what dont you guys get about Snowden and the NSA?

[powganima]

What is so hard for you guys to understand about Snowden?  What is so hard to understand about the NSA?

The fascist had spies on their own citizens in WWII.  The NSA is nothing short of the same.

FUK U! NSA!  DIE, bitch!

[arbitrage001]

Most people really don't care because they have nothing to hide and little to lose.

Those who do care do out yell out so loudly to catch the attention of the so called agency and draw attention to themselves.

[tacoman71]

While the actions of the NSA "could" lead us onto a slippery slope, that doesn't necessarily mean that their actions are evil. I don't exactly understand why you hate them with a passion. If I may, are you one of those radical right wing extremists?

[Mike Christ]

While the actions of the NSA "could" lead us onto a slippery slope, that doesn't necessarily mean that their actions are evil. I don't exactly understand why you hate them with a passion. If I may, are you one of those radical right wing extremists?

Anyone who isn't a radical left-wing extremist will appear so.

[beetcoin]

i don't see how the NSA issue has anything to do with right or left wing ideology.

it just has to do with privacy and the way that it is starting to errode. if the NSA has full capabilities to know every detail of our lives, don't you think it could easily fall into the wrong hands and set up for a state of totalitarianism? not just that, but if you have all the dirt on people, that gives you a shitload of power to fuck other people over.

[powganima]

bitcoin and gpg (pretty good privacy) will fix it.

i don't see how the NSA issue has anything to do with right or left wing ideology.

it just has to do with privacy and the way that it is starting to errode. if the NSA has full capabilities to know every detail of our lives, don't you think it could easily fall into the wrong hands and set up for a state of totalitarianism? not just that, but if you have all the dirt on people, that gives you a shitload of power to fuck other people over.

[BTCmoons]

bitcoin and gpg (pretty good privacy) will fix it.

i don't see how the NSA issue has anything to do with right or left wing ideology.

it just has to do with privacy and the way that it is starting to errode. if the NSA has full capabilities to know every detail of our lives, don't you think it could easily fall into the wrong hands and set up for a state of totalitarianism? not just that, but if you have all the dirt on people, that gives you a shitload of power to fuck other people over.

PGP is not used widely enough nor is there is an independently verifiable way to verify someone's key when you have very good reason not to be trusting others.

[Marlo Stanfield]

The thing is that the NSA is taking it far beyond what people assumed. The amount of power they have in an information age such as this is unparalleled. It turned out that it was even worse then most tin foil hatters believed.

[powganima]

The thing is that the NSA is taking it far beyond what people assumed. The amount of power they have in an information age such as this is unparalleled. It turned out that it was even worse then most tin foil hatters believed.

yeah, just because I am paranoid doesn't mean that they are not spying on me.

fuk all govt.

[IacceptBTC]

The thing is that the NSA is taking it far beyond what people assumed. The amount of power they have in an information age such as this is unparalleled. It turned out that it was even worse then most tin foil hatters believed.

No one could even imagine the technology that the NSA appears to be employing.

I have always wondered how Russian hackers are able to inflict so much damage, but apparently the NSA is able to pull off the same kinds of attacks and then some. 

[Chef Ramsay]

Sure would be nice to see the NSA or their counterparts actually doing things to stop all this alleged terrorism rather than expanding all these databases to house text and conversations that mothers have w/ their daughters and such. Make the haystack so big and you won't find the needle.

[powganima]

Sure would be nice to see the NSA or their counterparts actually doing things to stop all this alleged terrorism rather than expanding all these databases to house text and conversations that mothers have w/ their daughters and such. Make the haystack so big and you won't find the needle.

sure.  NSA is looking at 300 million suspected terrorists everyday.  U r one of them; as am I.  We are all suspected terrorists.  GOD DAMN PIECE OF SHIIT FUK U NSA! fuk all nsa!

FUK U NSA!  Die mother fuker.  Fuk al nsa!

[dankkk]

Sure would be nice to see the NSA or their counterparts actually doing things to stop all this alleged terrorism rather than expanding all these databases to house text and conversations that mothers have w/ their daughters and such. Make the haystack so big and you won't find the needle.

This is exactly the problem. The NSA is creating databases that are so large that even if it picks up what is likely evidence of terrorist activity, they will likely not be able to detect it.

