> It makes sense that US Intelligence is spying on foreign entities -- that's their job.
By your own standards the NSA by isn't doing their job, as they have been shown to be spying on US entities.[1]
> Foreign entities are not protected by the US constitution and are not covered by the Fourth Amendment and have no right to privacy from the NSA, CIA, etc.
The strongest justification, IMHO, for limiting spying to clear, identifiable enemies of the state that represent real threats - as opposed to blanket, dragnet surveillance of everyone, everywhere - does not come from the Constitution. The strongest argument comes from the basic principle that hypocrisy is bad, and we shouldn't engage in it on a personal or social or governmental level. By surveilling everybody, we lose the moral high ground on which to stand when criticizing the various dictatorships, tyrannies, and theocracies around the world that engage in massive surveillance in order to maintain their power. In short as the world's supreme military power, we owe it to the rest of humanity to do the right thing, act like adults and set a good example. Right now the NSA and the rest of the intelligence community makes our government look like a pack of lying hypocrites.
Yup. And it's simpler even - when China hacks in to Google, we get very, very upset. We puff our chests and Washington goes into a fury with Senators posturing all over the place.
Are you kidding me? It's almost comical, the straight face with which they act hurt that a foreign entity is spying on us and intruding in our networks.
By your own standards the NSA by isn't doing their job, as they have been shown to be spying on US entities.[1]
> Foreign entities are not protected by the US constitution and are not covered by the Fourth Amendment and have no right to privacy from the NSA, CIA, etc.
The strongest justification, IMHO, for limiting spying to clear, identifiable enemies of the state that represent real threats - as opposed to blanket, dragnet surveillance of everyone, everywhere - does not come from the Constitution. The strongest argument comes from the basic principle that hypocrisy is bad, and we shouldn't engage in it on a personal or social or governmental level. By surveilling everybody, we lose the moral high ground on which to stand when criticizing the various dictatorships, tyrannies, and theocracies around the world that engage in massive surveillance in order to maintain their power. In short as the world's supreme military power, we owe it to the rest of humanity to do the right thing, act like adults and set a good example. Right now the NSA and the rest of the intelligence community makes our government look like a pack of lying hypocrites.
[1] http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/01/nsa-surveillanc...