Many of us remember a time when the idea of the U.S. government monitoring everyone’s communications and transactions was unthinkable. That was something that happened in countries such as the Soviet Union and East Germany. Admittedly, the world has changed since then. The totalitarian regimes of yesterday relied on neighbors, classmates, and co-workers to spy on their fellow citizens. We’ve automated the process using computers, the Internet, and gigantic water-cooled data centers. Many of our leaders insist that wholesale data gathering helps keep us safe. Actually, wholesale data gathering makes us less safe. It’s not the most effective way to detect and prevent terrorist attacks, and it needlessly exposes tens … Continue reading Ira Brodsky