Actually fossil, what's goin on these days is an actual subversion of the actual legal process, which is what I take issue with.

My understanding is that they are currently bypassing the "due cause" area and starting wiretaps etc WITHOUT the necessary judicial branchs review and granting or denial of a search warrant, which is the accepted and time honored procedure. This actually borders, if not oversteps completely the legal bounds of this process, depending on whom is discussing it. To me, it indeed oversteps it.

This is the 2nd major deviation from our guaranteed rights under the constitution in my mind since 9-11. The 1st was when suspected terrorist were held past the normal 72hr period without being charged or released and that their rights to confidentiality with their attorneys has vanished like a fart in the wind.

Like I mentioned previously, any time such powers are used, they are just as likely to be abused before the judicail system will reign them in and in the meantime, civil right will just take a back seat while it get sorted out and THIS is what's scary to me !