Agreed. The “ends justify the means” mentality can supersede laws and regulations. I don’t want such power in the hands of a few, unelected individuals. We saw such abuses under Hoover and now the IRS. There have to be institutional limits—not dependent on trust and “good men.”
I think that it is oddly a good thing that abuses occurred under both Bush & Obama - it might help some to see it is not a partisan issue.
Of the progressives and Democrats I know, not one is upset with the IRS or NSA. They all believe the end justifies the means and they are intent on using the power they have to force their will on the rest of us.
IIRC, it began with smoking laws and taxes on tobacco. Once established they expanded government reach into other areas of our lives: light bulbs and low flush toilets, etc.
Maxine Waters let the cat out of the bag this month when she bragged about the Democrats database of voter information and that it would be available to Democrat candidates.
In Denver alone I know for a fact they can sort the information they have by blocks in neighborhoods, by R’s, D’s and I’s and by issue and voting patterns. Also by race or any other sort item within that database. It just depends on the algorithm query they want to use.
It’s all done with the end justifying the means.