Key points in this article:

• The U.S. government practices unconstitutional surveillance of over 20 million people
• The press remained silent about the FISC’s warnings about surveillance by the Obama administration
• Japan passed a new anti-terror conspiracy law. Will this lead to a surveillance society like America?

 
The Edward Snowden scandal was a mere tremor compared to the latest accusation against the U.S. government.

Circa News reported that the NSA, CIA and FBI have been collectively spying on Americans. According to former intelligence contractor Dennis Montgomery, “more than 20 million American identities were illegally unmasked – credit reports, emails, phone conversations and internet traffic, were some of the items the NSA and CIA collected,” the article stated.

The targets included, “prominent Americans such as the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, other justices, 156 judges, prominent businessmen, and others such as Donald J. Trump, as well as Plaintiffs themselves.”

Montgomery extricated over 600 million classified documents stored on 47 hard drives. He approached the FBI with documentation of the violation of civil liberties, but the FBI, being involved in the surveillance, covered it up.

He is now suing former FBI director James Comey and other government officials in relation to this cover-up.

Montgomery told Circa News that, “This domestic surveillance was all being done on computers supplied by the FBI.”

Additionally, “Montgomery also alleged that they have evidence that they themselves have been improperly spied upon by U.S. intelligence. The suit named numerous other defendants as well, including current NSA Director Mike Rogers, former CIA Director John Brennan and even former President Barack Obama.”

The suit was assigned to U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington. He was the man who in 2015 issued a ruling that the NSA’s collection of phone records violated the Constitution.

“Can you imagine what someone can do with the information they were collecting on Americans, can you imagine that kind of power?” Montgomery warned Circa News.

FISC Warnings of Surveillance by Obama Administration

In May, the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court issued a ruling that the Obama administration had regularly conducted unwarranted surveillance of the American people.

Chair of the House Oversight Committee, Jason Chaffetz claims, “The documents appear to show the Obama administration routinely used the NSA’s internet surveillance tools…. We must get answers and hold people accountable.”

The court ruling reveals a surveillance society that is becoming a major concern.

Why the U.S. Media Ignores Leaks

The strange thing is, the major U.S. media companies don’t cover these stories.

This is because if evidence of Obama’s wiretapping of Trump causes a public uproar, it would be a huge disadvantage to the forces that are slamming Trump over the Russia scandal in order to facilitate a Democrat revival.

But a mass media that does not respond in anger at the violation of the civil liberties of 20 million people, and evidence of unconstitutional practices, is useless.

Anti-Terror Conspiracy Law Is Modelled on the U.S. Patriot Act

Civilian surveillance was legalized by the U.S. Patriot Act, which was passed in 2001. This law, verging on being unconstitutional, was passed in the aftermath of 9/11. The country was prepared to pass an overzealous law in exchange for safety. This, however, has culminated in the loss of privacy and other civil liberties.
Meanwhile in Japan, Parliament passed the Anti-Terror Conspiracy Law as a terrorism countermeasure in preparation for the 2020 Summer Olympics, due to be held in Tokyo.

This law was in fact modelled on the controversial Patriot Act. The U.S. law states that, whether a crime is committed or not, it is unlawful for 2 or more people to engage in planning criminal conduct.

The Abe government is boasting that its Anti-Terror Conspiracy Law is an effective countermeasure against terrorism, but we have evidence that its American counterpart failed to meet its desired objectives.

If anything, the outcomes were to the opposite of the expected results. Journalists began self-censorship to avoid direct criticism from the NSA, and the church was hindered from participating in politics.

The current surveillance practices in the U.S. have reached levels that equal, if not exceed, that of a socialist state.

The American People Needs to Realize Their Civil Liberties are at Stake

The U.S. government’s surveillance activities are trampling all over U.S. civil liberties. Only a few people are taking a stand and the mass media is nowhere to be seen on this issue.

The media has a constitutionally protected role in America to ensure important information about government activities comes to light. They have a crucial role to play in ensuring government overreaches are made public and dealt with appropriately. The government’s surveillance program is a huge breach of civil liberties and the press should be treating it accordingly.

As Benjamin Franklin wisely said, “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” The American people are exchanging liberty for safety, and it is the duty of the media to warn against the looming threat of a surveillance society.