Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

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FBI Director Warns Google and Apple "If You Don't Decrypt Phones, We'll Do It For You" Posted: 18 Oct 2014 10:45 AM PDT The Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution is crystal clear in meaning. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. FBI Director, James Comey, an Obama appointment, does not give a damn what the Constitution says. In a recent speech, Comey warns If Apple and Google Won't Decrypt Phones, We'll Force Them To Everyone is stoked that the latest versions of iOS and Android will (finally) encrypt all the information on your smartphone by default. Except, of course, the FBI: Today, its director spent an hour attacking the companies and the very idea of encryption, even suggesting that Congress should pass a law banning the practice of default encryption. It's of course no secret that James Comey and the FBI hate the prospect of "going dark," the idea that law enforcement simply doesn't have the technical capability to track criminals (and the average person) because of all those goddamn apps, encryption, wifi network switching, and different carriers. "Encryption isn't just a technical feature; it's a marketing pitch … it's the equivalent of a closet that can't be opened. A safe that can't be cracked. And my question is, at what cost?" Comey said. "Both companies [Apple and Google] are run by good people, responding to what they perceive is a market demand. But the place they are leading us is one we shouldn't go to without careful thought and debate." Safe That Cannot be Cracked A safe that cannot be cracked and a door that cannot be opened except by the rightful owner is precisely what everyone should want. It's what the Constitution explicitly states. Instead, Comey wants the right to read your papers and search your effects. "Perhaps it's time to suggest that the post-Snowden pendulum has swung too far in one direction—in a direction of fear and mistrust," claims Comey. Excuse me, but what pendulum is Comey talking about? The privacy pendulum has not budged an inch in the right direction. Not one new privacy law has been passed or even discussed. To prove how much above the law these law-enforcement jackasses are, one Pentagon official stated "I would love to put a bullet in Snowden's head". No one threatening to kill Snowden has been censured. For blatant disrespect of the US Constitution, Comey ought to be fired, but there's nary a peep from Obama. I suggest we need a cultural change from the top down starting with a president who understands and respects the Constitution. Mike "Mish" Shedlock http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com Mike "Mish" Shedlock is a registered investment advisor representative for SitkaPacific Capital Management. Sitka Pacific is an asset management firm whose goal is strong performance and low volatility, regardless of market direction. Visit http://www.sitkapacific.com/account_management.html to learn more about wealth management and capital preservation strategies of Sitka Pacific.

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