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Filanyon  ·  3947 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Why should an honest person care about NSA surveillance?

While I understand the sentiment, that kind of consent (eh, whatever, I expected it) is bad. Disregarding how the program is in total violation of the 4th amendment, and the NSA's charter document is secret (last time I checked), there is a relevant quote to the situation.

    If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him.
That was said by Cardinal Richelieu (featured in the Three Musketeers), and I find it quite fitting. There's also a book, Three Felonies a Day that discusses how everybody breaks at least one felony a day. The reason? There's so many different laws it's nigh-impossible for one person to keep track of. It's barring the absurd, in my opinion.