Secrecy is the linchpin of abuse of power, . . . its enabling force. Transparency is the only real antidote.

The domestic NSA-led Surveillance State which Frank Church so stridently warned about has obviously come to fruition. The way to avoid its grip is simply to acquiesce to the nation's most powerful factions, to obediently remain within the permitted boundaries of political discourse and activism. Accepting that bargain enables one to maintain the delusion of freedom - "he who does not move does not notice his chains," observed Rosa Luxemburg - but the true measure of political liberty is whether one is free to make a different choice.

As always with any discussion of elite immunity, it's crucial to note that what makes this development such a particularly warped travesty is that the very same elites who enjoy this immunity have created the world's largest, and the Western world's most oppressive and merciless, penal state for ordinary citizens.

[N]othing is less reliable than unchecked claims from political officials that their secret conduct is justified by National Security Threats and the desire to Keep Us Safe.

Beyond all the other reasons not to do it, free speech assaults always backfire: they transform bigots into martyrs.

It's common to go from 'crashing the gate' to guarding it.

Only In America can a renowned and devoted terrorism supporter like Peter King be the arbiter of national security and treason.