The unfortunate part is that $5 million isn't going to change anything. I surely support any effort to reform campaign finance and undermine the political influence of megalomaniacs like the Koch brothers. $5 million delivered into the right hands could get a bill introduced, but the only way it will work is if our representatives truly believe that not one of them who votes no will be reelected.
That is exactly right. The push to encourage encryption does not solve the issue. De-funding and dismantling the NSA and taking back our freedoms through clear legislation is the only way to get what we deserve as a nation. Encrypting ordinary communication beyond simply using SSL/TLS is like bowing down and saying you don't expect the first amendment to protect you. When the teeth are gone from the fourth amendment the first amendment losses it strength as well. The moment we start editing our communications to keep our privacy, real freedom is lost.
That said if you want to say anything private and keep it private strong encryption and a low profile are the only means to assure such privacy.
I am certainly glad to see my tax dollars spent on worthy high tech and expensive efforts by the Secret Service and NSA. They should continue to spend with no concern for rationality. If you don't want to pay $100 billion a year to watch what people are doing you clearly have something to hide. The Tea Party should also continue hate big government, but also support unlimited spending on anti-terror efforts.
#snark
Snowden,
You stood up and did what was right even at the cost of your own freedom and safety. You'll probably die in jail or or with a CIA goon's icepick in your kidney, but thanks for what you've done. We've become a nation of pussies who won't stand up for much and barely know what our rights are let alone display any courage to lift a finger to protect them. The loss of liberty is worse than the threat of terror. I hope to god we realize that as a nation and stop pissing on the rights our nations founders would have died to protect.
I only wish anyone with any political clout or media presence would actually go on record, get loud and take a stand and acknowledge that Snowden is a whistle-blower not traitor and that it is not OK for us all to sit passively in silence while our hard won civil liberties are washed away.
Slashdot Mirror
The unfortunate part is that $5 million isn't going to change anything. I surely support any effort to reform campaign finance and undermine the political influence of megalomaniacs like the Koch brothers. $5 million delivered into the right hands could get a bill introduced, but the only way it will work is if our representatives truly believe that not one of them who votes no will be reelected.
That is exactly right. The push to encourage encryption does not solve the issue. De-funding and dismantling the NSA and taking back our freedoms through clear legislation is the only way to get what we deserve as a nation. Encrypting ordinary communication beyond simply using SSL/TLS is like bowing down and saying you don't expect the first amendment to protect you. When the teeth are gone from the fourth amendment the first amendment losses it strength as well. The moment we start editing our communications to keep our privacy, real freedom is lost. That said if you want to say anything private and keep it private strong encryption and a low profile are the only means to assure such privacy.
I am certainly glad to see my tax dollars spent on worthy high tech and expensive efforts by the Secret Service and NSA. They should continue to spend with no concern for rationality. If you don't want to pay $100 billion a year to watch what people are doing you clearly have something to hide. The Tea Party should also continue hate big government, but also support unlimited spending on anti-terror efforts. #snark
Snowden, You stood up and did what was right even at the cost of your own freedom and safety. You'll probably die in jail or or with a CIA goon's icepick in your kidney, but thanks for what you've done. We've become a nation of pussies who won't stand up for much and barely know what our rights are let alone display any courage to lift a finger to protect them. The loss of liberty is worse than the threat of terror. I hope to god we realize that as a nation and stop pissing on the rights our nations founders would have died to protect. I only wish anyone with any political clout or media presence would actually go on record, get loud and take a stand and acknowledge that Snowden is a whistle-blower not traitor and that it is not OK for us all to sit passively in silence while our hard won civil liberties are washed away.