NSA Director, Congress and Monitoring

Thanks to Bruce Schneier for pointing out the testimony from NSA Director Michael Hayden, in which he talks about how the NSA worked pre-9/11 and post. And, as Bruce pointed out "...[he] tells Congress that they can best help him by going back to their constituents and finding out where the public wants to draw the line between liberty and safety."

Comments

Re:Timing is everything

[Iguanaphobic]

If my mind is not free, I will NEVER be secure.

Turn off the TV, do not read newspapers, do not listen to the radio, do not walk or drive anywhere you may see advertising. That's truly the only way to be sure. Oh, did I mention that you should probably forget how to read while you're at it. Then you would never be tempted. Wait, you would also have to stop listening to other people. Hmm.. I guess the easiest way would be to stike yourself dumb, mute and blind. Then you would truly be free. :-)

Unfortunately, having a free mind is not as easy as it seems. We are constantly bombarded from all sides with media that is designed to influence our minds. Starting with our "education" in the clone factories we call schools. If you think of an easy way out, I look forward to hearing about it. No wait, that might influence my thinking and then my mind wouldn't be free. Better to keep it to yourself I guess.

Re:I'd have thought

[DuBois]

Isolationism will bring even less security.

You're correct that isolationism is a xenophobic and counter-productive attitude.

However, non-interventionism (the clear view of the world held by George Washington, et. al.) is the best way forward toward peace and progress.

Non-interventionists fully engage the world in trade, travel, and commerce. Non-interventionists DO NOT invade other countries (Russia, 1917: for which America was never forgiven), they do not prop up dictatorships (Viet Nam, Korea), they do not bomb drug factories in the Sudan (you know who, when).

Non-interventionism says, "We're here to do business with you, let you visit (and even stay, if you'll become a citizen), visit you in your country, be friends with you if you'll do business with us and let us visit you. If you invade our homeland, blow up our buildings, or commit suicide with airplanes, we're comin' to get you sucka!"

That's supposedly why the "War Department" changed its name to the "Defense Department." But that happened just around the time the Pentagon began to be used for committing war just about anywhere the President or the gullible Congress wanted to let him commit it.

Isolationism is the policy of a bunch of xenophobic racists (anybody for Charles Lindbergh?). Non-interventionism was American policy for over a century, and created the best and finest country on the world, which then got trashed by the interventionists from Teddy Roosevelt on forward.