The Real Danger of Wiretapping

Julian Sanchez has an Op-Ed at the LA Times which does a wonderful job reframing the debate over government wiretapping. The majority of the time the debate over government surveillance is considered a trade-off between privacy and security. Julian, however, points to the fact that the weight of history suggests the real value to be lost is political freedom and democracy.

Citing examples throughout the 20th Century, Julian notes that "Without meaningful oversight, presidents and intelligence agencies can -- and repeatedly have -- abused their surveillance authority to spy on political enemies and dissenters."

Have a read.