Off Topic, Kinda.....

[mrdannyg 274]

http://www.reddit.co...owed_to/caeb3pl

 

Had read that before but was too lazy to find it. Thanks for linking. Throughout history, it's been true. Power corrupts, and we're already seeing it. The most important part of that article is what could be considered "wrong." Anything contrary to the status quo could be considered wrong. Want to join Anonymous? Terrorist. Want to debate your local appointed school trustee? Terrorist. Have a problem with an elected local judge or official? Terrorist. The government has granted themselves absolute power, done so in secret, and forced private citizens to lie about their roles. That is some dystopian sht right there. There are only two reasonable reactions - thorough outrage, or, well, Adam's. If you've already given up your rights and pretensions that the government is honest and/or actually has the best intentions of citizen's in mind, then I guess this changes nothing.

[Fenxis 99]

Amazing that after all of the bombshells dropped by Wikileaks this one dwarfs them all. Of course the average citizen is SOL; most of these programs started under the previous administration so just voting for a different party next election won't help. Time for a Yankie Summer

[ajs510 122]

Amazing that after all of the bombshells dropped by Wikileaks this one dwarfs them all. Of course the average citizen isn't SOL; most of these programs started under the previous administration so just voting for a different party next election won't help. Time for a Yankie Summer

 

Help us Rand Paul...you're our only hope.

[mrdannyg 274]

Help us Rand Paul...you're our only hope.

 

When I read someone like Boehner calling Snowden a "traitor," I realize there is no hope for the United States.

[digitalmonkey 929]

 

 

When I read someone like Boehner calling Snowden a "traitor," I realize there is no hope for the United States.

 

Other than people like Snowden what defense is there to a corrupt government?

 

It's ****ing ridiculous.

 

They prey on apathy and ignorance.

[mrdannyg 274]

Anyone else find Snowden's personal story weird? He's a high-school dropout, starts working for the NSA as a security guard, then somehow ends up as a technical analyst with the NSA and then as contractors working with them. How do you go from "security guard who is good with computers" to "29-year old technical analyst making $200k/year"?

 

I just assume he probably had a 'deeper' intelligence role, not that it's relevant at all.

[ajs510 122]

Anyone else find Snowden's personal story weird? He's a high-school dropout, starts working for the NSA as a security guard, then somehow ends up as a technical analyst with the NSA and then as contractors working with them. How do you go from "security guard who is good with computers" to "29-year old technical analyst making $200k/year"?

 

I just assume he probably had a 'deeper' intelligence role, not that it's relevant at all.

 

There was an article today about his girlfriend in Hawaii (a "professional pole dancer", mind you) and how she felt abandoned by him...etc. My comment on the article was that it was the "Wag the Dog" moment for me where I started to believe the whole thing was BS.

[mrdannyg 274]

There was an article today about his girlfriend in Hawaii (a "professional pole dancer", mind you) and how she felt abandoned by him...etc. My comment on the article was that it was the "Wag the Dog" moment for me where I started to believe the whole thing was BS.

 

Heh, the article I saw had a quote about her feeling "lonely, lost at sea". Of course the link I saw just said "Snowden's girlfriend 'lost at sea'" and I was absolutely terrified that the government had such balls as to kill her within days of the story. Then I read the article and found out she was an annoying pole dancer who writes stuff no one cared about until yesterday and no one will care about tomorrow and I hate everyone who writes headlines.

[ajs510 122]

Heh, the article I saw had a quote about her feeling "lonely, lost at sea". Of course the link I saw just said "Snowden's girlfriend 'lost at sea'" and I was absolutely terrified that the government had such balls as to kill her within days of the story. Then I read the article and found out she was an annoying pole dancer who writes stuff no one cared about until yesterday and no one will care about tomorrow and I hate everyone who writes headlines.

 

Probably the same one.

 

I dunno, I have trouble with the notion of a 29yo rich kid supergeek dating a stripper who suddenly grows a global conscience and decides to sacrifice it all for the greater good.

[FCP Bob 1,312]

Probably the same one.

 

I dunno, I have trouble with the notion of a 29yo rich kid supergeek dating a stripper who suddenly grows a global conscience and decides to sacrifice it all for the greater good.

 

He also contacted the reporter Glenn Greenwald before he took his latest job.

[mrdannyg 274]

Probably the same one.

 

I dunno, I have trouble with the notion of a 29yo rich kid supergeek dating a stripper who suddenly grows a global conscience and decides to sacrifice it all for the greater good.

 

Yes and no. Often the geekiest guys also have a strong sense of ethics. If anything, it seems at least reasonable that someone who's ethical background was so odd (high school dropout, NSA employee, computer expert, $200k salary, living in Hawaii, dating a stripper) could more tend to extremes? I dunno, I didn't find that part odd. Certainly less odd than if it had been some lifetime employee, or a guy with a family, etc.

