suggested a president trying to straddle a difficult line in hopes of placating foreign leaders and advocates of civil liberties without a backlash from national security agencies.
He's their boss, isn't he? Or at least I thought the president was supposed to have some authority over national security agencies.
A president supporting and promoting mass surveillance is bad enough. But a president (and, for that matter, a Congress) too afraid of backlash from the NSA to make a meaningful effort to rein in their abuses is far worse.
What do you call a government in which elected officials are subservient to the secret police?
Of course, in between point A and point B, you have to imagine someone at the NSA rushed down to the FISA court seeking a Section 215 bulk "business records" order from every American car company for "mere metadata" on every driver in America, right?
If that someone drives a Ford, apparently we wouldn't have to imagine it -- We could prove it. Or, at least, the NSA could.
In all seriousness, if Ford were keeping all the GPS data, I'd imagine the NSA would already be hoovering it all up to add to their collection. In fact, we might just be a few Guardian articles away from finding out.
Then he should stop throwing himself into the public's eye with stuff like this.
He can't.. I think that was the AC's point. The man is ill, and I'm inclined to agree with AC that we should be compassionate and lay off the ridicule. Now, if the lawsuit actually went anywhere, then we'd have something to talk about, but it would be the court system, not this man, who would be the issue.
1. Only a police state can guarantee 100% security. (Although it doesn't really do that, because in a police state, no one has protection from state-sanctioned abuse.) 2. People have thought of a better way: Thoughtful, focused intelligence-gathering. It's an old-school premise, but it can still take advantage of new technologies without trampling the constitution. It also happens to be the only way that's ever had any real success. 3. If General Alexander is hoping to stick with his (rather awkward) library metaphor, he might want to talk to a few librarians, because they're likely to understand just how much detail can be gleaned from metadata.
So far I've resisted extremism, but having exhausted all other options, it's clear now that only one choice remains. It'll be difficult, and dangerous, and not all of us will survive, but we've been left with no other course of action.
So this is it: We have to change the jury pool -- We have to move to East Texas.
No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
At this point, Poe's Law applies to just about anything related to the NSA and its cheerleaders. Unfortuantely, the NSA's documented actions really are that bad and their defenders' statements are so outrageous that something like this seems entirely plausible (as evidenced by several of the article's comments here and over at Popehat).
On the post: Obama Plans Cosmetic Changes To NSA: Embraces 'The Spirit Of Reform' But Not The Substance
He's their boss, isn't he? Or at least I thought the president was supposed to have some authority over national security agencies.
A president supporting and promoting mass surveillance is bad enough. But a president (and, for that matter, a Congress) too afraid of backlash from the NSA to make a meaningful effort to rein in their abuses is far worse.
What do you call a government in which elected officials are subservient to the secret police?
On the post: RIAA's Boss Thinks He Knows Better Than Google How To Build A Search Engine
Re:
NSA contractors?
On the post: Former Judge Who Was Caught Texting Instructions To Prosecutors Now Running For District Attorney Post
Re:
She's probably counting on it.
Sadly enough, it just might help her campaign. "Tough on crime" and all...
On the post: Ford VP Claims The Company Is Tracking Everyone's Driving Habits... Then Denies It
If that someone drives a Ford, apparently we wouldn't have to imagine it -- We could prove it. Or, at least, the NSA could.
In all seriousness, if Ford were keeping all the GPS data, I'd imagine the NSA would already be hoovering it all up to add to their collection. In fact, we might just be a few Guardian articles away from finding out.
On the post: FBI Admits It's Not Really About Law Enforcement Any More; Ignores Lots Of Crimes To Focus On Creating Fake Terror Plots
Re: Warnings
No, they're true, because Piracy = Terrorism.
Or didn't you get that memo?
On the post: Guy Who Sued Apple For Not Preventing Him From Accessing Porn Now Suing A&E And Obama For Religious Persecution
Re: Re: This is Repugant
He can't.. I think that was the AC's point. The man is ill, and I'm inclined to agree with AC that we should be compassionate and lay off the ridicule.
Now, if the lawsuit actually went anywhere, then we'd have something to talk about, but it would be the court system, not this man, who would be the issue.
On the post: Chicago Sandwich Shop Emails Employees On Dec. 23rd To Say Merry Christmas And You're All Fired
Re:
Or perhaps the strikers merely hoped that their employers wouldn't break the law by retaliating against them?
On the post: TSA 'Security Fee' Expected To Double Next Year, Current Level Of Ineptness To Remain Unchanged
You underestimate the TSA
On the post: Keith Alexander Tells Senators He Can't Think Of Any Other Way To Keep The US Safe Other Than Bulk Metadata Collections
A few points for General Alexander
2. People have thought of a better way: Thoughtful, focused intelligence-gathering. It's an old-school premise, but it can still take advantage of new technologies without trampling the constitution. It also happens to be the only way that's ever had any real success.
3. If General Alexander is hoping to stick with his (rather awkward) library metaphor, he might want to talk to a few librarians, because they're likely to understand just how much detail can be gleaned from metadata.
On the post: DHS Interrogates NY Times Reporters At Border, Then Denies Having Any Records About Them
Re: Re: Re:
On the post: Insanity Rules In East Texas: Jury Finds Newegg Infringes On Ridiculous Encryption Patent
The Nuclear Option
So this is it: We have to change the jury pool -- We have to move to East Texas.
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
Well, yes.
On the post: Former DHS/NSA Official Attacks Bruce Schneier With Bizarre, Factually Incorrect, Non-sensical Rant
say the guys doing the CNN iReport.
On the post: Chief Judge Of Patent Court Compares Killing Bad Patents To Genocide
A statement like this should disqualify someone from having anything to do with anything whatsoever.
On the post: Rep. Mike Rogers Angrily Defends Bathroom Spycam
Re:
On the post: NSA Director Claims He's Protecting Americans' Privacy And Civil Liberties... By Spying On Them All
NSA's new motto
On the post: PA Cop Refuses To Take Accident Report Unless Citizen Stops Recording; Cites 'Department Policy' [UPDATED]
I think I'm setting the bar too low
On the post: NSA Uses EFF Images To Explain Tor; EFF Jokingly Claims Creative Commons Violation
On the post: Redefining English: Senator Feinstein Says The Press Needs To Stop Calling Patriot Act Surveillance Program A 'Surveillance Program'
I'm open to new names
On the post: DOJ To Reporter: We Can Prove You're Wrong, But We Want To Embarrass You, So We'll Wait
Brian Fallon sues Brian Heath and USA Today, claiming that his emails are copyrighted.
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