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Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee
Probably later on, like when rights that actually matter are infringed upon. You haven't really provided a lot of good arguments as to why listening to your conversation is such a huge infringement upon you. I honestly don't understand yet why you'd care.
You seem like you're moving towards the slippery slope argument, which is usually pretty crappy.
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First of all, there is such a thing as right to privacy.
Second, this is one slippery slope argument that has solid historical evidence to back it up. Unchecked surveillance rights have pretty much always ended up being abused, for reasons varying from the personal (checking up on your wife or girlfriend) to the political (spying on your opponents) to semi-professional (police harassing people who have for example complained about police violence).
Third, the US government officials have historically speaking not been exactly tolerant towards whistleblowers and critics who have access to material they think could actually be damaging. Rights like these are perfect for following up on large groups of suspected whistleblowers, intimidating people etc.
When the goverment has unchecked rights to spy on whoever it wants, it makes it that much harder to criticize and fight back against a government when it's doing something wrong.
Think for example what will happen if the US government goes just a little bit more hardline on demonstrators, Turkey-style. The difference right now is not huge. If the Turkish government would have this kind of resources, it would be much easier for the police to fight the demonstrators, who really are mostly just demanding that the police stop their brutalities.
People are extemely ignorant when it comes to living in a free society. They always tend to think that because nobody is infringing on their rights now, it could never really happen. But civil liberties are not a constant. They move backwards and forwards in various times. And historically speaking, much less blood is shed in countries that constantly hold on to their civil rights and don't let them slip away.
It wasn't that long ago that US was a country with regular rioting against what was perceived as an overly oppressive government protected by police brutality. A good number of people died and everything. Those kinds of times are not the times when you want the police to be their own guardians.