This is because the three-letter agencies don't think like you or I--especially not the dark agencies like the NSA.
See, if you or I become suspicious of someone: we might study them for a while and, if our suspicions don't seem to be confirmed, we will discard them as unfounded.
For these intelligence guys, suspicions are never unfounded; merely unproven. If they become suspicious of someone, they dig into the data they have to confirm those suspicions. Failure to confirm means...they haven't collected enough data.
This means more surveillance is required, but the more surveillance, the more people to be suspicious of...and the more surveillance that is needed. If they have a recording of every word you speak and write--video of every second of your life right down to your time on the toilet--and it still doesn't prove their suspicions, well, that just means they need to collect data with Smart Pipe technology (satire video, NSFW).
What is a surprise is that they haven't been sued before this. One case escapes me at the moment, but the other one...
The one where the Fox affiliate changed the chant for the protest group, was very malicious. Absence of malice wouldn't protect them in that case, and I really hoped the organizers of the demonstration would sue on behalf of all the participants.
Basically, Fox (and it's affiliates) is getting so sloppy with its advocacy that it's turning into a lawsuit magnet.
We desperately need to rein this in; if for no other reason than to eliminate government duplication, waste.
I mean, how many copies are there? NSA, CIA, DEA, FBI, DOJ, DIA, DHS, Secret Service, NYPD,...there's got to be thousands of copies of this data. Because everyone's gotta have it and none of them will share.
The old guard is truly going insane, isn't it? Oh, yes, they love the internet for all the surveillance it gives them of every waking second of the citizens.
But beyond that, the internet is just tearing down everything the old guard stood for. Controlled news, controlled music distribution, controlled publication, and controlled national secrets; controlled knowledge. That knowledge they just can't control anymore.
The report should surprise no one because it is a self review, "I looked at my actions, and my actions were correct."
This isn't a problem with the CIA. It is a problem with all the three-letter-agencies of the federal government, and virtually every police force and prosecutor's office in the United States.
If there is a needed constitutional amendment, it is this: "No office or agency of the United States, when accused of criminal action, shall exonerate itself."
They won't get even a wrist slap. Instead, the taxpayers will get another bill from a damaged citizen.
The problem with that is that it doesn't affect the individuals that committed the infraction.
I suggest that when someone's rights are violated, that each of the violators be required to pay 1% of the award, within limits of not less than $100 (1% of a $10,000 award) nor more than $10,000 (1% of a $1 million award).
Let's see their enthusiasm for violating civil rights when their pocketbook is picking up the tab along with the taxpayers.
I've though that this should be handled through a "use it or lose it" law. The broadband providers have argued for years that communities shouldn't "compete" with them by doing their own broadband.
The response should be a law giving the broadband companies until a moratorium date to establish broadband service. For example, "Commercial providers have until Jan 1, 2018 to provide broadband in all communities of 5,000 or more people. If no provider has done it for a given community by then, it is presumed commercial providers are not interested and the community will be allowed to provide it themselves."
In other words, commercial providers need to stop delaying. They can have their cake, but only if they're going to eat it. We've been protecting them for 15 years now; it's time they proved their interest in pursuing the opportunity.
It has been held that terrorism is to accomplish political aims by instilling fear. But it never has and never will: instead it instills obstinate determination.
There are two kinds of "terrorists" those who know this and those too stupid to know this. The former do it anyway for self gain (such as revenge) and are therefore criminals. The latter, being stupid, get arrested.
So the "terrorists" who matter are really just criminals. There is no meaningful distinction between the bomber, and the hothead who shoots up his office because the boss fired him.
Those tax breaks, subsidies and such never, ever create jobs in any company or industry; or at least not at any rate less than $1 million per minimum wage job.
The money is simply handed to the stockholders...if any of it gets past the executive bonuses.
It really doesn't matter anyway. You know that if the video shows anything the cops really don't want seen, the "camera will be off" or, oops, "the recording got lost" or "accidentally deleted".
It's my estimate that the number one cause of evidence loss or destruction today is government officials covering up their wrongdoing.
In retrospect, it should have been obvious that the librarians would become champions of free ideas, since they've always lead out in resistance to censorship.
On the post: How Seizing Assets Leads To More Surveillance... And Then More Seized Assets... And Then More Surveillance... And Then...
What lies beneath
See, if you or I become suspicious of someone: we might study them for a while and, if our suspicions don't seem to be confirmed, we will discard them as unfounded.
For these intelligence guys, suspicions are never unfounded; merely unproven. If they become suspicious of someone, they dig into the data they have to confirm those suspicions. Failure to confirm means...they haven't collected enough data.
This means more surveillance is required, but the more surveillance, the more people to be suspicious of...and the more surveillance that is needed. If they have a recording of every word you speak and write--video of every second of your life right down to your time on the toilet--and it still doesn't prove their suspicions, well, that just means they need to collect data with Smart Pipe technology (satire video, NSFW).
On the post: Paris, France To Sue Fox News For Being Fox News
Fox: Lawsuit magnet
What is a surprise is that they haven't been sued before this. One case escapes me at the moment, but the other one...
The one where the Fox affiliate changed the chant for the protest group, was very malicious. Absence of malice wouldn't protect them in that case, and I really hoped the organizers of the demonstration would sue on behalf of all the participants.
