Nothing To See Here
… So, move along citizens, just move along.
Zero gave a speech that was supposed to be about reforming the NSA’s habit of spying on everyone, what came out was a speech to calm the intelligence community while doing nothing about the flagrant abuses of the civil rights of US citizens.
Marcy Wheeler has an annotated version of the speech. Lambert as Corrente called it a nothingburger. Digby noted that it didn’t restore her confidence. Charlie Pierce panned it. McClatchy noted that the Europeans didn’t see anything in the way of meaningful reform.
Since the Snowden documents started appearing, people have been looking at the effectiveness of this program. The justification for riding rough-shod over everyone’s privacy was to stop terrorist attacks. So far not one of these studies can find any evidence of it working. In the meantime, several attacks, including the Boston bombing, that should have been caught, weren’t.
People need to remember that the intelligence community had the necessary information to stop the 9/11 attacks, but they lacked the resources to put it all together. We didn’t need more data, we needed more people looking at the data we were collecting under the programs in place before 9/11 and the Patriot Act.
12 comments
“People need to remember …” Yes, spot on! But they don’t. I just heard (again) on Crowley’s show the umpteenth time that we could have had more information prior to 911 (based on a San diego phone call). What for!? So Bush would have more information for him to ignore?
Yep.
(Nothing more to add, just making your SPAM catcher happy.) 😉
That photo of Obama atop Pierce’s column is chilling… at first glance, I could have sworn that the four American flags behind him were topped not with eagles but with swastikas. (Shiver!)
I have cited your excellent summary from the YDD in what may end up being my last post; I haven’t decided yet. It took me a long time, but I have finally fathomed the true depth of what I have been referring to as “the oh‑dash‑it‑all of hope.” At the moment, my level of hope is about… Zero.
Steve: I hope you don’t stop, but I understand. I came to the same conclusion by the end of 2006! And not simply because of Bush, it was the whole “Bush/Blair/Howard Narcissist Trinity” *shrug* But I think I have a much lower tolerance level than you do. probably because our backgrounds etc. are quite different. 🙂
This post in Feb 2008 on Crikey pretty much summed it all up for me:
When Narcissism Collides With Entitlement
And it hasn’t changed. In fact, it’s worse. Here, in the UK & the USA. At least here and in the UK, we know exactly what to expect from our PM’s, and we get it in spades! But you all *hoped* Obama would be different! Hell, his entire platform was based on hope! It was a great Marketing campaign in fine USA style. Even Coke-Cola couldn’t have done it better, pandering to the desires of the masses. In my last blog entry, I called him the “Emperor in New Clothes”, and so he is. Totally superficial. Obamacare is a case in point. Superficial, no depth. No real changes. No real fixes for the actual problems. Same here, same in the UK… Same just about everywhere now. Welcome to the New World Order! The rich get richer, and the poor… well, who the hell cares what happens to them! They don’t even deserve cake crumbs, let alone a cake.
Anyway, I just wanted to post this. I got a bit sidetracked. 😉
Seen this Bryan (from The Guardian)?
NSA collects millions of text messages daily in ‘untargeted’ global sweep
Geeee… What a surprise. 🙄
Oh, and if anyone is using Verizon… Maybe you shouldn’t.
Again, from The Guardian:
NSA collecting phone records of millions of Verizon customers daily
You know… this is becoming tedious. *shrug*
My guess, Kryten, is that every single phone company in America has such an order sitting in its offices. So it doesn’t matter which phone company you use, they’re all gagged and bound by such orders.
As for Obama, I’ll believe he’s interested in reforms of the NSA on the day that he pardons Edward Snowden of any and all crimes connected with revealing the existence of these unconstitutional travesties and gives Edward Snowden the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his services to America. Until then, I’ll continue believing he’s a two-bit blithering liar spewing a bunch of hot air. ‘Nuff said.
Shirt, welcome to the conversation.
I would understand if you faded, Steve, but hope that you don’t. I may not comment, but I read everything you write, and agree with almost all of it.
Badtux, you and I figured out that Zero was no champion of liberal/progressive causes before he received the nomination, but an awful lot of people bought into his bogus rhetoric. He voted just like Joe LIEberman the entire time he was in the Senate, and chose LIEberman as his personal mentor, so that would have tipped off anyone really paying attention.
No, Kryten, I never thought he would do anything to stop the hoovering. He voted to grant the telcos retroactive immunity after swearing that he wouldn’t, so his pattern has been consistent.
I saw the article on message collection, but already assumed that they were doing it. They sucked up everything else, so why not text messages?
