One wonders just how much blackmail-suitable information they have gathered. And how it has been used....

How many pols out there have things to hide, but could be offered a deal by the NSA that they can't refuse?

And then there is also the situation of: Folow the Money.

With more and more of the 1.2 trillion dollar annual military budget going to the NSA, the pols have a direct cash incentive to vote for the program and all it comprises.

Seriously it is very worrisome.

K&r

Obama campaign rhetoric and his governing. Sounded good going in, but crossing the threshold, comes out like a Republican enabler.

that would mean my own "Democratic" government officials are lying to me,
and I don't WANT to believe that. It causes too much cognitive dissonance.

It would pretty much mean things are over. Stop fighting, start subverting, and prepare for the inevitable collapse.

Should be relatively easy to honeypot the NSA if *ALL* domestic communications (CONTENT mind you) are being collected/searched.

Find 2 people willing to possibly go to jail, and have them make ONLY private domestic phone calls to each other detailing their very horrific plans for a terrorist attack, replete with all the buzzwords that should flag such communications. You know, an ECHELON jam.
When they come for you, you know they've been spying illegally, QED. Simple!

They clearly didn't stop the Boston Bombers. They clearly don't stop child pornographers, drug traffickers, and assorted other criminals. Maybe it is because that is not what they are listening for. I don't know.

You assume they use it to stop terrorists. What if there are no terrorists?

What if they use it to control things like who is in positions of power? Then what is the test? Spying on politicians leads to being able to either control them or send them packing if they misbehave. The test might be "Have we become a fascist state?" while it appears all the people you know disagree with the trend.

Want to attract some real attention? Start doing a bit of google research on sarin and the V nerve gases. Phosgene too! The more technical the source the better. If in the course of thise investigations you find out the names of some of the precursor chemicals to these absurdly potent gases, be sure to investigate further as to how these things may be purchased or synthesized from even more distant precursors.

I'd bet a subsequent purchase of glassware, fractional distillers, vacuum equipment etc off Ebay would lead very quickly to a visit by the authorities. Lots of authorities. Probably all at once.

[link:http://www.alternet.org/civil-liberties/nsa-action-writers-house-raided-based-innocent-google-search|

Many people took that with relief, but I don't understand why. I guess I'm in the minority who thinks that having a culture in which employers who are chomping at the bit to curry favor with the government by doing the NSA's job for them is even worse than having a single but universally distrusted entity conducting mass surveillance.

sort of evidence would be required of means, motive, and opportunity before the black FBI/DHS vans show up.

A decade ago, critics of the Bush Administration's CT programs were intimidated and harrassed by JTTF/Fusion Centers. Now, I'd guess that they'd know better,and unless someone actually bought a lot of fertilizer and fuel oil, or such, the feds wouldn't make it known what they picked up on the system.

Last edited Fri Aug 2, 2013, 08:02 PM - Edit history (1)

its voicemail transcriptions are pretty good. not great but good.

Now we know. It's a sub-basement in the NSA computer complex.

when warrantless wiretapping was going on, and other programs Obama shut down.

How can either of them speak with any knowledge as to what is going on now?

And that fills in more of the picture for us all.

was engaged in warrantless wiretapping. This would have fit in with that.

Do you have examples?

A "related" but unnamed program. Fair enough, though - it does suggest a program that was shut down.

with a different name to replace it. That's how they roll.

People do still talk.

I read that right here on DU!
That's against the law, and a "Democratic administration" would never break the law!!!
I read it in some blue links posted here!

I have often wondered why so many democrats don't stand up for what they must know is *right* or at least stand up for the democratic or progressive platform. About 8 years ago I thought "could they be blackmailing ALL of them?"

My point? Once a politician who tweets his junk to the world gets into office, at least those with sex-related blackmail worthy stuff, won't have so much to worry about. I honestly wouldn't care if Bernie Sanders enjoyed being rubbed with earthworms. I'd still vote for him because of WHAT he does in the senate...not WHO.

(With apologies to the honorable Sen. Sanders for being my example here, but he is probably the only one I would support no matter what)

He got railroaded, when people were still afraid to set foot on the tracks.

eom