There's even a name for it working: parallel construction.
Of course it works. Believing the dogma that they haven't caught anybody is like saying "but torture doesn't work!" or "lie detectors don't work!". All of them work, in their own way, but not in some perfect strawman way you might want them to.
And it's only unconstitutional if it's "unreasonable" and they're searching your person, house, papers, or effects. Your internet electrons leave your vicinity and they're not your personal effects. Whether it's "unreasonable" is for society and the courts to decide.
Really it's a simple question, do you trust every capable person in the country not to produce and distribute smallpox or do any other way of mass destruction? If so then you're nuts, but ok. If you don't then you either somehow prevent crazies from acting out or you restructure society to protect against all likely events like that.
Or you do nothing and wait for your inevitable end.
There's even a name for it working: parallel construction.
Of course it works. Believing the dogma that they haven't caught anybody is like saying "but torture doesn't work!" or "lie detectors don't work!". All of them work, in their own way, but not in some perfect strawman way you might want them to.
And it's only unconstitutional if it's "unreasonable" and they're searching your person, house, papers, or effects. Your internet electrons leave your vicinity and they're not your personal effects. Whether it's "unreasonable" is for society and the courts to decide.
Really it's a simple question, do you trust every capable person in the country not to produce and distribute smallpox or do any other way of mass destruction? If so then you're nuts, but ok. If you don't then you either somehow prevent crazies from acting out or you restructure society to protect against all likely events like that.
Or you do nothing and wait for your inevitable end.