Senator Dianne Feinstein: NSA Metadata Program Here To Stay

cold fjord writes "The Hill reports, 'Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) predicted Sunday that lawmakers who favored shutting down the bulk collection of telephone metadata would not be successful in their efforts as Congress weighs potential reforms to the nation's controversial intelligence programs. "I don't believe so," Feinstein said during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press (video). "The president has very clearly said that he wants to keep the capability So I think we would agree with him. I know a dominant majority of the — everybody, virtually, except two or three, on the Senate Intelligence Committee would agree with that." ... "A lot of the privacy people, perhaps, don't understand that we still occupy the role of the Great Satan. New bombs are being devised. New terrorists are emerging, new groups, actually, a new level of viciousness," Feinstein said. "We need to be prepared. I think we need to do it in a way that respects people's privacy rights."'"

Comments

Re:Textbook Catch-22

[Anonymous Coward]

The senate intelligence committee behaves as if we've already lost our national identity to the "war on terror."

Well, we have, unfortunately.

The other interesting tidbit here involves Mike Rogers, the guy who's still reiterating the debunked talking point about Snowden not having the "capability" to do what he did, and accusing him of having Russian help without citing any evidence.

Surely Feinstein understands that "privacy people" aren't going to be placated by such a statement and that their continuing discontent will only serve to perpetuate the perception of our formerly great nation as "the Great Satan." It's a vicious circle, and the only way out is to enact policies that live up to the two key tenets outlined in the last line of our national anthem.

This. During the cold war, there was a saying "Better dead than Red." Better to let the Russians nuke us than to abandon our way of life for theris.

The Russians had the capability to annihilate us; it turned out they didn't have the desire. The terrists have the desire to annihilate us; even with a couple of nukes, they won't have the capability to do any more damage to our nation than Hurricane Katrina did.

Ms. Feinstein, Mr. Rogers, the only people in this story who are acting under Soviet influence - the only two people actively trying to turn America into a KGB-like dystopian nightmare - are you.

And if refusing your protection means I'm somewhat more likely to get blown to smithereens by a terrorist? So be it. I don't want your protection, DiFi. I don't want to live in your neighborhood, Mr. Rogers. I know enough of what was like behind the Iron Curtain that I want no part of it.

solution?

[globaljustin]

"government spying" is loaded language...everyone is against "government spying" on its citizens like in the book 1984

what I want to see from this AC is actual policy solutions.

the government's job, per the constitution, is partly to use law enforcement & the military. the people have a right for their personal effect to be secure from that *unless* probable cause...etc

virtually everyone would agree that the above statements are accurate and true & reprsents how our system works

digital communications exist. we on /. understand how it all works.

digital communications, such as a routing table, IP address, MAC address, list of SMS's from a certain number, this is ALL personal data, covered by the US citizen's right to privacy

you, AC, and every critic of this policy must either be criticizing the very *existence* of government OR the debate is about when/how not if the government can access your personal data

the debate is about WHEN and HOW...the government has the right to access your personal data with proper warrant

what is proper warrant for the different kinds of digital communication?

THATS THE QUESTION that none of the privacy trolls here on slashdot want to discuss.

everyone wants to pop off fiery bon-mots about how X politician is just as bad as Bush & reference a work of fiction that critiques totalitarian regimes

its bullshit...it hurts our industry & makes our jobs harder

stop bitching and start typing policy solutions

Re:The unseen enemy

[nschubach]

Some politicians do go get real jobs... after they boost markets where the company they are about to go work for is the benefactor.