An Obama administration official defended the policy of gathering phone records from American citizens while neither confirming nor denying a report that the National Security Agency is collecting information regarding communications by Verizon customers.
BIG BRO IS WATCHING YOU...
A sad legacy of Obama will be that he got liberals to support the Bush doctrine of wiretapping and drone strikes.
This is such a breach of privacy. I know they're saying this is being done as another way to combat terrorism but I can't help to think that this data may be used for other purposes. I'm also wondering if they are receiving data from Sprint, AT&T, MetroPCS, etc.
Yes, Erik I agree. The article addresses that in the end:
The order is the first concrete evidence that U.S. intelligence officials are continuing a broad campaign of domestic surveillance that began under President George W. Bush and caused great controversy when it was first exposed...
It makes me so sad that Americans at this point are so apathetic to stuff like this. People in Turkey are taking to the streets and rioting to assure democracy on their terms, while the best we can manage over here is a miserable "Whatever".
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
A sadder legacy is that Obama hasn't put a stop to this.
"A sadder legacy is that Obama hasn't put a stop to this."
I don't know which is sadder. That are all the pathetic excuses my liberal friends come up with to defend him.
"It makes me so sad that Americans at this point are so apathetic to stuff like this. People in Turkey are taking to the streets and rioting to assure democracy on their terms, while the best we can manage over here is a miserable "Whatever"."
^^^^^^^
THIS!
This nation has turned into a bunch of lazy, apathetic people that only seem to be interested in what's in it for them.
I don't think it's fair to generalize the country as being apathetic. The story is still breaking. There may be plenty of outrage coming.
I have to wholeheartedly agree with all of you. I was thinking the same exact thing. Have we as Americans gotten so damn complacent that stuff like this doesn't even raise an eyebrow?
Just reading the article made my blood boil and I'm pissed that sh!t like this is going down on Obama's watch and he hasn't done a damn thing about it.
I'm pretty sure there are other things that they are doing that we have no idea about. Just the thought of it is disturbing.
George Orwell was one smart cookie when he wrote 1984.
Updated On: 6/6/13 at 11:59 AM
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
In this country we take to the streets to protest the notion of providing health care to all.
I'm talking about Americans lacking apathy in general.
The only people I see ever marching in protests in LA are the illegal aliens.
No one else seems to care about the direction the country is heading.
It is all very disheartening. The Monsanto crap going unreported for the most part, etc. It just makes me wonder who is really in charge.
Oh yea, in general I 100% agree Diva.
after 9/11 people don't care, and are surprised if they AREN'T monitored. No administration will ever stop for fear of "being soft" on terrorism".
Switchboard operators knew your number (and were listening in) since 1894.
They can listen in on my phone conversations all they want. I'm not hiding anything. And they would be bored to tears.
Hell, 99% of the conversations I hear in public are pointless blathering that makes me often think, "You people are being so loud and rude and the conversation sounds totally pointless. Please just STFU when you are in crowds of people."
I am actually divided on this. They collect the data, and in theory, only start searches based upon intelligence tips. I was opposed to the Patriot Act, and believe that this violates the 4th Amendment. But I also do not believe the Obama Administration is going to unilaterally abandon a tool to root out terrorism.
This has been going on for the past 7 years - my understanding is that this is a reauthorization of a FISA warrant issued - and every 3 months it has to be reissued. It was a routine renewal.
I did not like it under Bush, and I don't like it under Obama. Congress reauthorized the power to do this, and that authorization is valid through 2017. If you don't like it, push Congress to take away the ability to do this. Obama would not unilaterally abandon a tool to combat terrorism - the blow back from the right if something happened after he did so would make the Benghazi Kabuki theater look like a puppet show.
This is one of the government employees who is listening
The response of our elected leaders so far seems to be "who cares?"
Congress shrugs
It's been confirmed it's not just Verizon. It's every major carrier.
The PRISM program has also been leaked. The NSA is working with Internet companies to collect email, search histories, etc. And this includes content.
"The NSA access is part of a previously undisclosed program called PRISM, which allows them to collect material including search history, the content of emails, file transfers and live chats, the document says.
Some of the world's largest internet brands are claimed to be part of the information-sharing program since its introduction in 2007. Microsoft – which is currently running an advertising campaign with the slogan "Your privacy is our priority" – was the first, with collection beginning in December 2007.
It was followed by Yahoo in 2008; Google, Facebook and PalTalk in 2009; YouTube in 2010; Skype and AOL in 2011; and finally Apple, which joined the program in 2012. The program is continuing to expand, with other providers due to come online."
It gets worse
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
"But I also do not believe the Obama Administration is going to unilaterally abandon a tool to root out terrorism."
It doesn't seem to be working. Just ask the people in Boston who are missing limbs and the ones who lost loved ones.
"He knows when you are sleeping,
he knows when you're awake,
he knows who you've been talking to.
so be good for heaven's sake!"
Based on my years of watching Law & Order, I always thought the state needed a warrant to LISTEN to our phone conversations, but the details of who we called, when we called, and how long the calls lasted was never considered 'private'. I don't think the federal government is doing any more than what Stabler & Benson have been doing on TV for years.
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