Why I'm not all worked up about PRISM

[MilitaryArms]

ECHELON - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Because they've been doing it for decades. My mom is a retired AT&T exec. and she told me of government communications spying back in the 1990's with the assistace of the phone companies.

It was likely going on before then as well.

Does it anger me? Sure. But I find it hard to get all bent out of shape over PRISM when it's nothing new, it's only the latest generation of their decades old efforts... I was more worked up about it in the 1990's I guess, but I didn't have the internet in its current incarnation to rant and rave about it on back then.

 

[ViperJock]

Hmmm. Many things are innocuous. Until they end up in the wrong hands. I think the wrong hands now have many things.

 

[MilitaryArms]

Hmmm. Many things are innocuous. Until they end up in the wrong hands. I think the wrong hands now have many things.

Now have?

I think the wrong hand have had things they shouldn't have for most of my 44 year life.

 

[netsecurity]

I worked at an ISP when word of Echelon first came out. It was my understanding that none of the "mom and pop" ISP's would let them install it at that time. Surely AOL was involved, which had the most users in the 90's. That was before everyone started using webmail too though. Now they have our gmail, ymail, etc. it is a essentially a blanket capture. You should be upset, especially when Google has been telling everyone their data is private, and that they protect their search results and such.

This is the largest surveillance state that ever existed. It is scary and you should be very, very angry.

 

[trgore]

it does not matter to me how long that this may or may not have been going on. Wrong is Wrong! We still have a constitution

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

As time goes on, taking myself as an example, you may not notice the first drip or two or three of the growth of the surveillance state. After all, "I've got nothing to hide" or "We've got to catch these guys and 'they'll' only use it against them" so "I'm ok with it"...then as these things increase and expand in scope we come to realize how oblivious we were to the innundation we increasingly find ourselves in. Maybe a good thing about PRISM, is that this new revelation like this to wake up a few more people.

Many people learn and grow as they go through life. Many of us may have been aware of such encroachments for some time now, perhaps we'll find a new crop of aware citizens have been awakened with this latest news.

 

[lucky4034]

ECHELON - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Because they've been doing it for decades. My mom is a retired AT&T exec. and she told me of government communications spying back in the 1990's with the assistace of the phone companies.

It was likely going on before then as well.

Does it anger me? Sure. But I find it hard to get all bent out of shape over PRISM when it's nothing new, it's only the latest generation of their decades old efforts... I was more worked up about it in the 1990's I guess, but I didn't have the internet in its current incarnation to rant and rave about it on back then.

Before... technology was so much more limited. Tapping a single phone call was a task so the technology was only used when called for. That is much different then cataloging EVERYTHING.

I'm sure there have been cases in the past where a government agency receives permission (likely a court order) to open up a piece of mail.... with todays technology, the government not only has permission to open up ALL electronic mail... they can create a record of it and use against you forever.

Would it be ok if the police swung by your mail box today and opened up your mail?

This is a slippery slope.... Next thing you know Government agencies will be using computer cams to look into your house. The technology exists already. How would that sit with you?

Would it be ok for the police to peek through your windows? Or open your house and look inside whenever they felt like it?

This type of technology and access that is being described may not be invasive to you now... but allowing it sets a precedence for further intrusion. It is a slippery slope that we don't have much need to go down... They are playing the "keep you safe" angle to destroy your RIGHT to privacy.

WE NEED THIS TO STOP NOW!

 

[No2rdame]

I'll never be okay with the government spying on me, but I also don't see it as being overly effective, either. If this program works so well, how can we not track tens of millions of illegal immigrants, follow these jihadists who want to annihilate everything, and prevent many other crimes from occurring? It's nothing more than government intrusion and their attempt to try and turn us into an eventual police state.

 

[Manatee]

Privacy is freedom. Clapper and Obama are on the wrong side of this issue.

 

[brownhornet]

The problem is that people are comfortable with this. I don't care if I'm not doing anything illegal, I still have a right to privacy. The government has gone to far and terrorism is just an excuse. They are continually chipping away at our rights and if left to their own devices we will have none.

 

[uberpeck]

ECHELON - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Because they've been doing it for decades. My mom is a retired AT&T exec. and she told me of government communications spying back in the 1990's with the assistace of the phone companies.

It was likely going on before then as well.

Does it anger me? Sure. But I find it hard to get all bent out of shape over PRISM when it's nothing new, it's only the latest generation of their decades old efforts... I was more worked up about it in the 1990's I guess, but I didn't have the internet in its current incarnation to rant and rave about it on back then.

Find it hard to get all bent out of shape...the government has been breaking the constitutional law and you find it hard to get out of shape?! This lackadaisical attitude is exactly why this country is rotting like crap in composte pile. These politicians and everyone involved in the NSA IRS and the like should be tried in a court of law immediately and locked away for their intrusions on our liberties- and people don't get worked up because it has been happening for a while. Well let me tell you, just because a wife has been sleeping around for 20 years doesn't make it acceptable.

