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NSA Spying Wins Another Rubber Stamp
schwit1 sends this report from the National Journal:
A federal court has again renewed an order allowing the National Security Agency to continue its bulk collection of Americans' phone records, a decision that comes more than a year after President Obama pledged to end the controversial program. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court approved this week a government request to keep the NSA's mass surveillance of U.S. phone metadata operating until June 1, coinciding with when the legal authority for the program is set to expire in Congress. The extension is the fifth of its kind since Obama said he would effectively end the Snowden-exposed program as it currently exists during a major policy speech in January 2014. Obama and senior administration officials have repeatedly insisted that they will not act alone to end the program without Congress.
and the various governments (this is not about the US, its about the new trend, or rather the new-found ability in mankind to truly neutralize all privacy and secret communications) are all addicted to this drug.
they can't give it up. they have a monkey on their back.
the stingrays are the gateway drug; and it soon is not enough and you want more. you want ALL the wireless and wired datacomms traffic.
we should shift our war-on-drugs effort to the real drug that is invading everyone's lives, though due to no fault of their own.
and again, this is not about the US or its agencies. do you really believe your own government is not wanting or having the ability to do this, as well?
this is about mankind and one of his worst weaknesses.
we should make a 'teaching moment' from this and disallow ourselves this ability. just like we really can't handle the responsibility of nukes, as a people, we can't handle THIS much power, either.
no one should have it. and yes, I truly mean NO ONE. you give it to one, and the rest want it (both good guys and bad guys).
will we use this as a teaching moment and make some change for the better?
well, I'm over 50 and have no hope left for us, as a species. we have proven we can't handle this level of responsibility. I don't expect change, but I do expect people to at least SEE what's going on and to try to work around it without giving up, entirely.
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"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
Not in JAN 2014 it wasn't. Or did you think he was elected President late last year?
Senator and Candidate Obama railed against "warrantless wiretapping" and pledged he'd end such activities were he elected.
Seven and eight years ago.
He's had six fucking years as President to do what he as a Senator and candidate said he'd do.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Obama seems to have fooled YOU for seven years running.
Yeah, all this partisan bickering is really improving your country's future. What exactly will it take for you USians to give up this blue team/red team bullshit and fix your government?