Spycraft Slips into Spending Bills

Congress recently passed an $886 billion defense package, extending controversial warrantless surveillance along the way. Tucked within the sprawling legislation was a 4-month reauthorization of Section 702 powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

Enabling Unfettered Monitoring of Americans

Section 702 enables the NSA to surveil digital communications of foreigners abroad. But in practice, this sweeps up American citizens in the process without needing a warrant.

The provision was set to expire on December 31st. But rather than instituting reforms, legislators opted for an extension, kicking the can to April 2024. This comes despite past abuse of FISA for political aims.

Trading Liberty for Promised Security

Benjamin Franklin’s wisdom rings relevant: “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

FISA tramples over privacy rights in the name of security. But unfettered surveillance irrevocably alters the balance between state power and individual autonomy. Such lopsided arrangements tend toward totalitarianism.

Opting Out of Social Contract Violations

When governments breach agreements with the people, withdrawal of consent represents recourse. Peaceful nonparticipation provides leverage, limiting the reach of overgrown institutions.

One method lies in restricting financial surveillance. Bitcoin protects purchasing power outside the banking system, operating beyond the grasp of state-sponsored inflation. Its encrypted transactions preserve privacy where traditional payments expose.

Opt-out alternatives erode the power of institutional overreach. When authority defaults to control over individuals, tyranny results. But decentralized technologies return leverage to users, restoring equilibrium.

True security arises from just governance, not despotism. Authority grounded in wisdom secures for all people safety alongside essential liberty. Let us reconsider what purchases temporary gains at permanent loss. The path ahead remains open to write.

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