Stephan:   This is what comes of making policy out of fear. We sold our civil rights to Osama bin Laden. It was an alchemical transaction. It cost him $500,000 and 19 followers. It has cost us trillions, untold lives, and our civil rights. The Founders would be appalled. This trend is so clear yet seems of so little interest. Probably because it is so profitable for the few and involves only a tiny percentage of the many. Note also the reference to the Weiner Miasma that has dominated the last week's news cycle. Zack Kaldveer is the Communications Director of the Consumer Federation of California, a non-profit advocacy organization. CFC campaigns for state and federal laws that place consumer protection ahead of corporate profit. Each year, CFC testifies before the California legislature on dozens of bills that affect millions of our state's consumers. CFC also appears before state agencies in support of consumer regulations. Recent CFC legislative issues include: protecting consumer financial privacy, advocating for single payer health care, supporting public financing of elections, cracking down on predatory mortgage and payday lenders, implementing an extraction tax on Big Oil, prohibiting manufacturers from keeping secret vital safety information about defective products, repealing California's anti-democratic two-thirds budget and tax rule, enacting cell phone users rights, and strengthening food safety laws. Zack also authors the blog Privacy Revolt..