Re: Faculty experts discuss NSA surveillance program at panel

In her article, Hannah Alani misrepresented a crucial piece of the discussion. Professor Cullather did not begin the discussion “by examining the history of the fight for a ‘balance’ between civil liberties and security.”
Rather, he sought to explain the history of the concept of balance as it pertains to these two categories. The news media, the above cited article included, often portrays civil liberties and security as two opposing values requiring citizens or their representatives to “strike a balance” between them.
This is a contrived, and relatively recent, understanding, and Professor Cullather’s lecture did much to expose this.

­— zgoldsmi@indiana.edu