so why are so many people worried about the phone tapping done by Bush?

i don't have anything to hide, but i think it's scary to have your government think its their business to spy on their citizens. Just like Big Brother. its freaky. if they do that, what will they do next?

The problem is that once you open the door and allow spying into peoples private lives for any reason, it can spin out of control. For example, if the government decides that some certain behavior is "dangerous" or "un-american" or what have you, they can spy on you without your knowledge.

Its much safer to say no from the start. They dont need to spy into peoples lives without telling anyone. Thats something out of Nazi Germany or the Soviet Union.

As far as Im concerned, if the FBI has suspicions about someones activities, they can go get a warrant like everyone else and do it legally.

Americans have gotten used to having their freedoms and when we feel the government is trying to take those freedoms away from us, we have a tendency to really rebel. I understand why the President wanted to monitor and tap phone lines as they saw fit and do understand that those phone lines being tapped where those that had ties with terrorists. But, there is always that fear that someone in authority will allow the phone tapping to get out of control and find that they are tapping just about anyone they want to, terrorist ties or not. Basically, an abuse of power. My family and I rarely talk on our phone and then we don't really talk about anything important. So anyone tapping our phone line would probably fall asleep listening to us. The UK has had very good luck with their phone taps and monitoring bank transactions and have stopped some very serious terrorist plots.

... well... I don't have anything to hide...

and I don't have a problem with it... as long as there is oversight...

that seems to be the key problem... Bush wanted to do away with the oversight? what is he trying to hide?

if he's doing what he should be doing... then it shouldn't matter if other government officials can approve what he's doing...

spying on people without oversight is what the soviets used to do... I remember a time when people heard about it going on in Russia and shook their heads and said "that could never happen in America, I'm glad we live here"

why is it that those that support these ideas now, believe they are the most patriotic?

I don't have anything to hide... does Bush... he can see mine if other people can see his?

I think that's MORE THAN FAIR...

Can I come in your living room and "keep and eye on" what goes on in your house.

People like you do nothing positive for society. I can't comprehend why it is some peolpe jump at the chance to let the government do as they please all in the name of safety.

EDIT TO ADD----

Yes you are right...my 6 years in the Navy does nothing to compare to your 2 years as a prison guard...my bad...what WAS I thinking...

And by the way...I am a woman...F U C K Y O U

Nice quote from "A Few Good Men"...couldn't come up with anything yourself?

It's an intrusion of privacy.

Its perfectly alright with you, but I would rather not have government servants sharing my phone conversations with my girl friend, or my investment strategy with my broker, or deals with my business partners, or health problems with my doctor or psychiatrist, or my child's problem with the teacher, etc, etc.

Could you vouch each government lackey to be perfectly honestm with no malice at all time? The prospect of those information being used to disadvantage me is disconcerting to say the least.

No, it doesn't bother me, either.

And it's not ALL Americans who are worried about it. I'd guess that the folks who already don't like the president are the ones who whine the loudest. That's just because its fashionable to whine when the man you voted for didn't win the election. I whined about Clinton for 8 painstakingly long years.

I have been verrry impressed with how efficient the UK has been in tracking and capturing terror cells. You guys "get it" and have it together. Hopefully the whiners won't hinder us over here.

Must be too many with water leakage all around that he has to sent the tap men to put the tape on it in planet of apes.

Mind if I share a quote to illustrate my opinion? "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

-- Ben Franklin (1755)

When those in authority say "Hey, it shouldn't matter to you, if you're not hiding anything," to justify invasion of privacy, I'd reply "Just because I'm not showing everything doesn't give you the right to assume I'm hiding something."

Move to England! Rest of us like our privacy and value others!

As far as water bottles: human bodies are composed of 70% water and you can drink several bottles of water before getting on a plane go figure!

Nitroglycerin is so unstable and so sensitive to movement and shock that almost no one can handle it. The thought of someone carrying it around in a water bottle is a joke. The person would blow up long before they reached the airport.

Bush adm. and Blair both use fear tactics and it sounds like you believe everything they tell you!

Because it's a violation of the constitution and personal privacy. It also borderlines communism and a dictatorship in terms of the whole "big brother" concept.