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posted by Cactus on Thursday February 20 2014, @03:00AM   Printer-friendly
from the least-untruthful-answer dept.

r00t writes:

"In September of 2013, Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper stated that there were many 'important reasons' for the overly broad scope of the NSA's information collection programs. Among the reasons listed was that 'it could provide the United States and our allies early warning of international financial crises which could negatively impact the global economy.' Also mentioned was the long standing argument that the 'collection of information ... saves lives.'

In the months since the NSA data collections have come to light, many people question [pdf] the efficacy of the programs.

Now, in an exclusive interview, with The Beast, Clapper says that the NSA should have been more transparent about the secret programs. 'I probably shouldn't say this, but I will. Had we been transparent about this from the outset, we wouldn't have had the problem we had'. However, he still defends the practice by comparing it to 'fire insurance.'"

 
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  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by Bob9113 on Thursday February 20 2014, @03:17AM

    by Bob9113 (1967) on Thursday February 20 2014, @03:17AM (#3111)

    However, he still defends the practice by comparing it to 'fire insurance.'

    One problem with that comparison. Fires are statistically a far greater threat.

    [In 2012] U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 1,375,000 fires. These fires resulted in 2,855 civilian fire fatalities, 16,500 civilian fire injuries and an estimated $12,427,000,000 in direct property loss. - NFPA Report [nfpa.org]

    Deaths is the easiest one to compare on. If you assume there will be another 9/11 tomorrow, the U.S. loses about 250 lives per year to terrorism on average, making fire ten times as great a threat to life.

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  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by Nerdfest on Thursday February 20 2014, @03:21AM

    by Nerdfest (80) on Thursday February 20 2014, @03:21AM (#3116)

    In this case, the insurance is also more expensive and more dangerous that that which it covers. They are breaking the law, and they have little to no oversight, and they have threatened to use gathered information against what they term 'radicals'.

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by dry on Thursday February 20 2014, @04:54AM

      by dry (223) on Thursday February 20 2014, @04:54AM (#3181) Journal

      use gathered information against what they term 'radicals'.

      To me this is the scariest part of the spying. My government has shown a habit to consider any opposition to itself to consist of "radicals" and considers dealing with them worth bending and breaking the law as they consider their policies to be necessary for the country. Breaking the law includes letting the NSA establish listening posts and trading information with other countries such as the USA.
      This gives the government "insurance" against opposition and "insurance" in targeting groups to politically neutralize through various means from making voting harder to having agents provocateur to discredit them.
      The other sad thing with the spying coming out is the damper on free speech. People have to watch out for electronically communicating anything that our governments considers radical lest they be targeted. And with the trading of information stopping domestic spying isn't enough, spying needs to be severely curtailed amongst allied countries.

  • (Score: 1) by MaxiCat_42 on Thursday February 20 2014, @05:15AM

    by MaxiCat_42 (2087) on Thursday February 20 2014, @05:15AM (#3194)

    Seems just like normal insurance - it never seems to produce any pay back.

    Phil.

    --
    Lexicostatistical Glottochronology - you know it makes since.
  • (Score: 1) by mhajicek on Thursday February 20 2014, @01:59PM

    by mhajicek (51) on Thursday February 20 2014, @01:59PM (#3432)

    Time for a fire sale?

    --
    The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek