Posted on 07/25/2012 10:40:37 AM PDT by JOAT
The TSA, DHS and countless other security agencies have been established to keep America safe from terrorist attacks in post-9/11 America. How far beyond that does the feds' reach really go, though?
The attacks of September 11, 2001 were instrumental in getting the US government to establish counterterrorism agencies to curb future tragedies. Some officials say that they haven't stopped there, though, and are spying on everyone in America.
Testimonies delivered in recent weeks by former employees of the National Security Agency suggest that the government is going beyond what most of America thinks they do in order to keep the country terrorist-free. Former NSA staffers even say that theirs old agency has actually been spying on the entire country — all in the name of national security.
On an interview carried on Current TV's Viewpoint program on Monday, former NSA Technical Director William Binney commented on the state of blanketing surveillance along with colleagues Thomas Drake and Kirk Wiebe, the agency's former senior official and senior analyst, respectively. The broadcast comes on the heels of a series of speeches given by Binney, who has quickly become more known for his whistle-blowing than his work with the NSA. In their latest appearance this week, though, all three former staffers corroborated on earlier accounts by suggesting that America's spy program is really more dangerous that others deem it to be.
Speaking to Viewpoint host Eliot Spitzer, Drake said there was a "key decision made shortly after 9/11, which began to rapidly turn the United States of America into the equivalent of a foreign nation for dragnet blanket electronic surveillance."
Although this accusation has been supported by claims that it is for national security, says that it doesn't stop there. In fact, warns the former NSA official, the government is giving themselves the power to put intel on every American aside for potential future crimes.
"When you open up the Pandora's Box of just getting access to incredible amounts of data, for people that have no reason to be put under suspicion, no reason to have done anything wrong, and just collect all that for potential future use or even current use, it opens up a real danger — and to what else what they could use that data for, particularly when it's all being hidden behind the mantle of national security," Drake said.
Although Drake's accusations seem astounding, they corroborate allegations launched by Binney only a week earlier. Speaking at the Hackers On Planet Earth conference in New York City earlier in the month, Binney addressed a room of thousands by speaking about the NSA's domestic spying. But in a candid interview with journalist Geoff Shively during HOPE, the ex-agency official admitted that things really are rather scary.
"Domestically, they're pulling together all the data about virtually every U.S. citizen in the country and assembling that information, building communities that you have relationships with, and knowledge about you; what your activities are; what you're doing. So the government is accumulating that kind of information about every individual person and it's a very dangerous process," Binney claims.
Both statements from the former NSA official come on the heels of a revelation that law enforcement officers collected the cell phone records of 1.3 million Americans in 2011 alone. By carrying out this and similar requests under provisions in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and using National Security Letters, though, news articles are emerging everyday suggesting that the surveillance of Americans — off the radar and under wraps — is becoming occurring more and more exponentially by the minute.
Can you see ANY sort of problem with a rogue government agency having access to all your data? To daisy-chained info including photos of all your family and friends and 'associates?'
Anything?
“What evidence do you have that this will take place?”
If you don’t already know that then you are too stupid and ignorant to understand any reply to that question.
Using complex multi-dimensional mathamatics, very sophisticated information can be derived from seemingly unrelated information, if they have enough information.
/johnny
“In the 20th century, governments were FAR more deadly than terrorists. Tens of millions killed by their own governments.”
The greatest man made threat to civilization is #1 government and #2 Islam (behaving like a government).
Governments kill millions yet liberals want more government.
Governments spend trillions more than they confiscate from citizens yet liberals want more government.
Governments restrict freedoms yet liberals want more government.
Governments want to confiscate more money from the producers of jobs yet liberals want higher taxes for bigger government.
Seems like liberals or those who would surrender our freedoms for fake security are always WRONG.
Now, what this info is USED for may be another story. But I'm not sure how many rogue agencies are out there. And quite honestly, if they want to spend time compiling stuff about me that I put out there, good luck. But I'm not sure what knowing my favorite french toast recipe will accomplish.
Absolutely, and as with anything else you have to choose what is in your interest. It’s my opinion, and probably the opinion of others, that for now the danger is elsewhere. Personally I thing that totalitarian government is more likely to happen here as a result of the failure of our government from defending us that from the failure of us to defend us against our government. I’ve been a Freeper for 12 years or more and I realize that there is a very vocal segment, possibly the majority that sees it differently.
