Don't worry... the bible is full of logical contradictions, that's why it's called "faith" and not "reason"... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_of_faith Who cares about soundness - or a sound mind for that matter, we all got the spin on anything related to government and democracy. It's too complicated for us mere mortals to busy our little heads with... Don't question any of the politicians, they all got Ph.Ds from MIT, CMU, Yale etc... so don't even try start second guessing. Uhm... that's what it seems "some" seem to be implying. I say it's high time we got some reason and improved intelligence into governing as well as returning trust to a state from the clutches of the few seeking to perpetuate their family influence, or overcompensate for never being part of the exclusive social society of those with "influence" and "say"... I for one denounce "morals" as something vile spout from the back-end of religion. Reason, integrity and ethics are what it takes to find respect, balance, consideration and sustainability... not opinionated authoritarian limits to what we are allowed to think, and flawed logics as to "the goal justify the means". For anyone thinking I am leftist better start learning to read and form a thought from information, as well as look up anarcho-capitialism which is the closest to what I favour for a minimal state.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Societ...munication#Terrorist_Finance_Tracking_Program I guess your long-term memory missed out on the memo about the CIA monitoring every international bank transfer being made using SWIFT etc... Also, anyone's laptop, mobile phone etc. can be seized without any explanation at US airports etc. Torture and the expected treatment of soldiers/enemies captured in combat or similar is something else that the US totally fucked up for the foreseeable future... Duh!