12605
« on: September 18, 2006, 10:05:45 PM »
I think this is one more instance of the right wing's naivete. In an ideal world where no government would ever dream of compiling lists of supporters and opponents, there's probably no reason to fear them snooping into your library records, phone calls or anything else. Hell, they are only going to use it to catch bad guys, right? Not a chance in hell that they'd be interested in blackmailing any political adversary they accidentally caught in an extramarital affair or checking out gay magazines behind the wife's back. Not a chance in hell that your application for a government job would be affected by the opinions you voiced in private conversations either.
But think about it. If there's no fear of government retaliation, why are there secret ballots? Why not just vote on everything by open show of hands?
A long time ago somebody figured out that democracy is fine, but the government does NOT have to know everything about you. They are NOT as benevolent as some of our right-wing friends seem to think. They are not above making lists and figuring out who is their kind of people and who is not. So the right to privacy is fiercely guarded by those who care about real political freedom - - and tossed to the winds by those who do not.