"I've Got Nothing To Hide, Let Them Tap My Phone, I Don't Care"

[ThomWV]

How many times have you heard that line "I don't care if they tap my phone, I don't have anything to hide"? Every time I hear it I say to myself, "oh, really?" It almost begs a response:

"Tell me about that call from your bank about the late car payment, and how about when your
your Doctor called and said he wants more tests on that nasty rash on your groin, and then there was that time
little Johnny got arrested for shoplifting and Officer Jones wanted you to come get pick him up, or when
Bill from work called and left a message that he'd sell you that pistol of his you'd been admiring, Remember that one? What do you think about Big Brother listening in on that little tidbit?"

Or how about this one, "You remember that son of a bitch that slapped your sister Marge around and you said you'd kill him if you ever found him? And you remember how you worried about shooting your mouth off like that when he just plain up and disappeared about a week later?" You know the SOB probably moved back to Cleveland but how would you feel if the Government had your words on file?

[tekisui]

1. And worse....

How about when we are so aware that we're being spied upon we WON'T say to our friends and families, "Things are really messed up, we need a change." or "This government doesn't represent us" or "Who are you thinking of voting for?"

The "I've got nothing to hide" line infuriates me. I want to shake the person by the collar and tell them, It is designed to stifle dissent. It keeps people from speaking out. It makes us watch what we say. We all have something to hide, it called our privacy. That is our freedom.

Wake up, Good Americans!!!

[parasim]

2. Or how about when you're talking with a writer friend

who is writing a political thriller and is running some of his ideas by you? Some of the words he uses are flagged as dangerous "keywords" and just because he called you, you are now suspect.

And what if he happens to be in France when he calls you?


edit: typos

[rasputin1952]

3. Anyone who says they "have nothing to hide" is simply wrong...

we all have things we'd rather keep under wraps, either becaue of the embarassment factor, or even, for most of us, the criminal factor. Whether we know it or not, we have all commited a criminal act of some sort, most are absurdly ridiculous, or are just unknown, except to the individual.

Here's the rub though, about all of this...It is another way to control people. If one knows they can/will be "tqapped", one usually takes a more different approach on how they discuss things, from th weather, to a family trip, slowly, there is a change in how we discuss things.

[baldguy]

4. If you've done nothing wrong & have nothing to hide, they have no reason to tap your phone.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Best answer. n/t

[ThomWV]

6. That is a great response. Also, innocent people on death row, they had nothing to hide

Just because you didn't do the crime doesn't mean you will not be punished for it. Any history book will confirm that one.

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. Reminds me of that idiot AG under Reagan

Remember when he said "If a person is innocent of a crime, then he is not a suspect."

The cartoonist for my local paper did a cartoon with this quote as the only caption. I cut it out and had it on my refrigerator for years.

Edwin Meese - what a fucking idiot he was.

[CrispyQ]

17. Arghh!!!

I've done nothing wrong. I have nothing to hide. But, . . . they have NO RIGHT TO TAP MY PHONE. They have no right to REVEIW MY CREIDT RECORDS. NONE.

This is not about whehter you have done something wrong, it's about their power to invade your privacy & intiidate you. Their power to keep you speaking from speaking out.

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. Bullshit

I was investigated by the FBI. Not for any political activity I was involved in, it was part of an investigation into insurance fraud that my union was caught up in. I had done nothing wrong, neither had my union and the investigation cleared all of us. No charges were ever filed.

But my mail was opened, I was followed, my family and neighbors were interviewed, my employer was notified and yes,

my phone was tapped

.

And this was before the Patriot Act.

[tuckessee]

23. Depends on who is defining "wrong".

Most freeper types consider DU'ers not only to be wrong but dangerous and anti-American as well.

[Lex]

7. Then I guess they don't mind Peeping Toms at their window

even though they might not be "doing anything" at the time.

Same logic.

[VP505]

8. Good answer

but the real problem is that your giving up things you may NEVER get back by thinking that way and its progressive, you could allow yourself to loose one right after another until you have no rights...

[LynnTheDem]

9. "with government surveillance for all"

Good ol' Soviet-style is just fine with rightwingnuts. Fuck freedom & liberty.

[Booster]

10. Or how about if someone wants to get you in trouble and uses

your phone and spews all kinds of shit? It could happen.

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. When I was in college I was a waitress in a bar

and we had a customer who came in nearly every night and always asked to use our phone. He was a nice guy and a generous tipper so we saw nothing wrong with letting him use the phone.

After a few months, the cops came by to interview the guy who owned the bar. They wanted to know which one of his employees was using his phone to sell drugs.

[lonestarnot]

11. I can't post my response, they might do it.

Fuckers!

[LynnTheDem]

12. Ever wondered how Germans allowed it to happen?

[Lex]

13. Fear has been used to rob citizens of their rights

since time immemorial.

And why the sheep fall for it time and again, is beyond me.

[gratuitous]

14. And remember who's listening

It's not your best friend, who's going to hear you say something and think to himself, "Well, that's just old Bill, the kind of language he uses. I know what he meant." No, it's going to be someone listening who puts the worst possible gloss on whatever you've said, whoever you've called. And what if you call the same business right before or right after some "terrorist" calls? Even by mistake? Think about the kind of scrutiny you're going to attract then.

I haven't heard this "I got nothin' to hide" nonsense for a little while; it's just possible (maybe, maybe, maybe) that most folks are wising up. After all, about three-quarters of the country has independently come to the conclusion that these motherfuckers squatting in the White House are neither competent nor honest. It's not like the popular media is telling us 24-7 what a bunch of motherfuckers these motherfuckers are.

[spin]

15. Phone taps are just the tip of the iceberg...

If the government wants to know anything about you, like how much beer you drink and what kind you prefer, no problem. All they have to do is employ the same "data mining" techniques retailers do.

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-15333509_ITM

I would believe that they can call up every post and email you've sent or received. Big brother CAN watch.

[acmavm]

16. To all those people I always say 'You just THINK you have nothing to

hide. And how about your kids? Think they might have a few secrets they'd like kept secrets? We're all criminals now. You just haven't read all the paperwork that says we are. Ever tried to wade through the Patriot Act?'

[L. Coyote]

19. If you use a modem, they get to read your DU posts first. LOL

That should help keep thinks on the level, not tick them off any ....

[CJCRANE]

22. The same logic should apply to Bush-Cheney.

If they have nothing to hide they should release all their communication records, visitors' logs etc.

It's strange that they can spy on 300 million other Americans and yet they are the only two who are immune from oversight. The WH has turned into the perfect criminal hideout from which they can spy on everyone else but no one can find out they're doing.

[WillyT]

24. I Had A Response To That That Made A Guy Go Pale White...

I simply looked at him emotionless and said, "Is it true you have three young daughters?"

I happened to know that he did, but curiously, he did not answer.

I think he got it after that.

:shrug:

[RC]

25. Ask them if they have curtains on their windows and if they close them.

[Kingshakabobo]

26. They'll sing a different tune when President Hillary is in office.

We'll be back to hearing about the jackbooted thugs, black helicopters etc.

oh, and BTW, double the guard on federal buildings, abortion clinics and gay bars........the cockroaches will be out of the woodwork again.

[oldcoot]

27. President Clinton

How many of these people are fans of Senator Clinton? I like telling people that any power you give the Bush administration, you will be giving to future administrations as well. If the Bush Administration can tap your phone, so can the Clinton Administration or any other administration.