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A new domestic wiretap law is looking like it will soon pass the House of Representatives (see this article for more information).

Among other things, this law will, for all intents and purposes, grant retroactive immunity to the telecommunications providers who, illegally, cooperated with past wiretap requests. Why are our representatives issuing a "Get Out of Jail Free" card to these organizations who deserve punishment for their criminal actions? This quote from the above-referenced article is very revealing:

Rep. Pete Hoekstra, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said the intelligence community depends on "the backing of patriotic private companies."

In other words, according to Representative Hoekstra, these organizations deserve to be let off the hook because they were patriotic. Perhaps, according to Hoestra's definition of patriotism, they were patriotic. I have to say though, that I have a different definition of patriotism. Continue reading "Patriotism and Wiretaps"