 

To be clear, there's no way someone in his position doesn't at least consider the extreme fame/reknown. I would not argue against someone who thought that he did it for those reasons, rather than "the greater good."

[Fenxis 99]

Yes and no. Often the geekiest guys also have a strong sense of ethics.

 

And make stands on completely 'unexpected' issues.

[digitalmonkey 929]

Interesting how Snowden is the topic of conversation. It's like the US government knows what they're doing.

 

Does it matter if he did it for hookers and blow? Doesn't change what was leaked.

[FCP Bob 1,312]

Area Man Outraged His Private Information Being Collected By Someone Other Than Advertisers

 

VIOLA, NY—After a government whistleblower revealed last week that the U.S. National Security Agency is collecting phone records and other data as part of an authorized domestic surveillance program, area man Michael Landler, 46, told reporters Monday that he is outraged his private information is being collected by someone other than advertisers.

 

“I can’t express how infuriated I am that my credit history, phone activity, and online browsing habits are being systematically collected and archived without my knowledge by undisclosed organizations that aren’t trying to sell me products,” said the visibly disturbed man, adding that if his private information isn’t being used by advertisers to create a targeted consumer profile, it shouldn’t be used at all.

 

“As a law-abiding resident of this nation, I have the right to do whatever I want without a shadowy organization recording my every move, unless of course it’s part of an electronic campaign designed to figure out, based on all of my emails and phone conversations, what types of clothes, shoes, and houseware products I like. Then it’s fine.” Sources later confirmed that Landler had posted a Facebook rant on the issue, which had generated a pop-up ad from a company that restores lost PC data.

[mrdannyg 274]

Area Man Outraged His Private Information Being Collected By Someone Other Than Advertisers

 

I know it's the Onion, and it is their job to make jokes, but I'm disappointed that you would think this is an appropriate discussion for such a joke. Do you really want to compare private companies legally collecting consumer-related information from consumers, with methods completely disclosed and largely voluntary, with a government using secret courts to collect private information from involuntary citizens, without disclosure? That's like if you tell your mailman he can open your screen door to drop mail through a mail slot with someone breaking into your home and hiding under your bed.

[iBeaver 409]

Grrrr. Jokes bad.

 

Lol

[Zach6668 513]

I hope DannyG's post is next level satire

[mrdannyg 274]

I hope DannyG's post is next level satire

 

Nope. Guess I'm touchy, but to post a jokey article in the middle of a 'serious' discussion implies you don't take the discussion seriously. Coming from Bob, that surprised me.

[FCP Bob 1,312]

I found this an interesting take on things.

 

It’s Time to Rewrite the Internet to Give Us Better Privacy, and Security

 

 

 

 

We don’t know yet whether Snowden is telling the truth. Lots of people have denied specifics, and though his interview is compelling, just now, we literally don’t know.

 

 

 

But what we do know are the questions that ought to be asked in response to his claims. And specifically, this: Is it really the case that the government has entrusted our privacy to the good judgment of private analysts? Are there really no code-based controls for assuring that specific surveillance is specifically justified? And what is the technology for assuring that rogues paid by our government can’t use data collected by our government for purposes that none within our government would openly and publicly defend?

 

 

 

Because the fact is that there is technology that could be deployed that would give many the confidence that none of us now have. “Trust us” does not compute. But trust and verify, with high-quality encryption, could. And there are companies, such as Palantir, developing technologies that could give us, and more importantly, reviewing courts, a very high level of confidence that data collected or surveilled was not collected or used in an improper way. Think of it as a massive audit log, recording how and who used what data for what purpose. We could code the Net in a string of obvious ways to give us even better privacy, while also enabling better security.

 

 

 

But we don’t, or haven’t, obviously. Maybe because of stupidity. How many congressmen could even describe how encryption works? Maybe because of cupidity. Who within our system can resist large and lucrative contracts to private companies, especially when bundled with generous campaign funding packages? Or maybe because the “permanent war” that Obama told us we were not in has actually convinced all within government that old ideas are dead and we just need to “get over it”—ideas like privacy, and due process, and fundamental proportionality.

 

 

 

These ideas may be dead, for now. And they will stay dead, in the future. At least until we finally learn how liberty can live in the digital age. And here’s the hint: not through law alone, but through law that demands code that even the Electronic Frontier Foundation could trust.

[FCP Bob 1,312]

From Richard Clarke who was a counter terrorism advisor to Clinton and both Bushes

 

Why you should worry about the NSA

 

The just-revealed surveillance stretches the law to its breaking point and opens the door to future potential abuses

 

By Richard A. Clarke / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

 

 

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/worry-nsa-article-1.1369705#ixzz2W17KRpN0

[Fenxis 99]

From twitter: United Stazi of America?

