Who listens to you?

I mentioned in a previous post that I'd talk about the NSA eavesdropping and how it effects me, so here we go.

Depending on which news source you believe, one of three things are happening:

1. Communications to and from international locations involving suspected terrorists/sympathizers are being monitored.

2. All international communications, inbound and outbound, are being monitored.

3. All elements of point #2, as well as all of Bush's enemies are being monitored.


Most articles I've read indicate that answer number 2 is the most likely scenario happening. When the story broke my initial reaction was that I thought it was a smart move because anyone not planning or conducting a terror campaign should have nothing to worry about. Since I'm not planning the destruction of the country I felt that this policy didn't have any effect on me.

I do have some questions and concerns about the policy though. I think the President should give as detailed as possible report to the people without giving away any classified information. I think he can explain the safeguards in the system without exposing anything. People are worried that the policy will be abused, and I'm one of them.

Later I began to wonder if any of my conversations are being monitored. I have two children that live with their mother, my ex wife, in Germany. She is remarried to a man who is a soldier in the U.S. Army who is currently stationed over there.

You: You're so paranoid. Just because she is overseas doesn't mean your house is bugged.

Me: Well, I'm not finished yet..

You: Oh, ok..

If anyone did listen to those conversations and read the emails, they would hear a lot of dialog between myself and my kids. Typical, normal things you'd hear a father say to his 7 year old daughter and 6 year old son. On the other hand I talk to my ex about various things going on in our lives. Typically these conversations involve words like Army, Platoon, Unit, WMD's, Chemicals, Deployments, Airline Flights, Iraq, Afghanistan, Guns, etc. Of course there is the continuing saga with my attempts to get employed at the local nuclear power plant.

From everything I've read, the NSA doesn't have a legion of civil servants all wearing headphones, listening to each and every conversation. They have computers do the heavy lifting, sorting out key words and phrases. How many of the things I've listed are on that list of key words and phrases? I'd be willing to bet all of them.

I don't freak out about things though. I'd say the odds are fifty-fifty at best that my conversations are actually analized for intent. And even if they are, it wouldn't take long to figure out that I'm not up to something.

Like other critics out there, it's not that I'm worried about myself, but I do worry about the prinicple of the matter. If I had to choose an answer, I'd say George Bush and Co. aren't collecting information outside of the intended scope, but you just never know. Just because Bush doesn't want that to happen doesn't mean someone else in the chain wouldn't take advantage of the situation if they thought it would help them. Also it sets a precident that future Presidents might choose to continue, and who's to say a future leader won't abuse the system?

Interview update:

I had my second interview with the nuclear power plant. I wouldn't say I hit it out of the park, but I think I left the interviewers with the impression that I'm a solid candidate. I'm expecting an offer from them in the next few days. I'd be shocked if I didn't.