[supercat]

And FReepers had better be willing to step forward and show what they have done to prevent the tapping of suspected mobster phones. If organized crime can be investigated through such means, then certainly those who mean to do great harm to random citizens deserve EQUAL (if not greater) surveillance.

If the government is unwilling to protect the borders, which pose the most clear and present danger to this country, why should one believe that it will use any tools it is given for the purpose of stopping the people we would call terrorists, as opposed to going after people who might try to force government accountability?

[weegee]

The plans and identities behind the USS Cole bombing and the 9-11 attacks were uncovered before the events.

Until Able Danger is investigated and government employees pay for their failures to act, we will not be 100% safe. You can make the same claim about the borders.

Some actions HAVE been thwarted already.

Not every government worker stands opposed to the policies of the nation or current administration.

We DO need to clean house and demand accountablity. We also need to prevent further attacks. Should no work be done on the levees in Louisiana until the governor, mayor, and contractors are investigated and punished for their actions that contributed to the failure of the levee walls and flooding of NOLA?

Sometimes you have to act and move forward while attempting to address other problems evident in the system.

Note that Able Danger's data collection occurred BEFORE there was a Patriot Act (although perhaps it made use of provisions enacted after the OKC bombing).