Re:NSA E-Mail Eavesdropping
by dllthomas on Tuesday July 02, 2013 @09:46AM
(#5977696)
Because it hugely effects what we should do about it.
If I don't like the actions the NSA is taking, and those actions are legal, then I should push for laws making it illegal.
If I don't like the actions the NSA is taking, and those actions are illegal, then I should push for punishment of those violating the laws, better oversight, &c.
Pushing for laws banning already illegal behavior is a waste of time. Pushing for (criminal) punishment of people who weren't breaking any laws is not appropriate.
You are right that the present illegality or legality should not substantially affect our assessments of what the laws should be (except perhaps through a weak preference for the status quo motivated out of conservative principles - more ways to break things than fix them).
If I don't like the actions the NSA is taking, and those actions are legal, then I should push for laws making it illegal.
If I don't like the actions the NSA is taking, and those actions are illegal, then I should push for punishment of those violating the laws, better oversight, &c.
Pushing for laws banning already illegal behavior is a waste of time. Pushing for (criminal) punishment of people who weren't breaking any laws is not appropriate.
You are right that the present illegality or legality should not substantially affect our assessments of what the laws should be (except perhaps through a weak preference for the status quo motivated out of conservative principles - more ways to break things than fix them).