Originally Posted by
ETWolverine
It comes back to those three areas that the Constitution says the Government is there to deal with...
1) National security - protection from enemies both foreign and domestic,
2) physical infrastructure - maintenance of roads, tunnels, bridges and highways,
3) Economy - maintaining an environment that allows people to conduct business, gain wealth and produce products without interferance.
The USA Patriot Act, which allows the government to listen in on phone calls between US nationals and foreign terrorists, falls within #1 above, and is therefore a legitimate function of the government.
Again, the Constitution is the ruling document.
Elliot