The Definition of Irony

In a blinding example of hubristic blindness, Senator Dianne Feinstein accused the CIA of “spying on Congress and possibly breaking the law” this week, going so far as to site the Constitution for not just a violation of separation of powers (a nice touch I have to admit, I doff my cap to you Madame) but also the Fourth Amendment AND the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. She didn’t just throw the book at them; she tossed the whole Library of Congress.

Well whoopdie-fucking-doo.

Pardon my language, but welcome to the party, pal. The rest of us have been living in the intelligence community’s very own version of The Truman Show for years. What makes you so special? Let’s just take a look at what it was she cited there: “‘I have grave concerns that the CIA’s search (of committee computers) may well have violated the separation of powers principles embodied in the Constitution,’ said Feinstein, who is normally a strong ally of U.S. intelligence agencies.” The separation of powers, huh? Let me just look up the Constitution online real quick… Oh! I see. You’re concerned they may have violated the special privileges of the elite rulers like yourself, not us poor common folk. Well, that explains a lot.

Of course, I also have no idea what Sen. Feinstein is getting all riled up about, since “Her accusations of CIA-led computer searches were denied by CIA Director John Brennan”, and it’s not like the Director of National Intelligence has openly lied to the Senate Intelligence Committee before. So we can all feel safe and secure, especially us poor plebes who only have the Fourth Amendment to hide behind. You know, the one that the intelligence community routinely violates through the power of the Patriot Act? Surely you remember that one, Sen. Feinstein. You voted in favor of it.

Setting all my anger and spite at this galloping hubris aside, if this is what it takes for Sen. Feinstein and those like her to finally see how out of control things have gotten, then so be it. I welcome it. I welcome any change for the better. The greatest irony of all is that these revelations overshadowed the 25^th anniversary of the World Wide Web, a time we should be celebrating the open and free exchange of ideas and information, not huddling in fear on the off-chance our own government will take a dislike to how we use that web or express those ideas.