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Purveyor

(29,876 posts) Wed Jul 10, 2013, 01:10 PM Jul 2013

Merkel Rejects NSA Comparison With Communist East German Stasi

By Patrick Donahue - Jul 10, 2013

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the country’s first leader from East Germany, rejected a comparison between U.S. data surveillance and the secret-police practices of the former communist East Bloc regime.

As controversy in Germany over data collection by the U.S. National Security Agency draws comparisons with the mass surveillance used by East Germany’s Stasi secret police, Merkel told Die Zeit newspaper that she rejects any parallel between the Stasi and espionage practices of democratic states.

“These are two completely different things,” Merkel said in the interview. “Such comparisons only amount to trivializing what state security did to people” in East Germany.

Merkel reiterated that the state needs to strike a balance between protecting its citizens’ privacy and ensuring public security, even after Germany stepped up its criticism following reports that the NSA had spied on European diplomats.

more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-10/merkel-rejects-nsa-comparison-with-communist-east-german-stasi.html

4 replies

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Merkel Rejects NSA Comparison With Communist East German Stasi (Original Post) Purveyor Jul 2013 OP

No shit. The NSA has a hell of a lot more money n/t leftstreet Jul 2013 #1

She's right, of course BeyondGeography Jul 2013 #2

Why do we have to arrive at the destination before we speak of the destination? ret5hd Jul 2013 #3

Interesting defense. Laelth Jul 2013 #4

leftstreet

(36,112 posts)

1. No shit. The NSA has a hell of a lot more money n/t

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Wed Jul 10, 2013, 01:11 PM

Jul 2013

BeyondGeography

(39,379 posts)

2. She's right, of course

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Wed Jul 10, 2013, 01:14 PM

Jul 2013

And whether you agree or disagree, you should watch The Lives of Others if you haven't already:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405094/

ret5hd

(20,518 posts)

3. Why do we have to arrive at the destination before we speak of the destination?

Reply to BeyondGeography (Reply #2)

Wed Jul 10, 2013, 01:20 PM

Jul 2013

Laelth

(32,017 posts)

4. Interesting defense.

Reply to Purveyor (Original post)

Wed Jul 10, 2013, 02:10 PM

Jul 2013

Why must we wait for all this data to be seriously and systemically abused before it's OK to object to it's collection?

All Merkel is really saying is, "trust us." Our answer, generally speaking, is ... we don't.

-Laelth

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