farbot.com

It's been a while since this topic bubbled back up into the public spotlight, but immunity for the telecom giants that handed over billions of user phone records to the Federal Government here in the United States without a single warrant was put in the most recent FISA bill. The Senate passed it just before Congress went on recess and the topic of immunity actually had some resistance in the House, delaying consideration of the bill. The President has said he will not sign a FISA bill without telecom immunity. This of course leads his cadre of faithful lackeys in the legislative branch scrambling to give him this bill on a silver platter. The fact that it has gotten any resistance is surprising to me.

I'm disgusted by the government's attempt to sweep this completely illegal breach of privacy and consumer data under the rug for two big reasons. One, it creates a massive honeypot of data to be attacked and copied by black-hat crackers and hackers. Two, it flies in the face of one of the founding princples of this entire country and why it runs: The Rule of Law.

Without the idea that laws apply to everyone, including huge corporations, the business world descends into utter chaos. Imagine what corporations would do if they believed they could be granted immunity after the fact? Would there be any limits to the reach of the Federal Government if all it had to do was promise immunity to big business in return for their cooperation handing over ridiculous amounts of data about us? Data we can't help but disclose or accumulate in our daily lives?

This is the biggest danger of granting immunity to the telecoms. It's not like we can choose to live off the grid, not in this economy. We are slaves to the carriers, and their already hyperinflated and hyperextended sense of importance and god-like power over their fiefdoms would be impressively expanded by this grant of immunity. If Congress can't stand up to them now on something as cut and dry as the rule of law, do we really expect them to stand up to them on such complex subjects as network neutrality.

Seriously, we have laws in this country so things can be flexible and not capricious. If Congress wants to let companies be immune to handing the Feds whatever they want, they should try and pass a law to allow it in the future in full view. Convincing them they'll get immunity later is dirty pool, and letting the telecoms do as they please with this kind of carte blanche -- actually, no, letting any big business do as they please with the prospect of retroactive immunity is extremely alarming. If sued they can always just drag it out in court until they get immunity written into a law for themselves by their friends in Congress.

Capricious rule is the hallmark of kings. And here in the US I thought we were founded to end oligarchies and monarchies. While money will always buy the ear of elected officials, money doesn't necessarily have to buy laws. In the end there are elected officials that make the decision, and citizenry who need to stand up and scream if they are being short-changed. Otherwise we are all serfs again and the illusion has been completely shattered.

I for one don't want to be a serf, which is why I've spoken up to my elected officials. Have you spoken up, or are you giving up your freedom in return for a little patch of land to till like a serf?