Warrants? We don't need no stinkin' warrants!

Yesterday as Unnamed Partner and I were out doing errands, she saw a traffic camera and expressed her concern that our privacy and civil liberties are being infringed upon. I said that I don't actually mind the traffic cameras so much, because at least we can see them. Such as the one, for example, to which she had just flipped the bird. I'm more outraged at the many insidious, covert things the government is doing. I was referring, of course, to warrantless wiretapping. I didn't even know this was going on:

The US postal service approves more than 10,000 requests from US law enforcement each year to record names, addresses and other information from the outside of packages every year, according to information released through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The warrantless surveillance mail program -- as it is known -- requires only the approval of the US Postal Inspection Service Director, and not a judge.

Since 1998, the inspector has approved more than 97% of requests during criminal inquiries, new documents show. According to USA Today, which filed the request, "In 2004, 2005 and 2006, the most recent year provided, officials granted at least 99.5% of requests."

The irony, of course, is that while all of these activities come in the name of fighting terrorism, I'm becoming increasingly terrified of our federal government.