While the government initially claimed that mass surveillance on Americans prevented more than 50 terror attacks, the NSAs deputy director John Inglis walked that position back all the way to saying that at the most one (1) plot might have been disrupted by the bulk phone records collection alone. In other words, the NSA cant prove that stopped any terror attacks. The government greatly exaggerated an alleged recent terror plot for political purposes (and promoted the fearmongering of serial liars). The argument that recent terror warnings show that NSA spying is necessary is so weak that American counter-terrorism experts have slammed it as crazy pants
We have learned that in pursuit of its bureaucratic mission to obtain signals intelligence in a pervasively networked world, the NSA has mounted a systematic campaign against the foundations of American power: constitutional checks and balances, technological leadership, and market entrepreneurship. The NSA scandal is no longer about privacy, or a particular violation of constitutional or legislative obligations. The American body politic is suffering a severe case of auto-immune disease: our defense system is attacking other critical systems of our body.
We collect this information for many important reasons: for one, it could provide the United States and our allies early warning of international financial crises which could negatively impact the global economy. It also could provide insight into other countries economic policy or behavior which could affect global markets.
The authors of the [NSA slides] draw a comparison with 1984, revealing the agencys current view of smartphones and their users. Who knew in 1984 that this would be Big Brother the authors ask, in reference to a photo of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. And commenting on photos of enthusiastic Apple customers and iPhone users, the NSA writes: and the zombies would be paying customers?
O’Reily had an expert on who told him basically this same stuff. O’Reily felt he knew more than the expert and told him he doubted the NSA had gone that far.
I am in awe.
I am saving that post for future reference.
NICELY researched.