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US Official Urges Americans To Reconsider Privacy

Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, a deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguards people's private communications and financial information. "Protecting anonymity isn't a fight that can be won. Anyone that's typed in their name on Google understands that," said Kerr. Kurt Opsahl of the EFF said Kerr ignores the distinction between sacrificing protection from an intrusive government and voluntarily disclosing information in exchange for a service. "There is something fundamentally different from the government having information about you than private parties. We shouldn't have to give people the choice between taking advantage of modern communication tools and sacrificing their privacy." Kerr's comments come as Congress is taking a second look at the Foreign Surveillance Intelligence Act, requiring a court order for surveillance on U.S. soil. The White House argued that the law was obstructing intelligence gathering.

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  1. Re:I, for one... by Dr.+Cody · · Score: -1, Troll

    Juan sat in the sand, leaning over to catch a black scorpion that was wandering across a cactus. Twenty million other displaced Mexicans surrounded him in their makeshift refugee camp. As Juan skewered the scorpion on a stick and began to roast it over a fire, he eyed the large pile of sacks of "UN Food Aid" that had been sent by the United States. The weeds and cactuses had withered and died in a 30 foot radius around the stack. The United States had indeed found a very creative solution to rid itself of unwanted nuclear waste.

    As the scorpion cooked over the open fire, emaciated latinos with distended bellies looked at Juan with jealousy. He gripped his Makarov pistol tightly and eyed them back.

    Juan removed the charred scorpion from the end of his stick, plucked the stinger off, and stuffed it in his mouth greedily. This had been the first time he had eaten in twelve days. As he chewed, he looked at the Great Barrier Wall on the America-Mexico border, one of the few man-made structures that could be seen from space. A plane flew over it and began dumping medical waste from its fuselage onto Mexican soil as though it were fighting a forest fire. Juan made a mental note to obtain some of the discarded vaccines that the Americans were fond of mixing in with broken thermometers and bed pans.

    Padre walked up to him from behind, startling him.

    "Hey ese, I got an idea on we can get back into the states." Padre said with a distinctive American accent.

    "Listen Padre, you know I ain't goin to sell myself into slavery." Juan responded.

    Both men had been born and raised in the USA and spoke more English than Spanish, but the Mud Peoples Relocation Act of 2009 and subsequent Constitutional Amendment had seen them lose all their possessions as well as their American citizenship.

    "No man, I think we can get back by disguising ourselves as gringos." Padre explained as he revealed several bottles of colloidal silver and Just For Men blond hair dye.

    A smile broke upon Juan's cracked lips as he eyed the materials. "Where did you get those from, homes?"

    "Traded them to an American smuggler for Penicillin."

    ------

    Meanwhile, in Washington DC, President Ron Paul sat in his office in the Goldhouse. His red skin, redder than the skin of a Custer Killer, shined magnificently, a byproduct of his years of dabbling in Colloidal Gold. His wizened face looked upon the latest presidential briefing about the removal of "cancers". Suddenly his phone received a text message.

    "smbdy wnts 2 c u"

    "ok let thm in"

    A Canadian ambassador arrived, shuffling nervously about. He passed through a metal detector and entered the presidential office, nervously fidgeting with his tie.

    "So what do I owe the pleasure of this visit from the ambassador of Canadialand?" Ron Paul asked, his brick-red face raising an eyebrow, his eyes fixed on the man before him like a hawk.

    "Canada wishes to sign a ceasefire." the ambassador replied, reaching into his pocket. Instead of producing a document, the ambassador before him produced a small glass globule filled with crimson liquid. He quickly and precisely threw it at Ron Paul's head. The President was faster than the would-be assassin had counted on, however, ducking under his chair as the red glass globule brushed against his hair and slapping his hand over a green button. The ground beneath the assassin disappeared into a cavern as the glass ball shattered on the curtains behind the presidential desk, swallowing him down through a trap door.

    "I see Soros is up to his old tricks again." President Paul said, his wizened red face smiling. A bodyguard rushed in and quickly examined Ron Paul to ensure his safety. He looked back at the blood-stained curtains with worry on his face.

    Ron Paul stepped away from his desk to calm the bodyguard.

    "Don't worry, Tom, it's not my blood. It's Jew blood." He explained. He sniffed the air and claimed "Ethiopian Jew blood, if I'm not mistaken."

    "The One Drop

  2. Re:I, for one... by c6gunner · · Score: 0, Troll

    Ah, yes, you're going to improve things by voting for a lunatic who wants to repeal Roe vs Wade, and move US currency back to the gold standard. Right.

    There's a reason why all the conspiracy theorists and ultra-right fascist support him, and it aint because of his cute smile. You'd get better results by voting for Denis "CIA-mind-control-satellites" Kucinich.

    And let's not pretend that Paul has any chance in hell of winning. He's polling at what, 4% now? Hell, even Bush could raise more support than that!

    In summation: you're nuts. Although, on the bright side, I'd rather have you throwing away your vote on Ron Paul than actually affecting the US political system.

  3. Re:A couple of reminders from an American Shithead by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 0, Troll

    flamebaiting troll of a Eurotrash snob and I have no idea how you were ever modded so high

    Are you kidding? That's an automatic +10 mod around here. You need 6 mod downs just to make a visible dent.

    Don't let it bother you. Islam will utterly pwn the EU within 20 years or less, and guys like the OP will be dead in an unmarked ditch.