Oh Yeah, Civil Liberties...

If you're at all concerned about the erosion of our basic civil liberties and the loss of personal privacy in America over the last seven years under the aegis of "fighting terrorism", then there may be some cause for hope in the near future. This article in Wired magazine describes how some of the bigger names in the civil libertarian movement are hopeful that if Barack Obama wins the presidency, the federal government could move towards a policy of greater openness and fuller transparency.

These hopes may not be unfounded when you consider that Obama was one of the original sponsors of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, which requires the full disclosure of all entities or organizations receiving federal funds beginning in 2007 on a website maintained by the Office of Management and Budget. Basically, it says that the federal government has to account for every dollar it spends on anything and post it on a website accessible by anyone in the world.

Of course, many are already convinced that no amount of reform can turn back the tide of secrecy wrought by the Bush administration, and they have good reason to feel this way. Historically, it has always been much easier for governments to take power and liberty from their people than it has been for those same people to take back that same power and liberty, and this administration has done their damnedest to grab as much power as possible from an understandably scared and frustratingly apathetic populace. All the more reason to work towards electing a man who can bring honesty, integrity and accountability to the White House. Know hope.