Bush administration: Let's do more domestic spying

A spy program, dubious legal authority, and an agency head determined to go ahead regardless? Just the latest episode in the Bush Administration's serial: You Weren't Really Using Those Civil Liberties, Were You?

Here's my favorite part. After submitting woefully incomplete documents about the program to Congress, the Department of Homeland Security head Michael Chertoff said:

"There is no basis to suggest that this process is in any way insufficient to protect the privacy and civil liberties of Americans," Chertoff wrote..."I think we've fully addressed anybody's concerns,"

Now that you say it like that...

American business: providing superior service to totalitarians internationally

Nothing like a little U.S. private sector ingenuity to help the Chinese government keep an eye on their peons:

China is building the largest and most sophisticated people-tracking network in the world, all to track citizens in the city of Shenzhen. This network utilizes 20,000 intelligent digital cameras and RFID cards to keep track of the 12.4 million people living in the Southern port city. The key to the system is the new residency cards fitted with powerful computer chips. 'Data on the chip will include not just the citizen's name and address but also work history, educational background, religion, ethnicity, police record, medical insurance status and landlord's phone number. Even personal reproductive history will be included...

Who cares about human rights and democracy. We're doing great business!