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Two articles have been received regarding the NSA and its activities:
NSA chief knew of Snowden file destruction by Guardian in UK
Surprising absolutely no one, the Guardian reports that Keith Alexander was fully briefed and supportive of the GCHQ's plan to destroy Snowden-related computers at the Guardian's offices in London.
The revelation that Alexander and Obama's director of national intelligence, James Clapper, were advised on the Guardian's destruction of several hard disks and laptops contrasts markedly with public White House statements that distanced the US from the decision.
White House and NSA emails obtained by Associated Press under freedom of information legislation demonstrate how pleased Alexander and his colleagues were with the developments. At times the correspondence takes a celebratory tone, with one official describing the anticipated destruction as "good news".
A Compromise with the NSA
"The NSA wants to know everything we do? Fine, but only if We the People see everything the NSA does. The real problem with the current mass surveillance is asymmetry."
Now we all know that the NSA is not going to open its doors and reveal its secrets - that would be foolhardy in the extreme and seriously endanger the US and its citizens. And despite the sincerely-held views of many of our members and others elsewhere, from the outside there doesn't appear to be anything like a groundswell of dissent in the US regarding Snowden's revelations about the NSA's activities.
However, perhaps by being a little more open it might begin to win back the trust of those who currently doubt that the NSA is working in their interests. What would it take for you to be convinced that the NSA was under control and acting in the best interests of every US citizen, and not just the interests of a small number who appear to use it to cling to power? What amount of spying on allies and partners would be acceptable while remembering that each time such activity is discovered it weakens the trust of the ally and can have serious repercussions for US business? Would clearly stating which terrorist plots had been thwarted by intelligence gathered, in part at least, by the NSA be enough? Or have we already passed the point of no return?
(Score: 3, Informative) by Phoenix666 on Saturday July 12 2014, @05:49PM
FatPhil, I completely agree with you. Despite the steady stream of revelations about the NSA's vast crimes over the past year, revelation after revelation about lawlessness at the highest levels of our global society (see HSBC's laundering billions for the Mexican drug cartels and getting away with it scot-free), and even more and more articles on Soylent itself in the past two weeks, there are still timorous souls who argue that we're hyperbolic, that the problem isn't that bad, or even astonishingly, that OK even if the system is broken the best way to fix it is to do nothing. It always reminds me of Belial from Milton's Paradise lost:
I have two young children. I have enough to eat and a roof over my head. I don't fear for my life or their lives on a daily basis. I know that revolution could make all of those things cease to be true, and worse. But I was raised an American and the love for freedom and justice are bred in the bone. And beyond being received values I have come to know they are laudable and true and correct in their own right. I cannot stand by and do nothing while they're stolen away from us.
I don't know much about guns. I'm not a soldier. I don't like loud noises or explosions. Violence is not something I seek. But I will do what I can where I can to my utmost to fight these criminals who have conquered our country without firing a shot.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Saturday July 12 2014, @08:41PM
I hope you posted these using Tor. No, not as a matter to keep you pseudonimity, just to increase the "noise" NSA needs to deal with.
https://www.youtube.com/@ProfSteveKeen https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Sunday July 13 2014, @10:47AM
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:HfpD3mg9efQJ:https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.quotations/8O3dcrvIqPc/x3lh_2fH358J%2Bbetter+the+devil+you+know+alt.quotations
"""
It is probably much older than that in various forms.
e.g. Recorded from 1586 by D. Rowland is:
"Better is evill knowne, than the good which is yet to know."
"""
Which predates even Milton. (And hoorah for usenet!)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves