I hold a less extreme position, that (1) The laws should have a two-year sunset clause (2) The government should have to prove the law's efficacy to the public. Fuck this 'it works but we can't tell you' bullshit. (3) We have to understand full well that when we allows these laws they will be used fully. I don't think it takes an evil person for this to be true. I think most of us, if we were given the responsibility of protecting the public and the authority for doing so, we would use that authority. Nobody wants to be the guy that people look back on after a terrorist act and say, 'but YOU could have prevented this.' Look at all the grief the spooks are getting with this 'Marathon Bomber' kid (Tsarnaev). Apparently they were warned that he could be a threat. But they respected his rights and let him be free. And now they are being accused of being incompetent.