Tamm The Traitor
December 17, 2008 / 10:46 am • By Dr. Melissa ClouthierYou know the NSA’s wiretapping permission? They get to listen in on foreigners blabbing about killing Americans and plotting badness. It’s how the Indian government knew about the Bombay bombing plot ahead of time but did nothing about it (small detail).
There are government agents sitting around listening to these inane conversations and they have to sort through the general infidel talk and find credible threats. Sometimes these terrorist jokers call an American citizen.
People concerned about civil liberties (and who isn’t) don’t like the idea of some government guy listening in on their scintillating conversations. On the other hand, there won’t be civil liberties to protect if there is no civilization because freaking death loving jerks obliterate it.
Well, a dude inside the NSA didn’t like the secret wiretapping of anyone, forget Americans, and “blew the whistle”. And by blowing the whistle, I don’t mean that he went to another agency big wig. He went to the ethical arbiter The New York Times and now, he’s explaining himself in Newsweek. From Wired (via Glenn Reynolds):
Opinions are divided on whether Thomas Tamm, the original source for The New York Times 2005 story on the NSA’s warrantless wiretapping, should be prosecuted for revealing classified information. Tamm is a former justice department prosecutor.
You know what? Tamm belongs in jail. He’s no patriot. He’s a traitor. His actions tipped terrorists and put soldiers in harms way. Screw him. This whole thing just angers me to no end. When you’re at war, and America and the whole of the democratic world is at war, you use what technology you can to help your side win.
I know there are complexities here and it I’m not tone-deaf to the concern over an individual’s right to privacy. Still, I don’t give a hot damn about a terrorists right to privacy. And if he calls America to talk to brother Hussein Mohammed, I want to know that too. When you’re buddies with a terrorist, you become suspect. Associations do matter (note to Barack Obama) and they can be leads to preventing crime.
Do Americans think that we’ve been attack-free for lo these many years because threats don’t exist? They exist. And they’re stopped. And they’re stopped by means such as the warrantless NSA programs. And I’m sorry it offends Mr. Tamm’s sensibilities. Too. Damn. Bad. This is a s time when you go through the proper channels or you shut the hell up. Newsflash Mr. Smartypants, this isn’t theoretical constitutional law here, lives are involved.
Okay, rant over. At Wired, they have a survey to decide which side is right. Go vote.
Cross-posted at RightWingNews.com
3 Responses to “Tamm The Traitor”
December 17 2008 / 11:24 am
Reply
Melissa, this is one article in which I agree with u to a certain extent, but let me tell u why the other side or atleast I disagree. I understand that what the NSA does is useful to learn about possible harmful talk, but it is kinda like using a short cut because u are too lazy u to use the longer path – but the short cut impinges on the freedom of the citizens. I have 2 points to make
1. Profiling people that are recorded. Which means that just because I am Indian, they record me and they dont record u because u are American. But it might be more likely that u could be more of a threat than me. If the Government wants to record conversations, It should come out in the open and let the people know the criteria it uses to record conversations. It cannot be like the “Random Selection” they do at the airports.
2. It kinda invades your privacy. When I am on the internet, I dont want people to see what I am doing. By recording my calls, the government tries to pry into my personal life which I dont want. If u are willing to let them record ur phone conversations, I cant understand are u so averse to them recording the number of guns you own??
Let the government listen to everything we do and before u know it, it could lead to a a government purging unfriendly or unappreciative people which will take us back to the cold war age. I think this country stands for freedom of thought and by listening in on its citizens the government directly steps on this right.
December 17 2008 / 12:31 pm
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Karthik:
They were only wiretapping calls coming from or going to known terrorist regions.
In other words, International calls.
As far as some of your other points: Which means that just because I am Indian, they record me and they dont record u because u are American. But it might be more likely that u could be more of a threat than me.
Highly unlikely: Dr. M is also a white, Christian woman and since white, Christian women don’t fit into the terrorist demographic there’d be nothing to gain by wiretapping. Please don’t misunderstand, I’m NOT saying you are a threat at all, just pointing out that all of the international terrorist attacks lately have not had a white Christian woman among the perpetrators…
However, for a person here from the Middle East, calling back to the Middle East to hook up with his terrorist homeboys – yeah, we need to keep an eye on that.
It cannot be like the “Random Selection” they do at the airports.
It’s not, and Random Selection is stupid. My nearly 80 year old Grandmother got harassed at the airport because she set off the metal detector, even after she told the guy she’s had a total knee replacement surgery and she’ll never get through the metal detector because she has a bunch of metal gears where her knee used to be.
Tell me who an 80 year old woman who can’t walk without a cane is a threat to.
It kinda invades your privacy.
No, it absolutely does invade your privacy, but only if you’re making or receiving international calls to known terrorist regions.
I cant understand are u so averse to them recording the number of guns you own??
They already do, as we have to register guns here.
I think this country stands for freedom of thought and by listening in on its citizens the government directly steps on this right.
Now this I just don’t follow: How am I listening to what you say infringing on your right to say it? That’s a logical leap you just can’t make.
December 18 2008 / 2:43 pm
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Agree 100%. Concerned about civil liberties? Let the terrorists set off an A-bomb in Washington, DC, and in addition to our returning to an 1800s economy, complete with real horse power, there will be a 99% consensus among Americans to eliminate any right that conflicts with security.