Hey Bryan,
Very useful and complete your blog post! Thanks for sharing your findings with us.
What is really outrageous is that the Government shouldn’t try to find justification for breaking basic human rights and instead they should try to diminish the damages done on privacy of the citizens. We really hope that in the future there will be more protests against mass data collection around the world and more lobby for online privacy and personal data protection.
The best we can do right now is to protect & encrypt our data as good as we can, with a trusted VPN that keeps no logs and keep sharing the abuses of NSA so they don’t remain unnoticed.
Keep up the good work!
Welcome aboard CG. We call them like we see them around here.
Hello CG! 😉 😀
Ahem… Sorry Bryan, I told them about you and the way we feel about the whole NSA/GCHQ/ASD *thing*! 😉
But they are right about using a VPN, though of course that’s only part of a potential solution. As we all know, there is no such thing as absolute, or perfect, security. Especially anyone who has ever worked in Intel or a Security service knows, it’s a convenient myth to fool the masses. But, you certainly can improve your security to the point where it’s just not worth anyone’s while to break it, unless they are very determined for whatever reason. *shrug*
As you know, I evaluated several VPN companies last year in a lengthy study. I chose CG for several reasons.
1) they don’t even ask for an e-mail address, let alone any other personal info.
2) They keep no logs I was ever able to find.
3) They don’t overload their servers so their performance was quite acceptable.
4) They have plans from free to a high-end plan that is good value for the money, if that’s what you need (especially if you have several devices that connect to the Internet).
5) Their support has been the best I’ve encountered in a long time!
This isn’t some kind of plug or free advertising for CG either. I’m not an affiliate in any way. It’s simply the facts as I know them. You all know me well enough to know If they were no good, I’d be damned well warning everyone to tell everyone to stay away! 😀 I don’t like con artists and scam companies. 😉 So far… CG has proven itself to me (over a period of about 9 Months now).
One thing I have learned about CG in studying them, they are truly serious about protecting people’s right to privacy. All the staff I’ve dealt with are really *mad keen* and enthusiastic! That speaks much about them. 🙂 Everyone there get’s involved, and they are all proud of the company and what they do. 🙂 You can see a profile of them all on the main site. I think the above was posted by Oana Ciobotea whom I have been in contact with recently and I mentioned Why Now? She’s young, enthusiastic has a high level of curiosity, (and likes to have fun!) 😉 😀 Oh, did I mention they are Romanian? Perhaps that explains the passion and enthusiasm. And English isn’t their natural language.:)
And I think they are all slightly crazy (I mean that in a very good way!) We need a little *crazy* now I think! Everything has gotten way too serious to do any good!) IMHO
You can find them here to see what I mean:
The CyberGhost Family
Just thought I’d clear that up for anyone curious or wondering wtf! 😉 😆
Anyway, it’s been a rare pleasure to deal with them. How many other companies (apart from Prometeus) have you ever heard me be a cheerleader for?) 😉 😀
And… The *joke* get’s better… But still isn’t funny.
Independent commission to investigate future of internet after NSA revelations
For those who don’t know, Carl Bildt as well as being Swedish foreign minister, was also a CIA informer, Iraq war hawk, and part of the pro-spying lobby, amongst other things. His first *job* when he became minister was a red carpet tour of SAC in Nebraska.
Bildt accused of leaking secrets to the US
So… It’s OK for someone like Bildt to pass *actual* secrets to the USA, but it’s not OK for Snowden to reveal how the USA is breaking treaties and law’s and even the Constitution? Never mind… It was totally rhetorical.
Yes… The NSA Investigative Commission will be very independent, I’m sure. 🙄
Not.
Kryten, CG is welcome here as is anyone who has something to say about anything I write, whether they agree with me or not. As long as they are actually addressing the post, and not simply trying to sell something, I have no problem with them at all. I truly believe in the Constitution and the right of free speech.
As long as no one tries to create their own facts, and holds down the personal attacks, they can say their piece. Opinions are fine, as long as people don’t mind having people disagree with them.
Privacy is important in having a conversation. That’s why I was preparing to go with SSL here until everyone found out that NSA had corrupted the system. Encryption and non-US service providers obviously have to be part of the mix to give people the confidence to be open on the ‘Net.
There is already a review of the Internet going on, and it doesn’t involve anyone who would qualify for the Davos party. The Internet governing groups have already started looking at changes, and it is not happening in the US because of US visa and entry/exit hassles. The US role will be greatly reduced by the hubris of Alexander the Geek, and the ‘Net should be more robust and secure.