Someone should explain to Hayden the difference between legal and friends with the prosecutor. Some day there will be a bunch of NSA officials in jail right next to the Wall Street crooks.
Ahh snap. There's that two tier justice system again.
Organization who's mission was to find out as much as possible about the Soviets is now doing the same to the whole world. The only limit then was their imagination, seems nothing has changed.
"Admittedly, the public should be up in arms that Verizon and AT&T appear to have no interest in challenging these broad collections of data"
I imagine when this was first offered to the telco's it went something like this.
Gov: We want your cooperation spying on the world.
Tel: World?
Gov: Everybody.
Tel: Isn't that unconstitutional?
Gov: Someone needs standing to make a claim. We promise not to charge you.
Tel: Oh.
Gov: Well you could be heroic and defend Americans rights. You'll be up against secret laws in secret courts. The smallest point you win will of course remain secret. The hundreds of millions of cost well your shareholders will understand. Or you can let us do what we going to do anyway and we'll lavish billions on you.
Tel: No heroes here. Throw in immunity and you have a deal.
It's early '08 Senator Obama is in his office. A man steps in.
Senator Obama: "What the! Where's my sec-"
Stranger: "She'll be fine. Your making a bit of hay with this NSA stuff. It might play well with your friends. Do you think that will get you any traction? We've been watching you. We think you have potential."
Senator Obama: "Who's we"
Stranger: "You know. You want to be President. Do you think your enemies won't find out?
Senator Obama: "What?"
Stranger: "You climbed through Chicago politics, you think the muck washed away? No one else needs to know. We've been shaping politics for a while now. You can't make it without our help."
Senator Obama: "What do you want in return?"
Stranger: "Loyalty. We protect our friends and expect the same in return."
Just as spying has put a bright line between journalist and sycophants, judges will have to choose between the Constitution and obeying the government.
A is conducting unconstitutional surveillance.
A gives immunity to B so B will help
B gives data to C and uses it to arrest D.
E prosecutes D never mentions B.
It works if unconstitutional means nothing.
The constitution gives the US gov it's authority to exist.
If the US gov does not follow the constitution umm...
I think the word is coup.
On the post: Former NSA Chief Says Administration Should Ignore The Public And Leave The NSA Alone
Ahh snap. There's that two tier justice system again.
On the post: Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of 2013 At Techdirt
Pre Snowden
On the post: 'Anti-Propaganda' Ban Repealed, Freeing State Dept. To Direct Its Broadcasting Arm At American Citizens
propaganda ban?
On the post: Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt
Re: Snowden won. Period.
I will agree just shining a light on cockroaches is not winning. The American people won a small victory when the cockroaches were exposed.
Snowden will have won when the NSA is replaced with an agency with inherent constitutional integrity.
The NSA should have ended with the soviet union, that's the only way the agency could have ended honorably.
On the post: Chicago Law Professor Claims No Privacy In Your Emails, As Long As The Content Isn't Used To Detain Or Harass You
I don't know what Eric Posner is other than a tool.
On the post: Bruce Schneier Speculates On NSA Double Laundering Information It Obtains Via Network Infiltration
The same
The only limit then was their imagination, seems nothing has changed.
On the post: Appeals Court Puts A Hold On NYC Stop And Frisk Ruling; Boots Judge From Case For 'Appearance Of Bias'
Re:
On the post: President Obama Says He Had No Idea His Own NSA Was Spying On Angela Merkel
Everyone
On the post: Former NSA Director Jokes About Putting Snowden On A 'Kill List,' Says He 'Hopes' NSA Is Involved In Targeted Killings
Re: I thought
Did he think he was off the record?
On the post: Former NSA Director Jokes About Putting Snowden On A 'Kill List,' Says He 'Hopes' NSA Is Involved In Targeted Killings
I thought
On the post: Question: Will Dianne Feinstein Investigate Her Own Leak Of Classified Info? Will She Face Espionage Act Charges?
Sometimes
It does not seem to matter what crimes supporters commit. They all have immunity.
On the post: DOJ To Reporter: We Can Prove You're Wrong, But We Want To Embarrass You, So We'll Wait
Re: The hole gets deeper!
On the post: Same Day It's Revealed Verizon Has Never Challenged NSA, It Mocks Internet Companies For Doing So
I'm sorry I'm not a Verizon customer
Anyone sending money to those assholes is part of the problem.
On the post: Court Reveals 'Secret Interpretation' Of The Patriot Act, Allowing NSA To Collect All Phone Call Data
Tough choice
I imagine when this was first offered to the telco's it went something like this.
Gov: We want your cooperation spying on the world.
Tel: World?
Gov: Everybody.
Tel: Isn't that unconstitutional?
Gov: Someone needs standing to make a claim. We promise not to charge you.
Tel: Oh.
Gov: Well you could be heroic and defend Americans rights. You'll be up against secret laws in secret courts. The smallest point you win will of course remain secret. The hundreds of millions of cost well your shareholders will understand. Or you can let us do what we going to do anyway and we'll lavish billions on you.
Tel: No heroes here. Throw in immunity and you have a deal.
On the post: What Convinced Obama To Change His Position On NSA Surveillance?
Fly on the wall
Senator Obama: "What the! Where's my sec-"
Stranger: "She'll be fine. Your making a bit of hay with this NSA stuff. It might play well with your friends. Do you think that will get you any traction? We've been watching you. We think you have potential."
Senator Obama: "Who's we"
Stranger: "You know. You want to be President. Do you think your enemies won't find out?
Senator Obama: "What?"
Stranger: "You climbed through Chicago politics, you think the muck washed away? No one else needs to know. We've been shaping politics for a while now. You can't make it without our help."
Senator Obama: "What do you want in return?"
Stranger: "Loyalty. We protect our friends and expect the same in return."
On the post: Former NSA Officer: Wikileaks Is A Front For Russian Intelligence And Snowden's (Probably) A Spy
Is it just me
On the post: Former FBI Lawyer Who Oversaw Years Of Fourth Amendment Violations By The Agency Nominated For Federal Judge Seat
Another
They learned the lesson from the housing collapse well.
Get as many involved in your crimes as deeply embedded as possible.
On the post: Congress Asks Eric Holder To Explain Why NSA Supplies DEA Info Which It Then Launders To Go After Americans
Dividing line
On the post: Was DEA's Fake Claims Of Not Being Able To Intercept iMessages Part Of Evidence Laundering Efforts?
The Chain
A gives immunity to B so B will help
B gives data to C and uses it to arrest D.
E prosecutes D never mentions B.
It works if unconstitutional means nothing.
The constitution gives the US gov it's authority to exist.
If the US gov does not follow the constitution umm...
I think the word is coup.
On the post: Miranda To Take Legal Action Against UK, Demand Return Of His Electronics
Messing with a tiger
Its one thing to play in fair game but how do you plan when the other side has no rules?
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