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Mathematicians Push Back Against the NSA
First time accepted submitter Parseval (3632761) writes "The NSA and GCHQ need mathematicians in order to function — they are some of the biggest employers of mathematicians in the world. This New Scientist article by a mathematician describes some of the math behind mass surveillance, and calls on other mathematicians to refuse to cooperate with the NSA/GCHQ while they continue to surveil the entire population. From the article: 'Mathematicians seldom face ethical questions. We enjoy the feeling that what we do is separate from the everyday world. As the number theorist G. H. Hardy wrote in 1940: "I have never done anything 'useful'. No discovery of mine has made, or is likely to make, directly or indirectly, for good or ill, the least difference to the amenity of the world." That idea is now untenable. Mathematics clearly has practical applications that are highly relevant to the modern world, not least internet encryption.'"
Oh no, no, no! I am not trying to convince you that "freedom is worthless," but rather am pointing out that you have no useful idea about how your freedom was gained, maintained, and what is needed in the future to ensure it. Your little crack about "North Korea" is only further demonstration of that. In fact that might even suggest that you don't really understand your freedoms, let alone the Constitution.
If you are confusing what goes on in North Korea with what goes on in the US you are badly uninformed indeed.
much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
...anyone working there is knowingly helping evil prevail.
So, you think that anyone attempting to protect citizens of the US and its allies is engaged in "evil"?
It is as I suspected then.
Tell me, what do you think about the following item? Is it the NSA and FBI engaged in evildoing? Or are they stopping evildoing?
NSA helped foil terror plot in Belgium, documents, officials say
much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
The NSA is now a domestic surveillance apparatus and nothing more.
North Korea, Iran, al Qaida, China, and Russia will be relieved to hear that.
much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
You don't have a right to confidential communications with the enemy in wartime. You don't have a right to make war on the US. You seem to have an expansive view of "people's rights" that is supported by the law or Constitution. And yet you don't seem to object to Americans being killed, totally depriving them of their rights.
much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell