Hacker News Reader

Comment by themartorana | Hacker News Reader

"Blah blah national security just this one time in this focused fashion. Plus we've been doing it for 5 years already..."

Fast forward 10 years...

"Blah blah national security just this one time in this focused fashion. Plus we've been doing it for 5 years already."

Fast forward 20 years...

"...intelligence bill will give the FBI the right to enter your house and confiscate your possessions, without a warrant, in total secret..."

View on HN

Don't forget the "we need a balance" statements, even though it's the U.S. government that has long moved away from that balance, and now just wants to be able to do whatever it wants, whenever it wants it, to whoever it wants, with no oversight.

The worst part is we just have to slowly watch it happen. As Snowden says, our ability to meaningfully oppose the state has been undermined.

Every "balance" argument is a strait up con. http://www.everydaynodaysoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/...

I hate when balancing tests are invoked when the law is clear on its face.

But the 4th amendment is different than the 1st and the 2nd. It has balancing built into it, by only prohibiting "unreasonable" searches and seizures. It's as if the 1st amendment said "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of reasonable speech" or if the 2nd amendment said "the right of the people to keep and bear arms reasonably, shall not be infringed."

Reply on news.ycombinator.com