 

[hornadylnl]

Find it hard to get all bent out of shape...the government has been breaking the constitutional law and you find it hard to get out of shape?! This lackadaisical attitude is exactly why this country is rotting like crap in composte pile. These politicians and everyone involved in the NSA IRS and the like should be tried in a court of law immediately and locked away for their intrusions on our liberties- and people don't get worked up because it has been happening for a while. Well let me tell you, just because a wife has been sleeping around for 20 years doesn't make it acceptable.

Does this include politicians on both sides of the aisle? Even the ones on your team?

 

[Hogwylde]

edit

 

[Hogwylde]

I don't care if I'm not doing anything illegal, I still have a right to privacy.

Show me ANYTHING, ANYWHERE that says you have a "right" to privacy. It sure as heck isn't spelled out anywhere in the Constitution.

 

[indiucky]

Before... technology was so much more limited. Tapping a single phone call was a task so the technology was only used when called for. That is much different then cataloging EVERYTHING.

I'm sure there have been cases in the past where a government agency receives permission (likely a court order) to open up a piece of mail.... with todays technology, the government not only has permission to open up ALL electronic mail... they can create a record of it and use against you forever.

Would it be ok if the police swung by your mail box today and opened up your mail?

This is a slippery slope.... Next thing you know Government agencies will be using computer cams to look into your house. The technology exists already. How would that sit with you?

Would it be ok for the police to peek through your windows? Or open your house and look inside whenever they felt like it?

This type of technology and access that is being described may not be invasive to you now... but allowing it sets a precedence for further intrusion. It is a slippery slope that we don't have much need to go down... They are playing the "keep you safe" angle to destroy your RIGHT to privacy.

WE NEED THIS TO STOP NOW!

Marking this day. I actually agree with Lucky...Look...There's a pig flying!

 

[eldirector]

Show me ANYTHING, ANYWHERE that says you have a "right" to privacy. It sure as heck isn't spelled out anywhere in the Constitution.

The 9th
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.[1]


Also:
Right to privacy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The U.S. Supreme Court has found that the Constitution implicitly grants a right to privacy against governmental intrusion. This right to privacy has been the justification for decisions involving a wide range of civil liberties cases, including Pierce v. Society of Sisters, which invalidated a successful 1922 Oregon initiative requiring compulsory public education, Griswold v. Connecticut, where a right to privacy was first established explicitly, Roe v. Wade, which struck down a Texas abortion law and thus restricted state powers to enforce laws against abortion, and Lawrence v. Texas, which struck down a Texas sodomy law and thus eliminated state powers to enforce laws against sodomy.
An article in the December 15, 1890 issue of the Harvard Law Review, written by attorney Samuel Warren and future Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis and entitled "The Right To Privacy", is often cited as the first implicit declaration of a U.S. right to privacy [1]. This right is frequently debated. Strict constructionists argue that no such right exists (or at least that the Supreme Court has no jurisdiction to protect such a right), while some civil libertarians argue that the right invalidates many types of currently allowed civil surveillance (wiretaps, public cameras, etc.).
Most states of the United States also grant a right to privacy and recognize four torts based on that right:
Intrusion upon seclusion or solitude, or into private affairs;
Public disclosure of embarrassing private facts;
Publicity which places a person in a false light in the public eye; and
Appropriation of name or likeness.

 

[Denny347]

Does this include politicians on both sides of the aisle? Even the ones on your team?

Hey hey hey...when GW Bush did it, it was OK because he had good reasons.

NSA has been doing this stuff for years, is it right? No but sadly there is little we can do about it. There will be fist waving, hearings, firings but in the end, it will 100% continue. The beast that lived in the dark, was brought into the light, will go back to its den. Rest assured that it will continue to live.

 

[hornadylnl]

Hey hey hey...when GW Bush did it, it was OK because he had good reasons.

NSA has been doing this stuff for years, is it right? No but sadly there is little we can do about it. There will be fist waving, hearings, firings but in the end, it will 100% continue. The beast that lived in the dark, was brought into the light, will go back to its den. Rest assured that it will continue to live.

Because the majority are fighting for their team, not liberty. Most that are angry now will go back to sleep on this issue once their team is in control again.

Am I worked up about this? What for? Nobody in Washington is going to do a damn thing about it besides campaign on the issue and then step right back into formation once elected.

 

[Denny347]

Because the majority are fighting for their team, not liberty. Most that are angry now will go back to sleep on this issue once their team is in control again.

Am I worked up about this? What for? Nobody in Washington is going to do a damn thing about it besides campaign on the issue and then step right back into formation once elected.

Winner winner chicken dinner.

 

[printcraft]

Hmmm. Many things are innocuous. Until they end up in the wrong hands. I think the wrong hands now have many things.

This crowd in control now are using the government AGAINST the people that don't agree with them.

They were and are using the IRS as a voter suppression tactic.
They are using it to punish their enemies. NOT FOREIGN ENEMIES.
Their domestic enemies, you know... people against socialism.