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and law enforcement agencies leading to the events of September 11, 2001 the argument about ends justifying the means has become more and more prevalent throughout the society. Do we torture one person to save a city? Do we give up essential liberties for security?

If your industry is charged solely with keeping people safe from physical violence, as these agencies are charged to do through their intelligence gathering apparatus, is it safe to say that any tool that does not inflict physical harm on the people you're trying to protect ought to be used? Clearly, it can be used, but should it? If your only concern is gathering intelligence to ward off another attack like that of 9/11, then the only rational answer is yes. If your only charge is to gather intelligence to protect your charges (read: US Citizens) from physical harm, the answer becomes a resounding "of course!"

It is this answer of yes, this rationalization of motivation in the intelligence field that is the harm to the nation's civil liberties. If the arbitrary interference in the lives of many citizens (the definition of infringing upon civil liberties) will save the lives of those citizens, the intelligence gathering industry has no other logical choice but to employ whatever means are necessary.

Those in the intelligence gathering industry are not blameworthy. They are doing what is logically necessary given their point of view. Who rightly deserves blame for these gross infringements is another question for another article.

* - http://www.usatoday.com/tech/c olumnist/andrewkantor/2007-02- 02-life-memory_x.htm
* - http://www.latimes.com/news/pr intedition/asection/la-na-inte l31oct31,1,2114721.story

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