/johnny
http://freekeene.com/2009/04/16/in-case-of-thuggery-call-porcupine-411/
Not my blog, just a brief description of porcupine411. Govt’s watching? let’s watch them right back. Porcupine, unstoppable recorder apps, etc. Don’t leave home without it!
If the government isn't following the law, and doing whatever they like, that's totalitarian.
/johnny
Your opinion. The US has throughout history done unlawfull things in the interests of security but I would say was never a totalitarian state although it's clear John Wilkes Booth disagreed.
It can be is being compiled by whoever has the time/money to do such things.
The question that is the heart of this is: WHY?
Why would anyone care enough to collect, store and evaluate information on EVERY person? Most of us are quite mundane if we are honest about ourselves, and it seems like a colossal effort from a government that claims it can't track illegals.
So, WHY collect info on every American?
That, fellow FReeps, is the question to ponder.
No one spends that kind of dough for a benign project.
After 9/11, all the aparatus of our intelligence agencies was turned inwards. The Major Hassan case PROVES that it was not to find Muslim terrorists. They knew he was comminicating with terror leaders in the Middle east and still did nothing. The walls of a prison are being built around us and our freedom is lost.
The only question is when do they close the front gate and drop the mask?
They estimate that there will be no resistance, because they saw Aussies and Brits turn in their guns. They believe we are basically the same. This horrible miscalculation will not end well.
They demand complete totalitarian control, a large element of our population will not compy and only wants to be left alone. They are determined to endlessly harrass that population.
We are headed straight for a civil war unless they blink, which i don’t think they are capable of doing. Where is the line, what is the trigger event? Nobody knows, and this is a twisted version of America i do not want to give to my kids. Dangerous times.
Well, do you think they collect it and only look into the information that could be used to harm the country? Is it worth it for the gov’t to pay a lot in order to protect the country? I think so. That way, they maintain their power. If this happens, BOTH parties are involved. This info wouldn’t be used to round up gun owners or hippie liberals.
I am 100 time more TERRIFIED of my government than any terrorist organizations.
Terrorists kill people by the hundreds. Totalitarian governments kill people by the millions.
You are part of the problem. You are complacent about government power. I’m baffled you are on an electronic bulletin board populated with people who by and large want to limit government power.
There is one in every group. Enjoy the coming tyranny that comes from trusting the government to “do the right thing”. Nice job. Your grandkids are going to love being oppressed.
“When they decide your political comments constitute a crime against the state five years from now,”
IF that ever actually occurred, that is 100% absolute justification for any and all violence to be employed against the executors and creators of that despotic law. It would be like shooting a gestapo or NKVD man, or one of Castros or Hugos thugs, or a mutawa.
“In the 20th century, governments were FAR more deadly than terrorists. Tens of millions killed by their own governments.
How many were killed by terrorists?
You go with your fears. I’ll go with historical facts”
Post of the day sir.
“favorite french toast recipe”
Including a statement like that is rude, cruel and uncalled for, unless you also include the recipe.
I am a diabetic, on a diet and you created unwarranted mental pain, stress and suffering for me. Thanks to you, I will now be in a very bad mood when my wife gets home from work, likely resulting in a domestic situation that you personally caused.
I hope you get arrested.
I think that is the precise argument that is used at the front end of every project that mutates and grows into something entirely different.(The Dems say it is for the children/common good, the Repubs say it is for your security)
Our founders completely understood human nature when they desperately attempted to erect barriers to keep the government small and relatively weak.
It took less than 100 years for the monster to start overpowering its master.
Now the process is nearly complete. The Constitution/rule of law held back the tide for a long while, but the time is now upon us to reinvigorate the principles on which the Constitution was founded. The desire to RULE by iron over other men is strong in a certain element, and they hold power now.
How do you RULE over men who will have none of it?
Brute force.
How do you know who to eliminate first to make the bootlickers slurp? Well, that is a powerful question, isn't it?
I believe that is the intention of a certain phrases in our founding documents sir.
"Alter or abolish" "ALL enemies foreign and DOMESTIC"
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.