You think I make the law? I’m just telling you how the courts have interpreted the law, some of their reasons for it, and how these historical developments have led to what the NSA is doing today. If you want to suggest a viable alternative framework, go ahead.
Your understanding is wrong. The NSA is not wiretapping everyone, nor can you wiretap someone just because they are a convicted felon. The NSA is collecting metadata on pretty much everyone’s communications, but not the contents of those communications. Furthermore, the metadata enters into a lockbox, and they legally need reasonable suspicion that a search of the lockbox will reveal information relevant to an investigation concerning a foreign security threat in order to even search that lockbox (although they have been caught performing searches with less than reasonable suspicion, and searches not related to security at all). So it’s not like they’re listening to phone calls.
Also note that they get this metadata from private companies. The relevant section of the Patriot Act allows them to collect “business records” created by telecommunications companies. So this surveillance is already being performed by Google, AT&T, etc. as part of their routine business. The government is simply collecting all of this recorded metadata from them. Do you have a problem with law enforcement getting video from privately-operated surveillance cameras, or getting bank records from your bank? Are these things violations of the 4th Amendment?
Show me where I have said anything even remotely approaching this.
