Has the chairman of House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence usurped the roles of his House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs counterparts at the expense of his own committee’s oversight responsibilities?
The USA Freedom Act expiration deadline is an opportunity to holistically address the wide range of these abuses, as well emerging technologies that further threaten the constitutional rights and privacy of all of us.
We shouldn’t fear the U.S. turning into Orwell’s dystopian nightmare just yet. But at a time when political dishonesty is rampant, we should remember 1984s most important lesson: The state can occupy your mind.
The last thing we want is executive branch departments and agencies unilaterally and selectively asserting what should or should not be considered legitimately classified information.
Journalists, commentators, and lawmakers must be more accurate and precise with their terminology. They must resist the temptation to confer legitimacy on an unproven "addiction," and they should be called out when they do so.
Anyone with an ounce of sympathy understands these calls, but we should keep in mind the difficulties associated with content moderation and the risks of crackdowns on particular kinds of content.