Our Fine Government Agencies Update

The FBI, last seen not solving the anthrax crime that killed 5 and injured 17, has nevertheless put so much time and money and effort into stopping terrorism that they've pretty much stopped being the FBI:

Thousands of white-collar criminals across the country are no longer being prosecuted in federal court — and, in many cases, not at all — leaving a trail of frustrated victims and potentially billions of dollars in fraud and theft losses.

It is the untold story of the Bush administration’s massive restructuring of the FBI after the terrorism attacks of 9/11.

Five-and-a-half years later, the White House and the Justice Department have failed to replace at least 2,400 agents transferred to counterterrorism squads, leaving far fewer agents on the trail of identity thieves, con artists, hatemongers and other criminals.

Two successive attorneys general have rejected the FBI’s pleas for reinforcements behind closed doors.

While there hasn’t been a terrorism strike on American soil since the realignment, few are aware of the hidden cost: a dramatic plunge in FBI investigations and case referrals in many of the crimes that the bureau has traditionally fought, including sophisticated fraud, embezzlement schemes and civil rights violations.

There goes the Bush Administration again, protecting white-collar criminals with whom they share such affinity and a public profile.

This White House hates government and all of the functions of government except the ones they can use to political ends, like spying on every American. So the FBI-NSA-national intelligence apparatus wants to know everything you do, every phone call you make, every email you send, but they don't want to bust you for any crimes unless they decide you're a terrist (or a political opponent). The National Intelligence Director wanting to "expand surveillance powers" under FISA because technology has changed is absurd. This has nothing to do with technology and "speed" in finding terrorists; you can get a warrant AFTER the fact. This is about having the ability to find any information at any time and put it to use at the service of the conservative movement. That's all.

We have lost all reason in this country when legitimate crimes are not being prosecuted because of the fear-gripping hype of terrorism which is used as a cover for all sorts of nefarious deeds. We have a Constitution that demands a separation of powers and an inability for the executive branch to take all that power or himself. We have a situation now where Department of Justice lawyers are literally doubling as White House lawyers, as if their job is to protect the President instead of protecting the rule of law. Kurt Vonnegut may have been right to get unstuck in time now; I hardly recognize this country anymore.