Basically, Fox (and it's affiliates) is getting so sloppy with its advocacy that it's turning into a lawsuit magnet.
On the post: And Of Course DEA Had Its Own Database Of Metadata On All Calls From Inside The US To Certain Foreign Countries
Government waste
I mean, how many copies are there? NSA, CIA, DEA, FBI, DOJ, DIA, DHS, Secret Service, NYPD,...there's got to be thousands of copies of this data. Because everyone's gotta have it and none of them will share.
Talk about your waste, fraud and abuse.
On the post: Alabama Legislators Say You Must Be A Salaried Employee Of Old School Media To Get Approved For Press Credentials
The old guard is going insane
But beyond that, the internet is just tearing down everything the old guard stood for. Controlled news, controlled music distribution, controlled publication, and controlled national secrets; controlled knowledge. That knowledge they just can't control anymore.
...and that fact is driving them utterly insane.
On the post: CIA Internal Review Clears CIA Of Senate Hacking Allegations; Claims Senate Improperly Accessed Classified Documents
Self review
This isn't a problem with the CIA. It is a problem with all the three-letter-agencies of the federal government, and virtually every police force and prosecutor's office in the United States.
If there is a needed constitutional amendment, it is this: "No office or agency of the United States, when accused of criminal action, shall exonerate itself."
On the post: Judge Not Too Concerned That 68-Year-Old Woman's House Was Raided Because Someone Used Her Open WiFi To Post A Threat
Re:
The problem with that is that it doesn't affect the individuals that committed the infraction.
I suggest that when someone's rights are violated, that each of the violators be required to pay 1% of the award, within limits of not less than $100 (1% of a $10,000 award) nor more than $10,000 (1% of a $1 million award).
Let's see their enthusiasm for violating civil rights when their pocketbook is picking up the tab along with the taxpayers.
On the post: White House Finally Takes Aim At A Decade Of Ridiculous Protectionist State Community Broadband Laws
Use it or lose it
The response should be a law giving the broadband companies until a moratorium date to establish broadband service. For example, "Commercial providers have until Jan 1, 2018 to provide broadband in all communities of 5,000 or more people. If no provider has done it for a given community by then, it is presumed commercial providers are not interested and the community will be allowed to provide it themselves."
In other words, commercial providers need to stop delaying. They can have their cake, but only if they're going to eat it. We've been protecting them for 15 years now; it's time they proved their interest in pursuing the opportunity.
On the post: NYPD Pouts And Refuses To Do Their Duty; Residents Split Between Applauding And Failing To Notice
Re: Re: It's not going to last
Suck the air out of the police sails by making their "strike" official policy.
On the post: When We Call Criminal Acts 'Terrorism' We Destroy Our Rights And Sacrifice Our Principles
Re: Thank you
No, it isn't.
It has been held that terrorism is to accomplish political aims by instilling fear. But it never has and never will: instead it instills obstinate determination.
There are two kinds of "terrorists" those who know this and those too stupid to know this. The former do it anyway for self gain (such as revenge) and are therefore criminals. The latter, being stupid, get arrested.
So the "terrorists" who matter are really just criminals. There is no meaningful distinction between the bomber, and the hothead who shoots up his office because the boss fired him.
On the post: Toyota Joins Tesla In Freeing A Bunch Of Key Patents
Be careful at the briges...
On the post: For 10 Years Everyone's Been Using 'The Streisand Effect' Without Paying; Now I'm Going To Start Issuing Takedowns
Re: Re: Re: Simple site
Which reminds me: Hey Mike, is this going to be exclusive to you from now on? Or will we be able to obtain PRO licenses?
On the post: UK Bill: Nursery Staff Must Let Us Know When Toddlers Are At Risk For Becoming Terrorists
Just so darned easy
Well, it's easy: Muslim!
On the post: Neutrality Opponents Hope To Use Bickering Congress To Thwart FCC Neutrality Rules
Re:
On the post: How The CIA's Torture Program Is Destroying The Key Foreign Power The US Had: The Moral High Ground
Re: Re: Hmmmm Lets See
On the post: How The CIA's Torture Program Is Destroying The Key Foreign Power The US Had: The Moral High Ground
Re:
It's just that the other citizens were determined to bury their ass in the sand, then stick their head up their ass.
On the post: Surprise: CIA-Appointed Panel Finds No Real Problem With CIA Spying On Senate
Oh, right
On the post: Throwing Tax Breaks At AT&T And Verizon Shockingly Not Creating Promised Jobs, Investment
Great for the profits
The money is simply handed to the stockholders...if any of it gets past the executive bonuses.
On the post: Italian Regulators Fine TripAdvisor For Not Sniffing Out Every Single Fake Review On The Site
The trouble with EU
It used to be U.S. government that was tromping all over the internet; now EU is carrying that torch.
Then I realized (Duh!): The internet bigots have finally achieved regulatory capture in the EU.
On the post: LAPD Body Cam Footage Can't Be FOIA'ed; Used In Court Cases Only
Doesn't matter anyway
It's my estimate that the number one cause of evidence loss or destruction today is government officials covering up their wrongdoing.
On the post: Librarians Are Continuing To Defend Open Access To The Web As A Public Service
Our heroes
Go, librarians!
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