it up! Now, what about "Leading members of the intelligence community"? Huh? That could be anyone! But you can bet it's not anyone who has anything bad to say about the programs or their supporters! Those kind of people don't keep their jobs in this administration, even reporters who ask the wrong sort of questions are threatened with inadmission to White House press conferences, which is essentially a career-ending blow to most journalists. THIS is freedom? Our country has a larger target painted on its back and on that of every single one of its citizens than it did fewer than ten years ago...and we can't even protect our people from storms predicted weeks in advance, or rebuild their homes after a year of promises! THIS is safety? Bullshit.

Wake up America, you have been lied to for decades, it's true, but now the lies threaten to cost your more of your freedom and privacy and civil rights than perhaps ever before.

The NSA eavesdropping program and all its satellite programs are unconstitutional and WRONG. There is no argument, there is no "mitigating factor" or legitimate rationale. The Executive Branch wants to increase its stranglehold on the very movements, expressions and personal development of its citizens, and it will brook no opposition. They will strangle us all until we have not even the breath to speak out in defiance. Because according to their rhetoric, defiance or even disagreement is tantamount to terrorism, sedition...heresy.

Well done, Judge Diggs. But beware appellate court: Bush, Cheney, Gonzales and all the rest of the Buckaroo Crew will be hitting back with everything they've got. And soon.