[dirtboy]

I think the "cause" is the WOT, and connecting the dots from suspected terrorist is why they need data in advance.

Well, that means until terrorism ends, the government can have whatever data it wants and can use it in any manner that it wants?

Sorry, that is not cause. Like I said, the government had the info it needed to solve 9-11 before it happened - but was unable to pull all the pieces together in time. And the answer to that is not to get more data, but use the data you have more effectively.

[Beagle8U]

"Sorry, that is not cause. Like I said, the government had the info it needed to solve 9-11 before it happened - but was unable to pull all the pieces together in time. And the answer to that is not to get more data, but use the data you have more effectively."

To "use data more effectively" you need tools to separate worthless data. I think this is such a tool if they have a suspected terrorist to track, they can instantly cross-link to numbers called by that person, and see if those numbers call others that link back making a circle, then they can get phone tap warrants.

I think the terrorist call to order a pizza would be quickly separated.

I really don't care if LEO's use it to track drug dealers either, I'm not one, nor do I know any.

[Mad Dawg]

Well, that means until terrorism ends, the government can have whatever data it wants and can use it in any manner that it wants?

Isn't that an extreme way of stating the case? Is anyone suggesting that the government can have whatever data it wants and use it however it wants?

I'm not sure where the limits should be, but I AM sure that we need to define "victory" in the "war on terror". I am aware of the open-endedness of the WOT as a plausible if not valid justification for all sorts of stuff.

But there IS currently a war, and wars call for, well, bad stuff.