I think this guy who blew the whistle on the US snooping might be a Chinese agent.

[JuTMSY4]

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-03-16-poll-iraq_x.htm

Posted 3/17/03

By a 2-to-1 ratio, Americans favor invading Iraq with U.S. ground troops to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Not since November 2001 have they approved so overwhelmingly. Nearly six in 10 say they're ready for such an invasion "in the next week or two."

[slag]

Nothing but "good guys" in Washington ... nothing to worry about ... move along.

[The Ref]

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blog...s-no-hero.html

And there's another columnist that thinks he's a hero. Interesting that part of the documents he leaked was a court order allowing Verizon to monitor phone calls and emails. As I said to someone else, if it helps prevent one terrorist atrocity--and we've seen plenty from Okalhoma City, to London's 7/7 attacks, to a soldier getting hacked to death on a busy London street to 9/11--then I would swap it every day of the week.

exactly. And most Americans agree. The more data the agency has, the more meaningful the analytics that define the anomalies that could point to suspicious activity that is specifically terrorist.

We don't like idiots flying planes into occupied buildings. We're weird that way.

These slippery slope, all-or-nothing arguments are the same lame debates put forward by the feeble minded libertarian on most issues facing america.
Complete freedom is a myth. Always has been. Having said that, it's laughably naive to think our government wants to control our completely insignificant lives.

People should remind themselves every now and then -- "You Don't Matter". You don't. So go ahead and live your lives, raise your kids. Laugh and cry. Enjoy yourself. Nobody fucking cares. Really.

[JuTMSY4]

what's the 4th amendment for?

[slag]

Only for interesting people ... not boring twits.

[ashaman]

Sux to have that mentality Ref. So what if the government can use these data and harrass some individuals as long as it's not me? Could it be me in the future? Could it? Nah...our government would never abuse their power, eventhough only 19% of Americans actually dislike our Congress! Those are the saints and honest politicians that we voted into office to serve us.

In Ref we trust! Hip hip hurray!

[Riccardo]

Half right. You didn't go into all the details

A majority (and not a large one - 56% vs 41%) approve of NSA monitoring phone calls. A majority (and again not a large one - 52% to 45%) DISAPPROVE of the NSA monitoring emails.

[The Ref]

Sux to have that mentality Ref. So what if the government can use these data and harrass some individuals as long as it's not me? Could it be me in the future? Could it? Nah...our government would never abuse their power, eventhough only 19% of Americans actually dislike our Congress! Those are the saints and honest politicians that we voted into office to serve us.

In Ref we trust! Hip hip hurray!

When you realize your life has little to no significance in the larger scheme of things, it's liberating and leads you to actual freedom. As opposed to the mythical type of freedom propagated by the usual suspects of idiots.

Real bad people plot real bad attacks on innocent people. That's not a myth.

I'm somehow comforted that nearly 500,000 geeks (estimated by ABC news) who happen to be private citizens hired by security firms contracted by the NSA, have top-secret security clearance.

When you think of the NSA, think of over a million private contractors who resemble Revenge of the Nerds types. That's who we're talking about here. Not muscle bound G-men carrying automatic weapons.

[The Ref]

A majority (and not a large one - 56% vs 41%) approve of NSA monitoring phone calls. A majority (and again not a large one - 52% to 45%) DISAPPROVE of the NSA monitoring emails.

Correct. If people realized they're just mining for key words (and it's automated) they would care less about email too.

[slag]

Bwahahahahahaha ... nothing to worry about, only the cast of The Big Bang has access to the information.

The liberated bore knows what he's talking about ... anything, and I do mean anything, else is paranoia.

[stjoebirdsfan]

When you think of the NSA, think of over a million private contractors who resemble Revenge of the Nerds types. That's who we're talking about here. Not muscle bound G-men carrying automatic weapons.

Much like the people flying our drones, I'm sure! Harmless nerds!

[The Ref]

Much like the people flying our drones, I'm sure! Harmless nerds!

I have little problem with drones either. Kill the motherfuckers!

You people really don't understand the danger we face. It's not from governments either foreign or domestic. It's from small groups and lone individuals both foreign and domestic. Crazy assholes who have means to inflict serious harm and death.

I guarantee you that when the next massive terrorist strike hits (and it will) the same dipshits who are arguing against these protective measures will be indignant and angry over why we didn't do enough to prevent it.

I'd love to hear from the indignants what specifically they cannot do today and tomorrow that they couldn't have done yesterday, last decade, or fifty years ago? Nothing in your life pertaining to freedom has changed. Not really. You have to take your shoes off and maybe get a reacharound before boarding planes. That's about it.

Private companies from your grocery store to your car manufacturer has more data on you than the government. But that's also mostly harmless. They just want to sell you shit and drain your wallet. You can resist.

The only way to be truly free and private in the 21st century is to join the freegan movement. And who wants to do that?

[Riccardo]

you sound like a right winger

To be consistent here you should be all for a heavily armed citizenry. Some drug-addled criminal is far more of a lethal threat to us as individuals than terrorists. You should be all for us killing them before they kill us

[Eagle Road]

Ref, here is my problem with all of this "security in place of freedom" rhetoric. You do realize that even with all of what is being collected our "security" guys missed the Boston Boys completely.

Even after being notified by another countries intel group (Russia) they still slipped though the cracks. On top of all of that, on the day of the bombing, it wasn't Gov, surveillance cameras, traffic cameras, or police info, NSA intel, that identified the bombers, it WAS private and personal pictures and video that were taken by citizens at the marathon.

Even after shutting down a city the size of Boston, and after dispatching every available gov. agency, police force, intel officers and the like, the guy was found and reported by a private citizen!

So what did all of this wiz bang, super secret Gov. veil of protection actually get you? Would you feel that the Government did a great job, if you were at the marathon, and your legs got blown off?

Just asking?

[IronEagle]

Ref, here is my problem with all of this "security in place of freedom" rhetoric. You do realize that even with all of what is being collected our "security" guys missed the Boston Boys completely.

Even after being notified by another countries intel group (Russia) they still slipped though the cracks. On top of all of that, on the day of the bombing, it wasn't Gov, surveillance cameras, traffic cameras, or police info, NSA intel, that identified the bombers, it WAS private and personal pictures and video that were taken by citizens at the marathon.

Even after shutting down a city the size of Boston, and after dispatching every available gov. agency, police force, intel officers and the like, the guy was found and reported by a private citizen!

So what did all of this wiz bang, super secret Gov. veil of protection actually get you? Would you feel that the Government did a great job, if you were at the marathon, and your legs got blown off?

Just asking?

To be fair, the government has stopped a few terrorist attacks here in New York City. And I'm glad they did.

Having said that I'm more concerned about getting run over by a reckless driver than I am about the possibility of being killed by a terrorist.