Sunday, May 07, 2006
Controversy. In. Action.
BTC News has this on the intelligence of the White House potentially appointing General Michael Hayden to Director of the CIA.
If you spend some time with this post you will see the extent of the controversy.
The debate over the terminology in the fourth amendment will in all likelihood remain a semantic one, regardless of the fact that "probable cause" really is the dominant term in said amendment, inherently preceding "reasonable searches and seizures."
One follows the other; Reasonable searches and seizures must be the effect of the probable cause, not the other way around. If it were the other way around we would be a totalitarian society, with the police "reasonably" coming into our homes and finding probable cause. That is just not how American society functions.
But there is an overarching concept here that I feel must be pointed out; That is regardless of these specific arguments, regardless even of this particular president, the Executive Branch has become too large. Maybe this is my libertarian shoulder devil speaking, but I think that president's over the last few decades have overextended their power in all aspects of Government.
Given articles like these:
1. Recent
2. And not so recent,
we see a trend that reaches deep into our modern history. Again it has nothing to do with either president, that is not the point. The point is the concept that the Executive is growing, and perhaps growing too large, is known and generally perceived to be a bad thing.
This should be addressed, but unfortunately I don't see that happening in the near future.
Most people would reach for the most power, but it is only the truly powerful who get it.
If you spend some time with this post you will see the extent of the controversy.
The debate over the terminology in the fourth amendment will in all likelihood remain a semantic one, regardless of the fact that "probable cause" really is the dominant term in said amendment, inherently preceding "reasonable searches and seizures."
One follows the other; Reasonable searches and seizures must be the effect of the probable cause, not the other way around. If it were the other way around we would be a totalitarian society, with the police "reasonably" coming into our homes and finding probable cause. That is just not how American society functions.
But there is an overarching concept here that I feel must be pointed out; That is regardless of these specific arguments, regardless even of this particular president, the Executive Branch has become too large. Maybe this is my libertarian shoulder devil speaking, but I think that president's over the last few decades have overextended their power in all aspects of Government.
Given articles like these:
1. Recent
2. And not so recent,
we see a trend that reaches deep into our modern history. Again it has nothing to do with either president, that is not the point. The point is the concept that the Executive is growing, and perhaps growing too large, is known and generally perceived to be a bad thing.
This should be addressed, but unfortunately I don't see that happening in the near future.
Most people would reach for the most power, but it is only the truly powerful who get it.
