NSA surveillance and data capturing

[Exterminator]

Maybe one of those "magical rockets" that don't exist will take out his aircraft. 

I would have thought INTERPOL could put a stop to his jet setting. . .

There is nowhere he will ever be safe again.  I hope he enjoys waking up every morning wondering if that will be the day and soiling himself every time a kid sets off a firecracker.

[Locutus]

Looks like Yahoo News was wrong.  It's now being reported that he's trying to head to Quito.

[me]

Here's that question again for you Ex since you haven't answered it yet.

  Question for you.  If I agree with a black person who disagrees with Obama on policy does that still make me a racist?  What does that make the black person who dislikes his policies? 

[The Troll]

Here's that question again for you Ex since you haven't answered it yet.


                                        What does that make the black person who dislikes Obama's policies?

   A FOOL AND AN IDIOT!!!  Just like the rest of the homophobic asshole Republican Sheeples.       

[Exterminator]

Snowden has now applied for political asylum in Russia.  Anyone still not convinced he's a traitor should pack his bags and go with him.

[Henry Hawk]

Snowden has now applied for political asylum in Russia.  Anyone still not convinced he's a traitor should pack his bags and go with him.

Though I think he believed his intentions were good...what he did was wrong.....it IS indeed traitorous.  I am not condoning it.  He IS wrong and should be punished.

I also believe the point he made DOES remind us of just how corrupt our government IS.  I am NOT pointing at ANY ONE political party........but our WHOLE system.....they keep OVER-REACHING for MORE power.

[Exterminator]

I also believe the point he made DOES remind us of just how corrupt our government IS.  I am NOT pointing at ANY ONE political party........but our WHOLE system.....they keep OVER-REACHING for MORE power.

I do not believe that collection of this type of information is over-reaching.  I believe that it provides the means by which we can connect the cell phone number of a known terrorist to anyone they might be talking to regularly in the U.S.  Once they have established that link, they still must get a warrant to find out to whom the associated number(s) belong and to begin monitoring those individuals.  If anyone has a better idea about how to go about doing this, I'm all ears.

FWIW, collecting the from/to phone numbers, when the call was placed and how long it lasted doesn't seem much different than information the postal service has had access to since it started.  Knowing the from and to on the outside of an envelope doesn't tell you what's inside it.  Are we afraid to use the mail now as well?

[Henry Hawk]

I think it is good to have these debates, keeping government honest. (honest-er    )....I think, and this is just my conservative view, that this NSA situation, coupled along with the IRS, AP, Benghazi, it allows the opportunity to challange the "intent" of our leadership.  We are in difficult times and this is not helping matters out.

[Exterminator]

I think, and this is just my conservative view, that this NSA situation, coupled along with the IRS, AP, Benghazi, it allows the opportunity to challange the "intent" of our leadership.

I think it's all a bullshit smokescreen to distract attention away from the fact that Congress is not doing its job.

[Palehorse]

I think it's all a bullshit smokescreen to distract attention away from the fact that Congress is not doing its job.

And that is the bottom line. These jackwagons in congress are loafing. They're obscuring the fact they don't do a damned thing by raising headlines akin to the National Enquirer! 

[Y]

Snowden has now applied for political asylum in Russia.  Anyone still not convinced he's a traitor should pack his bags and go with him.

Sorry, Ex, but I have to strongly disagree with you.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/part-I/chapter-115

18 USC § 2381 - Treason

Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html

The Constitution of the United States

Article. I.: Section. 8.:

The Congress shall have Power To: ...To declare War...


1. Treason requires we be at war.

2. Congress has not declared war.

Therefore, Snowdon, can not legally be considered a 'traitor'.

[Y]

Here's a clue for those folks: you do not own the information being collected by the government; your cell carrier does.  Those are not your records; they are theirs.

I also strongly disagree with this.

Those records are of services provided through a personal contractual agreement between the user and the provider and no third party, i.e.: any governmental agency, and should therefore legally be private.

[Y]

Anyone wishing to vent and express outrage at government surveillance of this sort is, of course, free to do so. On the other hand, it would be most helpful to offer more "democratic" means for identifying terrorists in our midst.

We are a country of over 300 million. If there are, say, 1,000 active terrorists in our midst who have both the capability and intent to harm or kill many of us in an attack--that amounts to identifying 1 bad guy in 300,000. What are YOUR proposals?

I will, because it's not only heavy handed, it's a ham handed way to go about it.  Just like using our immense overbloated military on what should be national and international police investigations.

This can all be done far more efficiently, legally, with FAR less invasions of privacy as police operations.

[Y]

I saw someone raising hell online today about the government violating his right to privacy so as an academic exercise, decided to see what I could find out about him. In under 5 minutes and at no cost I knew what he looked like, where he grew up, what high school he attended, whether or not he had any post secondary education, when he was divorced and his ex-wife's name, when he filed bankruptcy, his current employer and his position there, his current address and phone number, what his house looks like, how big it is and its approximate market value, that there was a twin mattress and box spring leaning against his front door when the google street mapping car drove by and that his garage door was open and he was standing in it at the time.

It is ridiculous for the 'Facebook Nation' to be complaining about the government and your privacy when they put their 'business' out in the street with no compunction.

One can't blame the government for 'invading' what you willingly make public.

Besides, there have been consistent rumors that FB, Google, etc. have ties to the government.

It's like the government controlling encryption technology.

[Y]

Question for you.  If I agree with a black person who disagrees with Obama on policy does that still make me a racist?  What does that make the black person who dislikes his policies?

In the course of things as they are, it would mean the white person was happy to have the black person to use as a cover for his/her racism on two fronts.

If you're referring to RW black commentators, it makes them money ergo they'd be self-serving.