Reports that the NSA is collecting extensive phone and Internet data from U.S. citizens have ignited a debate about privacy versus security among government officials and American citizens. Jim Harper, Director of Information Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, weighs in on the controversy.
“If we’re gonna have a debate about privacy versus security let’s have it in the open," Harpe says. "Let’s have some oversight of the National Security Agency and let’s have some oversight on the part of Congress. We in the public need to oversee our Congress much better because they’re not doing their job so far.”
Harper adds that collecting all the data from every American’s phone calls “can’t possibly be useful for link-based investigation.”
Just who is this obscure personage called "Government"? Are they truly 2-headed aliens secretly listening to every communication amongst 300 million USA humans? Are they hanging on my secret recipes discourse with grandmama? Don't you dare, bad alien what-ever-you-are! I am not willing to let you solve crimes, murders and even prevent those innocuous events if it means you over-hearing my apple pie recipe. I was born suspicious and ever vigilant on outing you – alien entity.