Convenient Libertarian

I admit it, I want my liberty only to the point of my safety.  In this way I FAIL as a "libertarian".  Were it not for the libertarian party's penchant for being anti-military and anti-police, I would say I had found a home.  I'm with them on taxes, I'm with them on guns, I'm with them on social issues.

But on this NSA thing, I drift towards the middle.  Glenn Beck and Michael Moore are in agreement that NSA data-mining is wrong.  I'm of the opinion that they both are out to lunch on this issue.

First of all - anyone who is actually surprised or shocked that such a program exists, and has existed for half a century, is either incredibly stupid or naive.  And anyone who doesn't think there are far more invasive programs also in place is also one of these two adjectives.

I'm happy to blast Obama and his administration on the seemingly endless parade of scandals; but the government collecting a massive data-base of phone calls is not one of them.  I support my president on this issue and hope the program and other similar ones continue.

I guess I'm not a true libertarian in the sense that I don't feel the need to be free from the state when it comes to me and my family surviving on this planet.  Radical Islam, both the millions of zealots who openly proclaim it and the millions more who are complicit in it's actions, is the single greatest threat to our way of life and freedom in the world.  I want my government to do what I pay it to do and make sure that it doesn't grow back to what it was pre-9/11.

It is our military and it is our intelligence community that keeps us safe.  When we handicap them we put our own lives in jeopardy.

This is not to say that there shouldn't be some oversight, but I put the emphasis on "some".  Realistically, we have to concede that there is some dark shit afoot that must be allowed to exist, so that the bad guys are kept at bay.

This douche bag Snowden is a traitor to his country.  If he really felt compelled by his conscience to reveal the NSA data-mining program, there are a million ways he could of done so without fleeing to China, of all places, like a chicken-shit.

By running like a little bitch to the nastiest government on earth, he has shown his true colors - that he has no love for the USA and that he will sell us all out to an evil empire as long as he is kept safe.

And so, to all my right wing friends, those especially who I admire who are farther right than me - I cannot condemn the worst president in half a century along with you on this issue.  I am rather disgusted by his "defense" of this program, a typical Obama mushy / ignorant / apologetic / pointless warble at a random press conference a week ago - but I do stand behind him and our intelligence community.

I have no problem with the government keeping track of my phone calls and emails.  And if they want to listen in or read them then they are welcome to be bored silly.  If that's what it takes to keep the dogs at bay and prevent them from slitting my throat, then I welcome this oversight.

And really, I have little doubt that the vast majority of conservatives, as well as many right of center libertarians, would agree with me if there was a republican president in office.  I don't appreciate the hypocrisy evident by those on the far right who condemn Obama, it's glaringly obvious.