It's the 4th amendment, Stupid!

So I'm reading the link from one of my favorite Propagandists, Matt Drudge... this story - "Spy Agency Watching Americans From Space" written by Katherine Shrader of AP. The subject is one of the many stories written to help spin the news (long suspected by many of us) that we're being spied upon by OUR own government.

First we get the feel good use of spy satellites to Support Our Troops:

It set up mobile command centers that sprung out of the backs of Humvees and provided imagery for rescuers and hurricane victims who wanted to know the condition of their homes. Victims would provide their street address and the NGA would provide a satellite photo of their property. In one way or another, some 900 agency officials were involved.

Then we get to the sugar coated lie:

Spy agencies historically avoided domestic operations out of concern for Pentagon regulations and Reagan-era executive order, known as 12333, that restricted intelligence collection on American citizens and companies.

No, actually it's all about the 4th Amendment to our Constitution....

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

See.... spying is the same as searching... and this is an attempt to justify unregulated searches... and nullify the 4th amendment, to allow spy agencies to operate domestically.

It's interesting that the article goes on with this statement

"We are not trying to examine an individual dwelling, for example, because what our mission is normally going to be is looking at large areas," he said. "It doesn't really affect or threaten anyone's privacy or civil liberties when you are looking at a large collective area."

So... it's ok for them to look at our individual homes. We just need to trust them, and not worry about Judical oversight any more, right?

Gosh, I guess we really didn't need the 4th amendment, did we? It's just too inconvinient for them to worry about....

NUTS!