[iBeaver 409]

I just take the American stand point of not caring if it doesn't effect me. If they want to mOnitor my fchl trades, my tweets concerning computers and video games then go ahead. The dept of homeland security and the FBI have pretty much dug into every aspect of my life except my bum hole. That's the price I pay for wanting to adopt. I've been sent to Odd buildings in the middle of nowhere to go through interviews and have my biometrics taken. They even made me pay. I don't care. I am like Adam in the sense I am not surprised. I pretty much thought they have been doing this At Least since 9/11.

 

As I stated before though, I'm not terribly impressed by this country and when and if we can leave we will. Then I really don't have to give a shit.

 

Oh and since I admittedly could be arsed to read much about this, why ate the angriest a couple Canadiens? Is the US doting on Canada? Is Canada doing the same thing? Seems odd the Americans are meh and you guys are all bent out of shape. But again, I only know the basics.

[iBeaver 409]

Oh and I look forward to Kroger (grocery) coupons. Each coupon is one I need/want and two of them are for free items like OJ, Turkey Dogs, etc.

 

Thanks BB!

[mrdannyg 274]

I found this an interesting take on things.

 

It’s Time to Rewrite the Internet to Give Us Better Privacy, and Security

 

I like this. Reminds of an interview I read from an IT expert, I dunno, 5 years ago, after some big Fortune 500 company had a database containing executive salaries and expenses hacked and distributed.

 

The jist of it was - don't collect information that you don't want the wrong people to have. It's an oversimplification of course - the U.S. (and every other country) collects a ton of information vital to national security that is both important to have, and wouldn't want other people to have...but the point is you should limit it as much as possible.

 

Imagine if, rather than leaking the existence of this program, Snowden went to work for North Korea, Russia and Uzbekistan, and helped them tap into the program? Imagine if hackers, now learning about the existence of this, are able to access it? And by "imagine," I mean "prepare for" because there is 0 chance that hackers could not get access to some of this stuff if they wanted, and then you won't be so comfortable that it is just the government with your calling habits, but it'll be whoever the highest bidder is, and I'm not evil enough to ponder what they might do with the information, but it won't involve sending you e-cards on your birthday or grocery coupons.

 

Ok, it might involve sending grocery coupons.

 

I just take the American stand point of not caring if it doesn't effect me. If they want to mOnitor my fchl trades, my tweets concerning computers and video games then go ahead. The dept of homeland security and the FBI have pretty much dug into every aspect of my life except my bum hole. That's the price I pay for wanting to adopt. I've been sent to Odd buildings in the middle of nowhere to go through interviews and have my biometrics taken. They even made me pay. I don't care. I am like Adam in the sense I am not surprised. I pretty much thought they have been doing this At Least since 9/11.

 

As I stated before though, I'm not terribly impressed by this country and when and if we can leave we will. Then I really don't have to give a shit.

 

Oh and since I admittedly could be arsed to read much about this, why ate the angriest a couple Canadiens? Is the US doting on Canada? Is Canada doing the same thing? Seems odd the Americans are meh and you guys are all bent out of shape. But again, I only know the basics.

 

Does seem odd to me that Americans don't care. I don't really understand it, unless a lot of you are like Adam, and had just given up any hope of privacy or your government being lawful.

 

I just find it ironic that the U.S. has started "wars" with a dozen or two countries in the last 25 years, supposedly because their leaders were denying them freedom. And now, the United States has been spying on it's own (innocent) citizens, at length, and in secret.

[ajs510 122]

Does seem odd to me that Americans don't care. I don't really understand it, unless a lot of you are like Adam, and had just given up any hope of privacy or your government being lawful.

 

It's not that I don't care, it's that I don't want to get myself all bent out of shape about something that has been going on for years and isn't going to change no matter how many people are upset about it and no matter how many congressmen/Senators have something to say about it. Like Steve said, the concept of online/cellular privacy basically never existed in the first place and certainly hasn't existed since 9/11 and the Patriot Act. The simple truth is that every single one of us is carrying around a microphone, camera, and GPS transmitter with us everywhere we go, and we're doing so willingly. Me getting pissy about finding out that I was right all along isn't going to stop them, ir's just going to make me upset.

 

 

And no, you're correct...I don't expect any better of them. I think the Patriot Act was somewhat well-intentioned when it was enacted, but it's since been used as the basis for the total destruction of the 4th Amendment...probably irreparably. Both parties are at fault, Bush and the Republicans enacted it, and Obama and the Democrats abused it. They're not going to stop under any circumstances.