The Review Group will assess whether, in light of advancements in communications technologies, the United States employs its technical collection capabilities in a manner that optimally protects our national security and advances our foreign policy while appropriately accounting for other policy considerations, such as the risk of unauthorized disclosure and our need to maintain the public trust.
I keep re-reading that last part, looking for the word "privacy". Or "constitutional".
Instead, all I see is "Trust us" and "DESTROY ALL WHISTLEBLOWERS."
But here, it's hard to argue that there wasn't a TON of oversight, and the claim is far broader - that nearly the entire system failed despite that oversight.
Meaningful oversight of any program generally requires an outside party without a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. This is one reason why the Constitution established three branches of government, such that each could provide checks against the power of the others. "Oversight" in the form of a non-adversarial and entirely secret court proceeding and selective notification (or outright lies) to Congress cannot be effective. Indeed, given what we have learned of these programs, they were deliberately designed and managed to limit accountability, or eliminate it outright.
In that sense, this system did not fail -- It worked exactly as its creators intended.
On a side note, I'm picturing a bunch of Al Qaeda operatives simultaneously shouting into their phones to be heard during the call, and then that one guy who forgot to hit "mute" complaining about all these stupid conference calls making it impossible to get any work done.
...
Actually, now I've changed my mind. Perhaps conference calls are our last defense against terrorism.
Reading Hayden's statements makes you wonder if those currently in the positions he formerly held also believe "transparency groups" and "activists" are "terrorists."
Hooray for one AG not signing on. No doubt this will be used against him ("My opponent supports child sex slavery!!!") during the next AG election in Connecticut. Although maybe he was just on vacation...
On the plus side... well, there is no plus side to this idiocy. But it was nice to see Bloom County again - Thanks for that.
Basically, the key issue seems to be that hair is not a unique match -- that is, it's not like DNA or a fingerprint or something.
The commonly-accepted idea that each person's fingerprints are unique has not been proven. Beyond that, the criteria used to declare a "100% match" vary from examiner to another. There is also no uniform standard for validating expertise in fingerprint analysis.
So... in terms of "scientific" evidence, I'd say fingerprint identification ranks above polygraph testing but far far below DNA (assuming of course that DNA testing is done properly using acceptable and non-contaminated samples).
I fear we may repeat some of the mistakes we made as a country in the years before September 11, 2001. ... a rebirth of enthusiasm for civil liberties not just on the left but also on the right.
Oh no! Anything but that!!!!
*clutches pearls* *faints*
I wonder: Did they decide to turn on each other immediately after (or perhaps during) the mindboggling Hansmeier deposition in February, or was this a more recent decision?
Not even under Republicans, nor even under President Bush, did the leader of our country ever have the balls to start an international incident with another country.
Well, there were those two invasions of other countries.
...
I do get where you're coming from -- This interference with a foreign leader's travel (plus searching the plane, which now apparently has happened) is outrageous and runs counter to all sorts of rules of diplomacy (and likely runs afoul of international conventions).
On the post: Simple Question: How Could President Obama Not Know That Ed Snowden Had The IG Report That Showed Widespread NSA Abuse?
On the post: Telco Astroturfing Or Elaborate Double-Reverse Sabotage Fakeout? You Decide
On the post: Confessed Liar To Congress, James Clapper, Gets To Set Up The 'Independent' Review Over NSA Surveillance
Something's missing
I keep re-reading that last part, looking for the word "privacy". Or "constitutional".
Instead, all I see is "Trust us" and "DESTROY ALL WHISTLEBLOWERS."
On the post: DOJ Agrees To Release Redacted Court Ruling About How NSA Practices Violated The 4th Amendment
Prediction: Entirely redacted
On the post: Sen. Feinstein During 'Shield' Law Debate: 'Real' Journalists Draw Salaries
Special privilege
The word you're looking for, Senator, is "rights".
On the post: Civil Rights Leader And Congressman John Lewis Says Ed Snowden Latest In The Line From Thoreau To Gandhi To King
Re: Re: Re: Well, not exactly.
He's in exile. In Russia. He can never return home.
