A combination of two stories at AmericaBlog paint a picture of U.S. life inching rapidly towards totalitarianism:
First, a link to a NY Times article about changes in attitudes about using the Internet.
The government has been more aggressive recently in its efforts to obtain data on Internet activity, invoking the fight against terrorism and the prosecution of online crime. A surveillance program in which the National Security Agency intercepted certain international phone calls and e-mail in the United States without court-approved warrants prompted an outcry among civil libertarians. And under the antiterrorism USA Patriot Act, the Justice Department has demanded records on library patrons’ Internet use.
Those actions have put some Internet users on edge, as they confront the complications and contradictions of online life.
…
“It’s scary to think that it may just be a matter of time before Googling will invite an F.B.I. agent to tap your phone or interrogate you,” Ms. Farrell said.
You almost have to ask: If people are nervous about their private reading in their private homes, in what way are we free?
Second, the juxtaposition of two headlines paints a dark picture of priorities in the legal system:
War Protester Sentenced to 6 Months for Damaging Upstate Recruiting Station
vs.
No Prison Time for Soldier Held in Iraqi’s Death
