This is a very difficult scenario as both sides have points. In the days of rouge individuals who may one day detonate a nuclear bomb in downtown NYC is giving up some privacy a necessary evil? Or is an out of control government bent on watching every move we make the worse alternative? I am sorry to side with people like Glenn Back and Alex Jones on this, but this does seem to be a massive overreach by an increasingly Orwellian government. The chance for misuse for this information seems to be much worse than any possible terrorist attack. The fact that this information is also being handled by a third party opens up other accusations of fascism to the forefront.
I personally believe that Ed Snowden is a hero for risking his life and freedom to expose such wrongdoing. The government can claim legality all it wants but much as Federal laws trump state laws, the Constitution trumps the Federal laws. Until a constitutional amendment is passed eliminating the fourth amendment, that is the law of the land no matter how much they want to spin it. However, considering the right wing loons that sit on the Supreme Court, this action being found as unconstitutional by them seems a stretch at best. So for all tense and purposes, this action will be seen as legal until the courts decide otherwise.
Ed Snowden has done everything right. He knew he couldn't go to his superiors as they okayed it. He couldn't go to the politicians as they have overwhelming voted for it. The press couldn't be trusted to safeguard his identity, which they didn't, so he leaked the info and fled to Hong Kong where extradition seems unlikely. By coming out as the leaker, he has also protected himself from being eliminated, which several NSA agents joked about in earshot of a reporter for The Atlantic.
This case has major reprecussions which some of the dumber Republicans are trying to take advantage of. Steve King, and Mike Rogers have agreed with the program while demanding the arrest of the leaker. Dianne Fienstein and Rogers, a republican, had a press conference together to show their solidarity but only demonstrated their inability to either speak the truth or have a grasp as to what the whole thing entailed when a reporter shamed them publicly. He asked them how this was legal considering the fourth amendment. Rogers responded that only foreign entities where being targeted, the usual talking point, the reporter called him out and rightfully said that was not true. The two walked off shortly after as they were either unwilling or unable to tell the truth. It was a disgusting bit of theater and both of these assholes should be shown the door in the next election. Fienstein has been pissing me off a lot lately with her holier than thou attitude during the gun control debate, which didn't help her cause one bit. As she wants to ban most guns, I don't agree with her at all on that position.
Peter King went a step father when he blamed Obama for the whole thing, ignoring the fact that Bush started the program and he himself voted for the program several times. Pot, kettle, black dumbass. The facts remains that anyone involved in this from the President, to the NSA head, to any congressman who ever voted for it should be impeached. W should be also be brought up in charges and that everyone involved should be in prison. It'll never happen but it should. The Republicans have their first and probably only chance to impeach the president for this, but in doing so, most of them will be joining him on that trial.
As for why this has stayed secret for so long has to do with the fact that the current administration has been coming down hard on whistleblowers and going after the leaker rather than fixing what the leaker was leaking. This is the same thing we are seeing now. However, W was no better when it came out that in 2001, the NSA was demanding the same kind of information from various companies. One such business was QWest. The NSA demanded wiretapping on all of its customers, the CEO, Joe Nacchio, refused. Shortly thereafter, he was arrested for insider trading, got sentenced to six years all the while the NSA cancelled billions in dollars on contracts with them. This is what doing the right thing in today's world can get you. Comply or else. That is not the sign of a free country.
The company that made billions off of this was one called Booz Allen Hamilton, a private company subcontracted by the government to sift through all the information they had gathered. Other businesses like Northrop and Raytheon were also part of this. Turns out 70% of all intelligence gathering is being done by third party groups with little oversite as to how the information is being used. That's scary.
Oddly, this entire program was started by James Clapper, the now Director of National Intelligence way back in 2000 when he was an unknown NSA agent. It was also his idea to subcontract the data mining out to private companies. Clapper faces as much legal trouble as Eric Holder for lying to Congress when he appeared before them earlier this year where he denied PRISM existed. Oops. Him and Holder should be both be bounced out on the ear already, along with 90% of our government at this point. Clapper was also responsible for the failed Trailblazer program, header by once jailed felon, then pardoned, John Pointdexter, which was a massive data mining operation that spent five billions dollars and achieved not one worthwhile piece of info.
The chance for misuse of this information is staggering. What would happen if some person found out a specific senator was gay or a CEO was into kiddie porn or even some local guy with money was cheating on his wife? Couldn't that individual blackmail anyone with that? And what if a foreign power gets a hold of this and uses to to strong-arm our government to do whatever they ask? This is a terrible, highly illegal program that we need to start demanding more from out government. 1984 is here and it is worse than what Orwell saw. It's time to let them know we are not going to give up our liberties for some theoretical security. Obama said we can't have both. I choose liberty. What about you?
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