On the post: Civil Rights Leader And Congressman John Lewis Says Ed Snowden Latest In The Line From Thoreau To Gandhi To King
Re:
Meaningful oversight of any program generally requires an outside party without a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. This is one reason why the Constitution established three branches of government, such that each could provide checks against the power of the others. "Oversight" in the form of a non-adversarial and entirely secret court proceeding and selective notification (or outright lies) to Congress cannot be effective. Indeed, given what we have learned of these programs, they were deliberately designed and managed to limit accountability, or eliminate it outright.
In that sense, this system did not fail -- It worked exactly as its creators intended.
On the post: Former State Dept. Official, Expert On Extremism Says US Terror Alert Is 'Crazy Pants'
Re: Conference Calls Are Destroying The World!
On a side note, I'm picturing a bunch of Al Qaeda operatives simultaneously shouting into their phones to be heard during the call, and then that one guy who forgot to hit "mute" complaining about all these stupid conference calls making it impossible to get any work done.
...
Actually, now I've changed my mind. Perhaps conference calls are our last defense against terrorism.
On the post: There Is No 'True' Price For Anything
Tide goes in. Tide goes out. C'mon, Masnick, you can't explain that.
On the post: Former NSA Boss Calls Snowden's Supporters Internet Shut-ins; Equates Transparency Activists With Al-Qaeda
No need to wonder. It's quite clear they do.
On the post: State Attorneys General Want To Sue Innovators 'For The Children!'
Steve Dallas, Esq.
On the post: State Attorneys General Want To Sue Innovators 'For The Children!'
The 50th AG
On the plus side... well, there is no plus side to this idiocy. But it was nice to see Bloom County again - Thanks for that.
On the post: DOJ/FBI Admit They May Have Abused Hair Analysis To Convict Hundreds To Thousands Of Innocent People
Re: Re: Fingerprints
My point exactly. :-)
On the post: DOJ/FBI Admit They May Have Abused Hair Analysis To Convict Hundreds To Thousands Of Innocent People
Fingerprints
The commonly-accepted idea that each person's fingerprints are unique has not been proven. Beyond that, the criteria used to declare a "100% match" vary from examiner to another. There is also no uniform standard for validating expertise in fingerprint analysis.
This article www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64711-2004May28.html and numerous studies have raised concerns about reliance on fingerprint analysis.
So... in terms of "scientific" evidence, I'd say fingerprint identification ranks above polygraph testing but far far below DNA (assuming of course that DNA testing is done properly using acceptable and non-contaminated samples).
On the post: If The Feds Say Collecting Data Is Not A Search Until It Looks At Them, Is It Not Piracy Until You View The File?
Re: Re:
On the post: Judge: Aereo Case Was Decided Incorrectly, Because I Don't Like Previous Ruling
Re: Re:
Because once it goes over the internet, it's seen by the NSA and its tens (hundreds?) of thousands of contractors. ???
On the post: Former Top NSA Lawyer Blames Civil Libertarians For 9/11, Says Hype About NSA May Lead To A Repeat
Oh no! Anything but that!!!!
*clutches pearls* *faints*
On the post: FISC Says It Will Declassify Ruling That Forced Yahoo Into PRISM
It's more likely to look like the May 2013 response to the ACLU.
www.aclu.org/blog/national-security-technology-and-liberty/what-government-says-when-it-says-nothi ng
Or skip the article and go right to the released document: www.aclu.org/files/pdfs/email-content-foia/DOJ%20Crim%20Div%20docs/CRM-1.pdf
On the post: Team Prenda Plays Dumb In Central California, As Brett Gibbs Says They Lied In Northern California
Prenda v. Prenda
On the post: Bolivian President's Jet Rerouted On Suspicions Snowden Could Be On Board; Multi-Country Outrage Ensues
Re:
Well, there were those two invasions of other countries.
...
I do get where you're coming from -- This interference with a foreign leader's travel (plus searching the plane, which now apparently has happened) is outrageous and runs counter to all sorts of rules of diplomacy (and likely runs afoul of international conventions).
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