President Obama Locking In Cosmetic NSA 'Reforms' Before Key Privacy Board Can Even Weigh In
from the that-doesn't-seem-right dept
While so much attention has been paid to the special White House task force that was set up to look at the NSA situation, and the fact that President Obama is planning to announce his almost entirely cosmetic "reforms" for the NSA tomorrow, it seems that almost everyone has forgotten that there is an official Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) that is planning to give its own recommendations concerning the NSA's programs... only, it's after the President will have already announced his plans. Admittedly, it must be easy to forget about or ignore the PCLOB. As we discussed a year and a half ago, the federal government (under both Presidents Bush and Obama) left it entirely unstaffed for nearly five years. However, it does now exist and has also been investigating the NSA's programs and their impact on privacy and civil liberties.Earlier this month, the PCLOB announced that it will be releasing its findings... in late January or after February. In other words, the recommendations will be after the President has already announced his plans. It does sound like the PCLOB report will be fairly thorough -- there will be one focused on Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act (the bulk metadata collection), a report on how FISC works, and a final report on Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act. Basically, three separate looks at the most controversial aspects of the NSA's activities. And all of them coming after the President has already made up his mind.
Of course, while it might seem odd that the President would announce his plans just a few days before the government's official organization in charge of privacy and civil liberties announces its findings... it's not that odd if the whole point is to basically cut off any serious consideration of whatever they actually end up recommending. And, of course, you don't even have to be overly cynical to assume that's exactly what's happening.
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Filed Under: barack obama, nsa, pclob, reform, surveillance
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Actually you just have to be educate on the issues. Marginally. To assume that it's exactly what's happening.
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There is barely a peep from them on reigning in an out of control Executive Branch.
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Now pray it doesn't happen, 'cause when one bunch of jokers fails to make the grade, the people vote the others in as if they have no other candidates to choose from.
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Because the votes on the patriot act show they are the biggest supporters of such things. They may cry foul about Obama's actions but they vote for them almost to the man. More Democrats vote against then republicans by a massive margin.
Hell i wouldnt be surprised if the Republicans massively extend all of the current programs and add more programs.
The problem is your government consists of two main parties. Right wing Authoritarian and Extreme right wing Authoritarian. You really really need a left wing libertarian option.
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Your master is here!
And Deal!
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"It must be easy to forget about or ignore the PCLOB.' -- Unless you're a weenie.
THIS is a typical Techdirt "reverse hot dog": pusillanimous ambivalence perhaps contradicting itself, wrapped in a weenie.
Masnicking: daily spurts of short and trivial traffic-generating items.
05:45:08[g-026-8]
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Obama has done a 100% turn around from senator to president... Why? He's not the only one. Then there are the die hards that would protect come hell or high water, such as those on the Intelligence Committee that apparently don't care if they are lied to. Why do they not care when that is their job?
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Look up the revelations of Russell Tice. He's already blown the proverbial whistle on this practice, and Wlliam Binney seems to agree with him.
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Assumptions of ignorance?
Now to turn that around of course it is still too early because he should be acting on the downstream feedback of that report as well
..So it is knee jerk either way, just saying it may not be a blind bat as it is portrayed.
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