Michael Hayden's Unwitting Case Against Secret Surveillance

[Commentary] Is state surveillance a legitimate defense of our freedoms? The question was put to Michael Hayden, former director of the NSA and the CIA, during a debate in Toronto.

Alan Dershowitz joined him to argue the affirmative. Glenn Greenwald and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian argued against the resolution.

"State surveillance is a legitimate defense of our freedoms," Hayden said, restating the resolution. "Well, we all know the answer to that. It depends. And it depends on facts."

In doing so, Hayden unwittingly echoed a core belief of the national security state's critics. He's absolutely right: To judge whether a particular kind of surveillance is legitimate, one must know exactly what's being considered and its purpose.