Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

EPIC Sues NSA Over Information Gathering

Posted by michael on from the that-information-is-not-available-at-RED-security-clearance-citizen dept.

Juln and many others noted that EPIC filed suit against the NSA for failing to respond to their FOIA request. Both EPIC and the House Committee which supposedly oversees the NSA have asked for documents about the extent of their domestic spying and ECHELON activities, and the NSA has refused to provide information to either. Sounds like it's time to remind the spies who runs this outfit. The story is available at many major news sites.

2 of 114 comments (clear)

  1. Good Guv, Bad Guv by Tom+Christiansen · · Score: 4
    in this country, we are raised to fear and distrust the government.
    (I presume you mean in the United States of America.)

    Well, certainly many of us are, and by and large, I'd say your statement is considerably more true here in America than it is in many other countries. Isn't one of the fabled three great lies I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you.?

    My perception is that countries with more paperwork, regulations, and government overhead actually get that way because people like having a government to take care of them and watch over them. Compare the American sentiment toward government with how people feel in France and Germany, for example. Where many Americans tend to place government in the problem set, I get the feeling that many Europeans place government in the solution set.

    Does America fear government because of 1776? Is part of it because we were often colonized by refugees, even back to the Pilgrims? Does France similarly dislike nobility because of their own revolution? If so, why do they enjoy so much government intervention?

    What about Australia? They, too, were colonized by many of society's underdesirables. Do they have a similar attitude toward their government? Does their not having a revolution influence their viewpoint?

  2. Come on, people by finkployd · · Score: 5

    Why are you acting like the US is a place where the government is out to protect the citizens. Government agencies believe to the core that they know better than us. That's why they take our money and spend it better than we would, take our children and send them off to die someplace that hates us, take our guns since we can't be trusted with them, and take out privacy because who knows what damage we might be planning behind closed doors.

    Our system of government once worked, and worked pretty good. But like all governments eventually do, it became corrupted and ceased to work for the people, it now works for itself.

    Our rights have pretty much become non existant. What were once considered unalienable rights that could not be taken away are now dangerous to the public (or to the government), and must be regulated, or removed. We won't miss them, we'll be given promises of safety in return.

    Maybe someday there will be another Declaration of Independance. Perhaps even a Revloutionary war where people who still want live free from oppression and fear might fight for their beliefs.

    Nope, not in this age. We'll just express outrage today then vote the same people into office because they belong to the party that once held the ideals we believed in.

    Finkployd