With Edward Snowden In Russia, Who Is Watching The Watchers?

THE WATCHER BEFORE THE NSA…

A Justice Department official admitted to Congress that the NSA “probably” spied on members of Congress.As it appears obvious that the NSA has spied upon everybody else of any interest whatever, that should hardly surprise. In fact, we will not be surprised shortly to hear important folk complaining that the NSA hasn’t spied on them.

The theory is going around that this explains the rather shy reluctance of the GOP to jump upon the anti-NSA bandwagon and ride it to electoral gains. This probably arose among devotees of U.S. history who recall the long time Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), J. Edgar Hoover.  Mr. Hoover apparently had a secret life and secured his position by amassing secrets of as many important people as he could manage, especially, Congress. It seems to have worked; he died in office at 77.

A similar policy by the NSA, with much greater tech than Hoover ever had, is a popular explanation of GOP reluctance to pursue the agency. Supposition, of course. But that is after all, what the agency does; a Brazilian senator has nominated Edward Snowden, the whistleblower  (Or archcriminal, if you prefer) who brought the NSA into the light so to speak, for the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. For this, he now is confined to life in Russia; we aren’t sure how many members of Congress are interested in following his trail…

This brings to mind as well an old lating phrase that everybody used to recognize before Progressive Education took over: “Quis custodiet ipsos custoces.” Loosely, it means: “Who will watch the watchers?”We elect, we suppose, our masters in Washington and elsewhere. If though, faceless folk in the NSA who know where the bodies are buried are in fact telling our politicians what to do and not do, that’s not exactly what our Founders had in mind, is it? And whose interests is it likely to serve? Hmnn..?

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