tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post3848272222701775534..comments2024-01-28T22:16:50.852-06:00Comments on Mr. Dilettante’s Neighborhood: The Falcon and the Snowden (and the frog and the scorpion)Mr. Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13920907647566015611noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-76565552837849781172013-09-29T10:22:01.376-05:002013-09-29T10:22:01.376-05:00I am a not a U.S. citizen, and it is very interest...I am a not a U.S. citizen, and it is very interesting to see how U.S. citizens debate over whether Snowden is a hero or a traitor. But wait a minute, it is very disturbing for me (and likely to whole world except U.S.)to know that other government gets to spy on my privacy.(U.S. is not even my own government- Where do U.S. government have right to spy on citizens of other countries?) Certainly, it is a volence toward all countries' citizens. Not even my government is allowed to do that to me. My point is that before debating whether Snowden is a traitor or not, U.S. people should think about international matter concerning other citizens' privacy and get rationale. It is a common sense to not peek or watch over other neighbors' house.<br />What U.S. government is arguing is that "Oh I have a key to your home and I checked every things inside. But I did it for my house's security in case you can steal or do harm on us." Hey wait uncle Sam, before accusing other countries for possible offender, you are already a big offender. It is time to see what is right and not for real justice. <br /><br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-4327929910206271702013-06-10T18:47:27.991-05:002013-06-10T18:47:27.991-05:00can govt be rolled back? its the wrong question.
...can govt be rolled back? its the wrong question.<br /><br />this is only possible because today's technology makes it so.<br />can we put that tech genie back in the bottle? no.<br /><br />FDR would have had his own Patriot Act if it was possible to this level back then, and he would have had the full support of the people, just like he did when corralling every 'jap' american west of the rockies.<br /><br />those with power seek it further. this will never change. ever expanding technology makes it easier.<br /><br />we love our cell phones and laptops. so do the bad guys and those who seek to do 'good'.Ginohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09606046924332159076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-67353451536033877932013-06-10T12:24:00.215-05:002013-06-10T12:24:00.215-05:00The question I have is: can government be rolled b...The question I have is: can government be rolled back or are we too far gone to do anything? I'm tempted to say the latter because cynicism is and realism seem like the same thing these days. But cynicism isn't really a place where I want to set up camp.W.B. Picklesworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03187309512838841997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-59273421618048920972013-06-10T11:23:09.931-05:002013-06-10T11:23:09.931-05:00I honestly think that it's a mistake (or at le...I honestly think that it's a mistake (or at least a waste of time) to try and view this thing through a political lens. To expand on Gino's point, these types of programs (and law enforcement and intelligence initiatives generally) come from the agencies that do them. The Patriot act was nominally written by Congress, but was in fact a core dump of various agencies' wish lists, packaged into legislation when the career types (rightly) saw an opening to get a lot of things through Congress without a great deal of fuss. <br /><br />And to a certain extent, <i>that has to be the case</i>. We don't really want Congress micromanaging the highly specialized agencies of the executive branch. Those things are run by career people for a reason. <br /><br />But of course, we also have to maintain oversight on those agencies to keep them in check. Hopefully we're seeing a bit of that, here. Or at least the beginnings thereof. <br /><br />The reasons it is so damn difficult to keep these things in check (a non-exhaustive list):<br /><br />1. If something happens on your watch, you get blamed, rightly or wrongly. <br /><br />2. It is in the various agencies' interest to make the most dire assessment of risk, both because of (1) and because it is good for their operating budgets. Which is why...<br /><br />3. Every president is briefed on the absolute worst-case scenarios, pretty much daily. <br /><br />4. People are terrible at assessing and weighing relative risk. Which is why...<br /><br />5. Nobody ever got the Medal of Freedom (or won reelection) for accurately predicting a non-event.Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06799024060528185282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-85335871467409905272013-06-10T10:38:50.181-05:002013-06-10T10:38:50.181-05:00I'm thankful to Snowden, as any assent I had t...I'm thankful to Snowden, as any assent I had to Bush-era snooping like this was under the impression, right or wrong, that it was limited, and that there were certain criteria required before the data were to be kept. To violate this is not only a 4th Amendment problem, but also a problem with the usefulness of the program. Too much data = no data.<br /><br />Might have been wrong about the Bush era program, but that was my impression, and so Snowden is alleging that things went much farther than I'd suspected. What was that campaign promise that guy made in 2008 again?Bike Bubbahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08193546045614393425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-76903832529196594362013-06-10T09:58:27.464-05:002013-06-10T09:58:27.464-05:00I'll admit to being torn on Snowden and the en...I'll admit to being torn on Snowden and the entire NSA surveillance system.<br /><br />What bothers me the most is the Joseph Helleresque attitude of the current government: we need PRISM because of the War on Terror; the War on Terror is unilaterally over; we need PRISM to keep the War on Terror from restarting (or something). It's an attempt at a bureaucratic Mobius strip that can't quite loop around.First Ringernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-3540112566908649682013-06-10T09:35:54.333-05:002013-06-10T09:35:54.333-05:00Like Prometheus, Snowden is a hero of humanity. Tr...Like Prometheus, Snowden is a hero of humanity. True, he didn't steal fire from Olympus so it could be used my mankind, but he did bring light. <br /><br />I wonder what the modern equivalent of being chained to a mountain and having your liver eaten out daily by an eagle is? (Being forced to watch The View with your eyes forced open ala "A Clockwork Orange"?)3john2https://www.blogger.com/profile/05359114327414576258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-41349365511929949142013-06-10T07:48:31.629-05:002013-06-10T07:48:31.629-05:00Not mutually exclusive categories.
True.<i>Not mutually exclusive categories.</i><br /><br />True.Mr. Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13920907647566015611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-34981035412624423802013-06-10T06:15:17.195-05:002013-06-10T06:15:17.195-05:00Is Snowden a hero? Or is he a traitor?
Not mutua...<i>Is Snowden a hero? Or is he a traitor? </i><br /><br />Not mutually exclusive categories.<br /><br /> Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06799024060528185282noreply@blogger.com