The fears I have are more for the exploitation of animals. The mice bred to develop human breast cancer, for example, are probably not having the best lives, and are not expected to do so. A "mousy" mouse can lead a normal life, but a "mouse-human" mouse was not created for any use other than experimentation.

There are the non-genetic blends, too, such as the mice growing human ears on their backs. A biodegradable mold is place on the back, covered with human cartilage, and the mouse's skin and blood takes over supporting the ear. Eventually the biodegradable portion is completely replaced by mouse-grown human cartilage. In most cases the mouse survives the ear removal, but is the process ethically right?

There are cultures who regard other species as "peoples" of their own. If our culture were one such, I would have less concern over our mixing humans and animals. But we tend, in this country, to regard not only other species but our own as commodities. When we ourselves are not treating each other with respect, we should be even more cautious dealing with other species.

There are a couple of other reasons.

Reasons (not acceptable excuses, but at least understandable) to break the law about wiretapping:

• It’s safer, legally, to deceive the judicial system, media, law enforcement, and government watchdogs outside of a specific legal context than to deceive one judge within a legal context (obtaining a warrant). The NSA does not always want to reveal the source of the information justifying a warrant, but judges frequently want to know. Rather than choose between deceiving a judge or revealing NSA involvement in a case, the NSA bypasses the court system altogether. It's the same rationale behind not swearing in someone providing testimony; there's less legal danger if they're caught lying.
• Obtaining a warrant creates a trail. In these days, when you simply need to move a citizen out of the country to remove their rights, obtaining a warrant simply makes it easier for a suspect’s family, lawyer, or the media to track them down.
• And of course, the reason discussed in Mr. Cole's article: You create a precedent of power. Assuming the NSA and Bush get away with the warrant-free wiretapping, they have expanded their sphere of influence considerably, and will be that much more difficult to control.

Focussing solely on the "unbridled power" of the situation is to underestimate the machinations of the people involved in this. This behavior is not just a symptom of sheer desire for power, it has practical implications for consolidating and keeping that power. To fight this behavior effectively, you have to understand it fully. Know your enemy.

Note: I've written about this elsewhere, but it seemed worthwhile to mention here. My apologies if anyone already read some of this in my blog, though I find it unlikely ;-)