OK, put on your tin foil hat and speculate - what the worst that Bush and

[FormerRepublican]

...his pals could do with a nifty eavesdropping system like this one:

http://www.eff.org/legal/cases/att/

Let's say Bush decides to go for it, and declares himself dictator. Wouldn't this system allow him to track all dissent back to it's source. Wouldn't DHS and other boots be able to pay a little visit to the dissenter and quietly disappear them?

Lord know he could track every business communication in the country so Bush, Cheney et al could profit handily from their insider data.

What else might Bush be able to do with his handy dandy sniffer of all things electronic and wired?

[LaurenG]

1. I think he already knows who we are

I wouldn't be surprised what he did/does or will do. I don't think he'll "disappear" us though because then there would be no workers to pay taxes. Most citizens in this country are now dissenters.

[simonm]

2. Keep your friends close..

..and your enemies closer.

The reasons for bypassing the FISA court should be obvious.

[converted_democrat]

3. I worry about this, but they can't disappear 60 some % of the country.

I hope..

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. All it would take is 1% or less

A few threats, a couple of show trials for treason, and the vast majority will shut up. Dissent will evaporate overnight.

[converted_democrat]

6. I pray that you're wrong, but I think you're right.. n/t

[jobycom]

5. Why bother declaring himself dictator? He can just keep getting "elected."

With that type of evesdropping capability, he can find out who his enemies are, what they are planning, what secret dirt they have. he can find statements to incriminate them on something or other, real or trumped up, and keep them from winning. Anyone too clean can be exposed and eliminated through other means. Forget about term limits--blackmail a few Congresscritters and that amendment can be amended. Or brother or some other lackey can take the reigns.

But that's not even the worst of it. Remember the Homeland Security official caught trying to lure 14 year old girls online? Who needs to go online? He can just find a cutie at the mall, drop a wire on her computer and her phone, find out what makes her tick, discover when Daddy won't be home, or when she will be alone at the movies... Without a court oversight system, who the Hell knows why they are listening, or who is listening. Let me play the predator for a minute. A smart predator, working for HS. Let's see, that cute little girl in the cheerleader outfit has led a sheltered life. I need to shake her up a bit, shake her loose from her current system of support so she'll need some other adult to turn to, and so she won't know what's going on anymore. Hey, I'll spy on Mommie and Daddy. Ooops, did Daddy just let slip that he fibbed on his income tax? Did Mommie just reveal to her sister that she had an affair with an old boss one night several years ago? Wonder what an IRS investigation and some marital strife will do to that family. Daughter may need a new friend.

No one should have that much power in a free society. Hussein and even Stalin would look like amateurs. Even idiot Republicans who still believe anything Bush says should be able to imagine someone they don't trust with that much power.

[Canuckistanian]

7. Think how you could manipulate the stock market

Look for signs of activity at a company,then buy or sell before the trade is halted for the announcement.