I have two things to say about the NSA gathering data from every major Internet social and e-commerce service, assuming it is true. Thing #1:

I wish I felt differently, but why does all this feel like we are whistling into the wind? The elected officials keep us focused on gay rights and abortion while it figures out who its enemies are in the name of security through every online service in the country, of which we willingly submitted all of our data and information. In another month, most of us will move onto the next government atrocity (or pseudo-atrocity). Saddened? Yes. But the ’60s are over and the hippies became yuppies. Surprised? Not one bit.

And thing #2:

There’s somethin’ happenin’ here
What it is ain’t exactly clear
There’s a man with a gun over there
Tellin’ me, I got to beware

…

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you’re always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away

Okay, so I didn’t say the latter. Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield did almost 50 years ago. Some things don’t change.

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Updated: apparently maybe not true. Glad I added that caveat originally. All the same, my sentiment doesn’t change.