SENATOR SACRIFICING INDISPENSABLE LIBERTIES FOR INTERVENTIONIST FOLLY
By Thomas Ravenel || Shortly after the federal government’s domestic spy network was exposed last spring, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham – my Senator – went on national television to say he was “glad” the National Security Agency was monitoring, collecting and storing our personal information.
“I’m a Verizon customer,” Graham said. “I don’t mind Verizon turning over records to the government if the government is going to make sure that they try to match up a known terrorist phone with somebody in the United States. I don’t think you’re talking to the terrorists. I know you’re not. I know I’m not.”
I’m curious: Other than the Fourth Amendment (which Graham is explicitly rejecting), what other indispensable American liberties would he sacrifice?
The government’s Orwellian domestic spy web — courageously exposed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden — represents a clear and present danger to fundamental American freedom. Its very existence recalls a prescient warning from founding father Benjamin Franklin, who wrote “they who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Why is Lindsey Graham urging us to ignore this wisdom? Is it the perpetuation of our government’s “War on Terror” — which continues to needlessly shed American blood and tax dollars on engagements of dubious benefit? If so, Graham clearly needs to reacquaint himself with the concept of a cost-benefit analysis.
I am not arguing against national security — which even the most zealous pro-liberty advocate should recognize as a core function of government. I am simply saying Graham’s definition of this function — like many of the Washington definitions he has embraced over the last two decades — is distorted. Our nation would be much more secure — and much freer — if it refrained from pursuing the costly and ineffective interventionist foreign policy advocated by Graham and his neoconservative allies.
Responding to criticism of the domestic spy scandal, President Barack Obama recently announced “reforms” to the program — although they did nothing to restore our lost liberties.
Obama’s solution involves forcing private-sector providers to retain this data — an arrangement that preserves government’s ability to access our private information while at the same time freeing up NSA hackers to engage in even more sophisticated data collection efforts.
None of this should make my senator “glad.” It should make him outraged. And if he doesn’t understand that, maybe he shouldn’t be my senator — or your senator — anymore.
Thomas Ravenel
Charleston, S.C.
75 comments
For a coke-head, Thomas speaks a lot of sense and truth. I 100% concur with his writings, above.
I’m still trying to figure out why all the up votes here on the libitard comments are by “Guest”? WTF??
Maybe there are some readers who don’t comment but peruse the comments and like what they agree with?
Maybe said people just don’t like comments like yours?
Possible. More likely they log off and on using different pseudonyms and a MAC spoofer.
I’m not spoofing anything. And you’re still an idiot, Frank.
would you like to get together over coffee and discuss this? i can make this happen and then all cards would be on the table :) find out who is right and who is full of bullhockey
Ruh Roh Shaggy. Sunshine, when I asked if you wanted to whoop on a yankee for me, it was figurative baby. :-*
i wont have to raise a finger honey :)
isnt she precious?
Not feelng the love, Frankie? Hell, I’ll give you an upvote!
Thank you. :)
Damned Tango has a single, mysterious Guest friend as well.
Undoubtedly
Says the coke head sell out to “reality” tv.
Last I heard liberals love letting folks use drugs. You’re stepping outside the talking points. Be careful. NSA is watching Everyone. Especially those that don’t espouse the terrestrial demiGod’s dictates. Tsk Tsk.
He’s a freaking embarrassment and wants to run for office again.
You weren’t arguing embarrassment, you were arguing drug addict. Which one? You weren’t arguing both. It’s certainly reasonable for you to do both, but you really should put your cards on the table when you call.
Anyone can play the sky is falling and what if all day long. The reasonable way to debate is to simply put forward your ideas and let them stand on the merits, not change them to suit the argument.
Well Frankie boy, lets just call your hero TR both a cokehead and a embarrassment and be done with it.
Yes, the mind of a true intellectual. When you can’t produce facts, produce insults.
(see insult above)
infinitely regressive insult text machine.
This from one who claims he voted for Barack Obama for President to help hasten the collapse of the American government.And he is questioning someone’s “intellect?”
Not that I believe him mind you.Hes just a lying sack of manure.
Well if he voted for Oshit, to hasten the decline of the American Government, it’s working. The problem is the whole country is going with it!
Insults aren’t as easy as you think – especially the ones I craft. It’s an art form if you do it right.
I was commenting not debating… but you knew that, didn’t you.
Debate is what the reply button is for. If you don’t reply, then you’re making a comment.
Well, that rule is broken here everyday. Even by you. Bless your heart.
SCBlueWoman
are you blue because you are sad? you portray yourself as a southern woman. are you? I know Frank Pytel has asked you a few times if you are from the south. you do understand that just because you live in the south, that does not make you from the south. it does not even make you a southerner.
you use “some” southern phrases but in the wrong context. do you need some lessons from a real southern woman?
bless your heart. you are so special. :)
Oh Damn. The DAWG is of the chain.
BBwwahahahahahahahahaha. :-* Thanks Sunshine
Bless your heart. I’ve said before that I was born in the Carolinas 61 years ago to a farming family. My family tree goes a long way back. Aren’t you special for giving a shit.
can you trace all the way back to the mayflower? i am an adopted Carolinian… my “precious heart” comes from Georgia… and i am a PROUD DAWG! and a true southern woman
i actually dont give a shit. i do have one question for the moment… do you own a purple dress?
Do you own a purple dress?
i am too young for my purple dress. i have a lavander dress. i have a few years before i qualify for my purple dress. and from your response, you have no clue to the reference… which is one any good southern woman would know. precious child
Bless your heart and FU.
no thank you
i have values
your little white socks are precious!
Bless your heart.
you try SO hard
your mama would be proud
go you!
