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NSA Still Funded To Spy On US Phone Records

Posted by timothy on from the good-day-to-donate-to-the-eff dept.

Reader turp182 notes that the Amash Amendment (#100) to HR 2397 (DOD appropriations bill) failed to pass the House of Representatives, meaning it will not be added to the appropriations bill. turp182 writes "The amendment would have specifically defunded the bulk collection of American phone records." Americans can see how their representatives voted here.

10 of 362 comments (clear)

  1. Americans no better than foreigners by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Spy on everyone. Karma is a bitch, folks.

  2. It's A Start by some+old+guy · · Score: 5, Informative

    Not bad for a first try to rein in rogue agency.

    We need to keep the pressure on, and support organizations and officials who think the principles of Constitutional government are more important than fear-mongering.

    If we don't, the fight is over. The terrorists and our fascist "protectors" have won.

    --
    Scruting the inscrutable for over 50 years.
    1. Re:It's A Start by Joining+Yet+Again · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Rogue? Seems complicit to me.

      What I wonder about right now are the NSA employees who - some surely being geeks who read Slashdot - are reading this comment. How do they sleep at night?

      Do they speak like so many mid-20th century "soldiers", absolving themselves because they're only following orders? Have they been brainwashed into thinking that there's suuuuuuch a threat from terrorists to the American Way Of Life that what they do is essential? Or do they just enjoy the power trip in a dying empire? At least one such NSA employee will be reading this, and their conscience will twinge, just for a second.

    2. Re:It's A Start by drinkypoo · · Score: 5, Interesting

      At least one such NSA employee will be reading this, and their conscience will twinge, just for a second.

      No, no it won't. Cognitive dissonance will prevent it. They have convinced themselves that they are good people on no basis whatsoever, and in order to protect that belief they will convince themselves that there is no way to achieve their goal but to ride roughshod over the constitution. Then they'll tell themselves that it's OK to violate the constitution as long as you're doing it to protect the constitution. Unfortunately, holding such a clearly contradictory belief is a kind of insanity.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    3. Re:It's A Start by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I don't think, at least in their mind, there's any moral issue at all.

      People in all law enforcement branches have the following two facts constantly being reinforced in their minds:

      1. They're trying to catch bad guys.

      2. No matter what they do, sometimes the bad guys get away.

      Imagine working in such an environment. You're only human, so naturally you begin to think, "If only I had a little more power, I could do so much good with it."

      So you make a grab for a little more power, and guess what? It does help to nab a few more bad guys. But it's still not enough. So you start to grab for a little more, then a little more, then a little more. There's nothing wrong with it, because you have the best intentions, right?

      That's what's happened. The NSA has simply grabbed for more power, a little at a time, all in the name of trying to catch the bad guys. No one is telling them, "This steps over the line." The only results of their power grab, at least that they can see, is that they're more effective at doing a good thing.

      So yes, it is possible that a decent, honest person could have no moral qualms about working at the NSA and recording all the communications of all Americans.

      It doesn't mean they're right, of course. There are some lines they shouldn't cross. The problem is that all they can see are the reasons to cross those lines, never the reasons not to.

    4. Re:It's A Start by steelfood · · Score: 5, Informative

      More than one. More than one.

      --
      "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
  3. My congressman will be getting a call today. by intermodal · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's shameful. My district borders on two of my previous districts, and both of those districts voted aye. Both of those representatives are men I voted for in prior elections, and proudly so. My current congressman, on the other hand, has brought disgrace upon himself by voting against this amendment. To be fair, I voted against him...

    --
    In SOVIET RUSSIA... erm...NSA AMERICA, the Internet logs onto YOU!
    1. Re:My congressman will be getting a call today. by intermodal · · Score: 5, Insightful

      *shrug* Doesn't matter, really. Unless I let my voice be heard, I may as well be a serf.

      --
      In SOVIET RUSSIA... erm...NSA AMERICA, the Internet logs onto YOU!
  4. Re:Jury maundering at its finest. by robinsonne · · Score: 5, Informative

    I think you mean Gerrymandering http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerrymandering/

  5. I did my part by Yevoc · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Now that we all know we're being surveilled, I can understand why others may not make similar posts, but I'm going to risk it and say it anyway. I read the previous slashdot article on the amendment. I immediately called my representative. He voted YES! Even if the ship sinks, I still feel very good about this moment. The system may be dysfunctional, but at least some of us are still doing the right thing. The worst thing we can do is succumb to despair. It may take some really tough times to happen, but we WILL eventually emerge on the other side with a better system. It's what life always manages to do, no matter how dark the times become.

    --
    AccountKiller