Today on bad analogy theater...

Donald Kerr, a top intelligence official in the Bush administration, has been saying appalling things about privacy lately -- mainly that we should give up the concept of anonymity. But this statement, from a recent AP article, should win some kind of prize for bad analogies:

Kerr said at an October conference in San Antonio that he finds concerns that the government may be listening in odd when people are "perfectly willing for a green-card holder at an (Internet service provider) who may or may not have been an illegal entrant to the United States to handle their data."

Setting aside for the moment that green-card holders are, pretty much by definition, legal aliens, this is a ridiculous analogy. People are more concerned about their privacy from the government than from other individuals, and for good reason. Another individual can, at worst, embarrass you or damage your credit rating. The government has the power to deprive you of your freedom, and the government can ruin your life, just like it ruined many lives in the McCarthy era. Apparently we've already forgotten lessons learned only 50 years ago.