It’s the one-year anniversary of Consider This! Just seems like yesterday it was getting off the ground. They grow up so fast. And since it’s a special occasion, I hope you won’t mind that my usual 10-minute-or-less podcast nearly hit 13 minutes!

Edward Snowden, via Glenn Greenwald, brought a few things about the US government to the attention of the world. I’m of two minds on these revelations, and I’ll explain both those “minds”.

But this reveals much more about some of the more foundational ideas about government. Conservatives have been beating the “smaller government” drum for a very long time, and this shows one of the problems big government brings. It also goes to the issue of trust. If you don’t trust your government (and Lord Acton may suggest that you shouldn’t), why do we keep giving it more and more power? What kind of people and government does our Constitution work best for? John Adams has an idea about that.

Mentioned links:

Edward Snowden: the whistleblower behind the NSA surveillance revelations

Author of Patriot Act says NSA phone records collection ‘never the intent’ of law

THE NSA AND SILLY OUTRAGE ABOUT “PHONE DATAâ€

John Adams – Our Constitution Was Made Only For A Moral And Religious People

Power Corrupts [Acton Institute]

John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton [Wikipedia]

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Related posts:

1. 
   
2. Episode 42: The Root Issue of the IRS Scandal, and Conservative Drive-by Graphics
   
3. Episode 16: Making an Informed Decision, and Warrantless Wiretaps
   
4. Episode 23: Wonderful Government Programs, 2016 Presidential Picks, Poverty in California, and the Fiscal Cliff