The Economist Debate Series
This house believes that national security in the modern age cannot be established without some erosion of individual privacy.
Pro – Neil Livingstone
The current debate over privacy is in many ways specious and it has become a cliché. T.A. Taipale has written, "Every compromise we make to civil liberties in the 'war on terrorism' is itself a victory for those who would like to destroy our way of life."
Con – Bob Bar
The centrality of the right to privacy as a cornerstone not only of modern-day Western societies, but of civilization itself, is precisely why the ongoing erosion of this fundamental right—a process that has accelerated greatly since the events of September 11th 2001—is so disturbing and should be resisted strongly.
Background
The opening statements on both sides reach back to America’s founding tracts – the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution – to make their case. But they draw opposite conclusions.
Is individual privacy really a fundamental right (and in any pecking order clearly behind the right to life), as Neil Livingstone contends? Or is it so fundamental that it is a cornerstone of Western civilisation itself, as Bob Barr argues? What are the merits from an American perspective of the constitutional arguments on each side? It would also be interesting to have perspectives from outside America: what light do the basic laws of other countries throw on the debate? Mr Barr and Mr Livingstone have both chosen to focus their arguments primarily on American policies. The choice to highlight America is a natural one. Where else in the world are issues of security and privacy being tested so severely? Perhaps it should come as no surprise that the Constitution is featured prominently in Mr Barr’s statement and shows up midway through Mr Livingstone’s final paragraph in a surprise cameo.
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