Surveillance

[KeithE]

Unless you are living in a media-less cave, you should be aware that our government (through the NSA) is storing (and perhaps reading) virtually all domestic phone calls and messages and website posts (even this post). I can see legitimate law enforcement and intel purposes for this (if properly controlled - via established in 1978).

Recently it appears that have also been surveilled.

Ralph Nader points out that increasingly the corporate world is also gathering much information about our website visitation, product interests, etc. The claim is they can serve us better that way with target audiences for products.

What do ya’ll think? Are rights being violated? Is the surveillance needed and ethical? Is there anyway to control its use to positive outcomes?

[Dave Roberts]

My first problem with the surveillance is that it has been placed in the hands of private contractors rather than being retained as an in-house government function. Our worst nightmares have been realized in Edward Snowden. Frankly, I'm not too bothered if the government wants to read my internet presence, but the whole idea has become one of bad dreams driven by the folks who are automatically paranoid. Our over-reaction after 9/11 has become an obsession. There can never be absolute security short of a police state, and then we might just all commit what Orwell described as "thought crimes."

[Haruo]

The truth will out, and I'm feeling better as time goes on about the ultimate effects of what Snowden did.

[Haruo]

A humorous language aside: a German politician, criticizing the US phone snooping, said (in German, but quoted thus in English) "When you trust someone, you don't listen to them." I'm not sure if the gaffe was his or the translator's (or possibly due to ambiguity in German), but obviously he meant to say "When you trust someone you don't listen in on them." (i.e., you don't eavesdrop on them)...

[Dave Roberts]

[Haruo]

[Sandy]

Dick Cheney, weighing in on the issue on a Sunday talk show, essentially affirmed the level of surveillance that is done, and condemned Snowden's activity as treasonous. Of course, being the politician that he is, he had to get his digs in on the President, and Hillary Clinton.

[KeithE]

[KeithE]

Just did send that suggestion to Mo Brooks - my Tea Party Congressman. I predict he does not reply although he apologizes that he cannot answer emails to people outside his district (implying that he does reply to his constituency).