A good southern woman knows that reference is from 1961 and an English poet, Jenny Joseph. Bless your precious heart.
Rough day?
Seems that you are having one.
No me. She will eat you up. DAWG’s are like that. Good Luck. You’re gonna need it, Precious. :-)
which definition of debate do you subscribe to? Damned Tango’s?
I could care less what this idiot crib robber has to say!
The GOP should ban the likes of Ravenel, Ard, Harrell, Sanford,Eckstrom, the Peelers, etc. They are all a bunch of important feeling, sick, slime.
I’m a long time Republican contributor and operative in the party and I will be mute and sitting on my money until the Party rights itself. I will NOT support any candidates who do NOT renounce this bunch of reprobates.
And Gov. Haley that goes for you too. Transparent, yeah..just like Obama! You have been a terrible disapointment.
GOP straighten up or you are going to loose many more…pathetic.
Like your pic, Frank. Did you get the hump removed or just photoshop it out?
You’re the one with time to photoshop all day long.
All day? You’re out of your friggin gourd…
Republican learning curve.
Mind showing me some of your art?
It’s the way he’s standing.
Parsifal had a picture taken once so that you couldn’t tell he had a missing arm.
we had him get the surgery a few months ago. he is MUCH better now :)
Didn’t seem to help his intelligence much.
Careful. That ain’t me. And you will be sore. Mmmm Hmmmm.
Frank – you’re an idiot.
I think you and frank need to get a room, have rough sex, hate on each other some more, then have some more sex.
Wash, Rinse, Repeat until one of the two of you can’t stand.
You wish.
“…don’t espouse the terrestrial demiGod’s dictates…”
TBG thinks you may have “stared into the Abyss”* for too long and now something is staring back…… Back away slowly, cousin.
*”stared into the Abyss” is TBG’s clever euphemism for “read BigT/GrandTango’s comments”.
why shouldn’t this fucking wretch believe he can get a shot? if i was a twisted wretched money whore i guess i’d be kissing tea party ass. there is nothing preventing this disgusting piece of elite refuse from being elected to public office in SC.
I’ll never forget the “Meet the Press” interviews with Graham when he was an outraged congressman eager to destroy Clinton for his sexual indiscretions. He reminded me of the little piccaninny that dances to the Massa’s request on the old plantation. Fellow guests and the moderator appeared to me to be making fun of this hick with his southern stupid accent so eager to make his moral statement in his cornpone way-and he had no idea that they were. That this pathetic sixth grade haircut wearing embarrassment could be SC SENIOR senator from SC is just perfect. Let’s re-elect him-serves us right.
So I guess you don’t like him much?
I guess that it is too late for Ravenel to go away gracefully.
But not too late for you…
I watched one episode of Southern Charm. Did this guy look like a creepy old man hanging out with a bunch of really dumb kids or what? Truly pathetic. My son, came in while I was watching. He had no clue what I was watching. I told him it was a show about people in Charleston who are obviously too dumb to do anything else. Now granted, 20 year olds are no judge of age, but he saw Ravenel talking to one of the girls on the show and asked if he was her dad. I could only respond, “No, I guess he is her drug dealer.”
Didn’t he renounce his US citizenship? Can’t we just deport him?
Him and Bieber.
Think of it this way, if he gets elected we can do both ceremonies at once. One for the oath of office, the next for the renunciation.
Graham’s a fucking idiot. He’s all giddy about privacy invasions to catch them terrorists without even thinking for a moment what the implications would be if the United States government one day decided to alter who it defines as terrorists.
Today, Muslim extremists. Tomorrow, protesters, demonstrators, people critical of the government, political enemies…
Graham doesn’t seem to be worried about it because he’s on their side either way, perhaps. After all, the mob doesn’t whack you if you’re on their good side and doing valuable work for them. At least, until you become expendable. Graham will be sure to show his value to his moneyed masters, for sure.
That is “terriss” according to his campaign ad
Hey, T-Rav, you had a chance to make a difference. You blew it.
Go away, please.
…actually he snorted it…
Dear Thomas Ravenel
We hope your enjoying your rounds at the links this afternoon. As far as this informational piece is concerned, we highly wager that any federal worker would find your thoughts very disgusting. Really think hard Thomas. While your points concerning the NSA out of bounds spying are thoughtful; where is your thoughts on the silence from US Senator Lindsey Graham concerning Hillary Clinton’s “We came we Saw, and He DIED” fiasco results in Benghazi..? Thomas would you say such a thing..?
Don’t smile and think “What difference does it make..”!!
The fact that you do NOT lump Tim SCOTT or James CLYBURN into the same pot is also very telling. The only reason you are not mentioning SCOTT or CLYBURN is the FACT that all three are sitting ducks.
You just pick on the one that is easiest.
I give you credit for having balls big enough to make a public statement after that ridiculous television debacle. I doubt anyone cares what you say about anything anymore, but it is still a free country. Just think if you had not been so busy making a fool of yourself the last few years you would probably be leading in the polls right now. We love to elect hypocritical horses asses in South Carolina just ask Mark Sanford.
Did you hear that SCDOT is changing the name of the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. bridge to the Thomas Ravenel bridge?
Because of all the WHITE LINES running down the middle.
Contempt for freedom?
He’s been bought and sold more times than a 69 Chevy. He doesn’t have any contempt for *anything*.
I just noticed, Hardees has a cod sandwich aka Lindsey Graham special on sale. Just thought everyone would like to know. LOL
He has a point. If you’re buying cocaine, it’s not good for the government to be listening to your phone calls.
Graham has a sickness between his ears. And he is no friend of the voters of South Carolina. Seriously, the man should be banished from the state.