Cringely on Domestic Eavesdropping

krygny writes "In this week's The Pulpit, Robert X. Cringely presents some interesting factoids he uncovered in his research into the NSA's domestic surveillance. He makes no judgements but offers some interesting stuff you might not have already known." From the article: "Intercepting communications for purposes of maintaining national security is nothing new. From before Pearl Harbor through 1945, EVERY trans-Atlantic phone call, cable and indeed letter was intercepted in Bermuda by the Coordinator of Information (COI) in the White House and later by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). Sir William Stephenson revealed this in his autobiography, A Man Called Intrepid. They literally tapped the undersea cables and shipped all post to Europe through Bermuda, where every single call was monitored, every cable printed out, and every letter opened. FDR and Churchill needed intelligence and they took the steps they needed to get it."

Comments

Re:Yeah, great, guess what

[revscat]

You know what? I'm not even going to debate you. I'm not going to tell you why you are wrong, not out of cowardice, or a weak case, or anything similar. It is simply because you are the enemy. You are my enemy. You and people like you stand against everything I believe in, in a very real and active sense, and I have through long experience realized the fruitlessness of trying to convince through reason of the errors of your ways. You will continue to support the imperial presidency, no matter what, and will march lockstep to whatever drum the government propaganda machine tells you to, to your doom if they ask.

So you are my enemy. You and those like you are the enemy of all those who cherish democracy, liberty, and justice. You are not American, you are not good, you are not anything other than the very type of person we fought against when we founded this nation.

Fuck. You.

Re:Yeah, great, guess what

[derfletchmeister]

Whoa there, Sparky. I think I speak for all conservatives when I say, "Put down the coffee cup and read a book."

Re:Yeah, great, guess what

[TheNoxx]

Which book? "The Total Number of Innocent Deaths Caused by Unethical Wartime Conduct by the United States: From Dresden and Tokyo Fire-Bombs to Carpet Bombing Vietnam to 30,000 Civilian Casualties in the War on Iraq (The Estimate Given by the Bush Administration)?"

Long title, I know, but it's a good read. If you're a sadist.

Re:Tell ya what everyone

[Eightyford]

Okay, now try it with respectable news sources. Newsmax? Come on! And the "but, but, but Clinton..." is getting old. Who the fuck cares about Clinton?

Re:Does this make it right?

[TubeSteak]

Just because one thing has been done a long time, does not make it right. Look at slavery for example.

[Talking Point] But it happened under Bill Clinton's Admin... [/Talking Point]

Oh, wait. Slavery?

[New Talking Point] Hillary Clinton compared the House of Representatives to a plantation!!!

That weak-kneed Democrat thinks that slavery is still alive and kicking and I don't see her trying to do anything about it.

You liberals, always trying to cloud the issue. This isn't about slavery at all and shame on you for trying to play the race card. [/New Talking Point]

Re:Yeah, great, guess what

[Nutria]

Sweden and facshist minister of justice in the same sentence?

What happened to the We Are Wealthy Socialists Who Are Better Than You Cradle To Grave Nanny State?

Kinda like Canada, but with better looking women?

Re:Yeah, great, guess what

[Pig Hogger]

And what was your plan? Surrender to the Japanese?

The question is, in fact, why did it took so long for the big, enormous, fat USA to whip the little cute yellow people's arses??? Long enough for the US to develop the A-Bomb, in fact.

Of course, the idea of a few million little cute yellow people invading and controlling the USA is totally ridiculous; I mean, how would have they managed it?

The fact is that the japanese were fighting the yankees all over the Pacific ocean.

Now, what the fuck were the yankees doing all over the Pacific ocean???

Re:Yeah, great, guess what

[starm_]

It's time America realizes it. The new breed of so called "conservatives" (read religious fanatics in disguise) are the enemy. They are the ones fuelling terrorism around the world which at any given time risks coming back to the US. You'll like this selection of fine literature:

http://www.mykeru.com/weekly/2004_0125_0131.html#0 12604
http://www.mykeru.com/weekly/2004_1017_1023.html#1 00704
http://www.mykeru.com/weekly/2004_0321_0327.html#0 32304
http://www.mykeru.com/weekly/2004_0418_0424.html#0 41804
http://www.mykeru.com/weekly/2004_0418_0424.html#0 42104
http://www.mykeru.com/weekly/2004_0411_0417.html#0 41504
http://www.mykeru.com/weekly/2004_0530_0605.html#0 60404
http://www.mykeru.com/weekly/2004_0523_0529.html#0 52604
http://www.mykeru.com/weekly/2004_0912_0918.html#0 91604

http://www.pastpeak.com/archives/2006/01/the_dems_ are_bl.htm

Re:Yeah, great, guess what

[TheNoxx]

I do not debate the inhumane, imperialistic actions of Japan towards under-developed areas of Asia, however, that has very little to do with their ability to conquer the whole of the United States. I was pointing out that the right has a tendency to lionize the past enemies of the US in order to bring some justification to the war crimes and atrocities committed against their civilian populations by the American government.