“I know it is for marketing but I’m pretty sure for other reasons as well.”
I was researching a novel “Havelock’s Corpse” which is on Kindle. I typed into Google “Micro Nuke” and “Backpack Nuke.” The results raised the hair on the back of my neck. The wording on every page was carefully constructed; it seemed to be trying to find out if I was trying to build one. Notably absent was any information on the Russian backpack nukes Russian General Lebed said he had built for the KGB. I have no doubt that flags were raised. What I knew before the search, and is not available, were mechanisms to use subcritical amounts of nuclear material to achieve high energy reactions. I skipped over the how-to in the novel as the character didn’t have a need to know.
Nothing ever came of the search. I probably didn’t meet any data mining profiles as I had several Top Secret clearances in my career with extended background checks. But if somebody typed in that search and kept it up and then searched for users of fissionable isotopes, I’ll bet that researcher would go to the top of the list.
I view this two ways. As an American citizen who does not want radioactive fallout raining down on me, I’m okay with it. But as a guy who wants his ammunition purchases private, I’m not so happy.
Roger your last!, I am one of many who has lost any trust or faith in my own government.
The key question here is are the “search criteria” justified for legitimate national security purposes (and also well defined), and are those who get this information responsible and smart enough to properly evaluate it (and properly safeguard it from abuse).
As one who worked on an Organized Crime Task Force data project, and a terrorism prosecution, I have seen great FBI (and other govt security agencies) surveillance work - right on target for the case objectives. That was then, this is now.
I wouldn’t trust Att. Gen. Eric Holder to read my junk mail, nor most of his high level asskissing flunkies. What I’m worried about is whether FBI director Mueller has the balls to “say no” to Holder when he wants to go on his political witchhunts against conservatives.
I do not have much faith that this will happen. It is not the FBI that I knew and worked with in the past, and that included several Assistant Directors who I briefed or had as friends.
The biggest problem is what does the FBI have on Obama’s friends who are communists and/or supporters of foreign dictators, and whether this information is kept or has been destroyed.
Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich) tried to destroy House Internal Security Committee files back in the 70’s, and Ted Kennedy tried it in the Senate for SISS files. Don’t think that the Left and now Jihadist sympathizers in Congress don’t want to destroy internal security information. They do, and they will try.
The question is whether Mueller can fight them off, esp. if Holder and company demand that they do so.
The same applies to military intell gathered in Iraq and Afghanistan. There has been at least one coverup of CBW materials captured in Iraq during the war because I know who found them and approximately where. Saddam was prepared for chemical warfare against American troops. Fortunately this never happened.
Intelligence is a very misunderstood field of warfare and counterwarfare/counter-subversion, etc. If done properly, it can make all the difference in the world as to whether you win or lose. Mishandled or bungled and you get 9/11 (FBI mid-level administrations fucked that one up good).
In the wrong political hands (anyone in the Obama administation), and it could have disasterous consequences against patriotic Americans.
That is what has to be guarded against. Rand Paul is looking better to me every minute that goes by. John McCain and Goober don’t. That, in itself, is an American tragedy.
The Obama regime is the “American tragedy” of all times.