I am a World Trade Center Survivor. I was one of the thousands to run from the building that fateful Tuesday morning and I spent the following months going to funerals for co workers. This had a profound effect on my politics. Prior to 2001 I was a Heinlein libertarian (also known as a neo libertarian these days) and on 9/12 I was ready to sign over as much power as possible to the government to ensure that this sort of thing never happened again. Over time, a more rational mindset re asserted itself and I am becoming increasingly horrified at where our civil liberties have eroded to. The CIA and Homeland Security have a tough job, but enough is enough. Here is the latest example…

The CIA has been combing through banking records in the Belgium Swift banking coop, looking for terrorist funding, according to this article in the IHT. Stop and think a moment about that. Foreign banks have traditionally been where individuals and corporations go for a little privacy in their financial dealings. Domestic banking records have long been obtainable via court order (and since these days that is sometimes by passed due to security concerns, it probably can be done at will). If you are a citizen of the peoples republic of EU, how would you feel knowing that a foreign power has the ability to access your banking records at will. The lawsuit brought by two US banking customers is hitting stiff resistance from the US government who states these operations are necessary for our security.

Now these records are accessible to the CIA in the name of security. As are phone records (thank you ATT) ISP records and just about any chat or email conversation. If this is being done in the name of national security, what if other non security crimes are discovered? Are they prosecutable?

Why before you know it they will start censoring blogs and then I wont be able to chat with you all anymore.