[intighet]

The calmness with which this discussion is progressing is troubling.

It is not a question of what the NSA is currently doing, but a question of the extent of the powers of the surveillance infrastructure. The checks and balances currently in place will be ignored by the dishonest/malicious actor who one day seizes, or may already have seized, control. Centralisation of power is dangerous, be it of surveillance capability or other.

[bryant.coleman]

This is exactly the problem. The NSA is creating databases that are so large that even if it picks up what is likely evidence of terrorist activity, they will likely not be able to detect it.

I just hope that the NSA is keeping their database somewhere securely. They have conversation records from hundreds of millions of people, from all over the world. Some of them will be definitely very private in nature. What will happen if a hack similar to the one which occurred with Apple iCloud happens? I know that the chances are very less... still....

[counter]

i don't see how the NSA issue has anything to do with right or left wing ideology.

it just has to do with privacy and the way that it is starting to errode. if the NSA has full capabilities to know every detail of our lives, don't you think it could easily fall into the wrong hands and set up for a state of totalitarianism? not just that, but if you have all the dirt on people, that gives you a shitload of power to fuck other people over.

Sometimes people tend to support the "agenda" of who is in office no matter what and this creates a left right paradigm where it doesn't belong IMO.  Most people don't agree with NSA spying on their citizens and this issue tends to gut muddled into a political issue when it in reality setting the precedent to treat people like criminals.  It only adds more confusion on top of an already complex and important issue when people make politics apart of the issue.  The spying is more important then a left right issue but is a huge part of the problem I have no doubt.

[omgbossis21]

I am fully against the majority of their spying, all in the name of "terrorism".  That kind of dirt of so many people gives lots of power, and to who exactly?  Lets say for some reason nsa needs some more funding....   Oh lets just use our surveillance and catch every person pirating software and fine them heavily.....  I agree most people feel they have nothing to hide but with the power to spy also comes the power to plant.  Well "x" is standing up to our agenda and actually making a difference, oh we got an anonymous tip he had illegal stuff on his computer and sure enough, he had 2tb's of it!

[DDuckworth]

What is so hard for you guys to understand about Snowden?  What is so hard to understand about the NSA?

The fascist had spies on their own citizens in WWII.  The NSA is nothing short of the same.

FUK U! NSA!  DIE, bitch!

I don't get how any "whistleblower" who alerts citizens to being spied on by their own government is considered a terrorist by the media, and the public at large agrees.  It's like 80+% of the population has an extreme case of stockholm syndrome or something. 

[dankkk]

i don't see how the NSA issue has anything to do with right or left wing ideology.

it just has to do with privacy and the way that it is starting to errode. if the NSA has full capabilities to know every detail of our lives, don't you think it could easily fall into the wrong hands and set up for a state of totalitarianism? not just that, but if you have all the dirt on people, that gives you a shitload of power to fuck other people over.

Sometimes people tend to support the "agenda" of who is in office no matter what and this creates a left right paradigm where it doesn't belong IMO.  Most people don't agree with NSA spying on their citizens and this issue tends to gut muddled into a political issue when it in reality setting the precedent to treat people like criminals.  It only adds more confusion on top of an already complex and important issue when people make politics apart of the issue.  The spying is more important then a left right issue but is a huge part of the problem I have no doubt.

There is actually bipartisan opposition to the NSA spying. Congress in general was not aware as to the scope of what was happening. After it was reported that the NSA was spying at the level it was congress was actually briefed by the NSA as to what was going on. 

[omgbossis21]

If I was president I would pardon Snowden and give him a Certificate of Appreciation at the least.

The leaders of the NSA trampled on our Constitution and lied outright to Congress and the American people. What I don't understand is how revealing a crime and corruption committed by public officials can be considered treason. Snowden did not betray the US government, he merely revealed people who were committing treasonous acts.

Snowden even censored what he released in order to avoid assisting our enemies. If anyone should face charges it should be people such as Gen. Keith Alexander (Seriously, why was this guy not charged with Contempt of Congress?).

EDIT: I would agree that normally a person working for a federal agency should respect the sensitivity of what they are dealing with, but this is an extreme case. There is a difference between what Cpl. Manning did and what Snowden did.

agreed, hes a hero.  Lets start a snowden fund =-)