Is The Database of Intentions Just a Concept?

Is The Database of Intentions Just a Concept?: "Nope. (Thanks, BB).

From the post:

Vast deposits of personal information sit in databases across the internet. Terms used in phone conversations have become the grounds for federal investigation. Reputable organizations like the Catholic Worker, Greenpeace, and the Vegan Community Project, have come under scrutiny by FBI 'counterterrorism' agents.

'Data mining' of all that information and communication is at the heart of the furor over the recent disclosure of government snooping. 'U.S. President George W. Bush and his aides have said his executive order allowing eavesdropping without warrants was limited to monitoring international phone and e-mail communications linked to people with connections to al-Qaeda. What has not been acknowledged, according to the Times, is that NSA technicians combed large amounts of phone and Internet traffic seeking patterns pointing to terrorism suspects.

'Some officials described the program as a large data mining operation, the Times said, and described it as much larger than the White House has acknowledged.' (Reuters)

Combining a data mining operation with the Patriot Act's power to access information makes it all too easy for the federal government to violate the Constitution's prohibition against unreasonable search.


And.....the denouement:

It used to be you had to get"

Link