I dunno about this, I really think its the beginning of the end for the US. I tend to reject the possibility of large scale conspiracy, involving 1000's of people. I think I can no longer hold that belief. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/03/ff_nsadatacenter/all/1 Edit: Actually, I worded that poorly. Even in this instance, someone spilled the beans. William Binney came out and talked about whats going on. So, ya it's near impossible to keep a conspiracy completely hushed, but the sheer numbers of people working on this shit, knowing that everyday they are, they are wiping their ass with the constitution... It boggles my mind.
I believe you are MORE THAN RIGHT!!!!! Alex jones has been talking about this happening for years and its finally taking shape
Key difference from Orwell: Orwell's is a Totalitarian society. It is not necessary to control what people think when you can control how they behave (by punishing them for failing to comply--in a country with no due process, etc etc, you can be shot for voting wrong, so it doesn't really matter if you BELIEVE in what the power structures tell you...) In America, we still have a free/democratic state makeup (at least with basic due process protection and some little semblance of freedom of speech/assembly/etc etc), which means that it is far more important for the power structures to control what we THINK/BELIEVE. Public Relations, Advertising, and Propaganda are all words for the same thing: controlling/altering people's thoughts and interior dispositions when you cannot coerce their outward behaviors. The "Intelligence Wars," domestic wiretapping, abridging privacy rights, etc etc, are part of this widespread attempt to control people's interior behaviors. In this way, we become "consumers" of the actions of our society rather than creators of it: unlike Orwell's fictional Oceanians, we are far more complicit in the evil behaviors of those in power. The bigger victory for the Government is not the number of people who don't know about the spying program, it's the number of people who don't mind. That is a true victory over the convictions and consciences of people, much more impressive than a material victory.
This has been public knowledge for at least a year, when Congress approved the expenditure. Hardly a conspiracy. Just big bro getting bigger. And we keep paying for it, with our taxes and our loss of privacy too. So cool, with all the world's data in one place, it ought to be hacker heaven! And I imagine the primary target of the biggest and best ICBMs from China and Russia. There are some good things this NSA site will do. #1 protect the US infrastructure from cyberattack. This includes power grid, internet, banking, etc. #2 locate and deal with all threats to system, hackers, terrorists, "enemy" governments some of whom are already engaged in cyberwar with the US. #3 provide real time intel to leaders for political decisions. #4 defend individuals and corporations from cyberattack. I'm sure there are more reasons out in the Internets. Of course they're ALREADY doing these things, they are just getting a new place to do it with latest tech. And they are probably combining a lot of services/agencies together. Now all you need to do is get a master password and imagine the data you would have at your fingertips. Megalomania heaven! As it is, way too many ppl have more access to that kind of data than is necessary or legal. And therein lies the rub. But I gotsta admit so far the NSA and Obama have not clearly abused their power over data. I think the FBI and CIA have by tapping into data without judicial authority. Of course neither the NSA nor Obama need judicial authority to spy on ppl.
The beginning of the end was three decades ago. This is the beginning of the openly fascist state, which is essentially the middle of the end. It's going to get mighty uncomfortable for a while.
Ya, I dig... I was kind of just drudging up a popular story there. There are still differences but they're disappearing. And I'm sure you don't think we still have due process here, that one's going away too as I'm sure you've seen. Which is extremely potent I agree. And it seems to work quite well judging by how many people ridiculed the occupy movement, how many votes Santorum and Gingrich get, etc. There are some truly brainwashed zombies out there. Astute observation. I work in a field rife with post 9-11 hysteria and abridged civil liberties and I'm still surprised at the people that take it all in stride and even make statements about "this or that is good cause at least we're all safer". When I'm subjected to it by someone 'just doing their job' I usually make some kind of comment, just enough to plant a seed, not enough to get thrown in the hole. Like the last time I was subjected to a full body patdown and told the guy he must be doing a good job cause I was getting aroused. And humor helps keep me from telling the whole system "fuck you" cause I'm still in need of work to pay my bills in the only area I can earn a decent living. I like my roof over my head and my refridgerator. Ya, thats partly why I stepped back from the conspiracy comment. It sort of is but not really. Stuff gets out all the time about funding for this or that, the "Patriot Act" renewing, etc. But as Raga said, most people are too busy keeping up with Kardashians to give a fuck. I'm to old to do much about it either. Those all sound like the reasons these people give for why this has to be done. But if a guy as high up as William Binney thinks it can be done without trampling individual rights, then why do it this way? Cause it's not enough for the control freaks and megalomaniacs. As I understand it NSA doesn't publicly go after people and groups. They just pass along to other agencies. Of course Obama doesn't do that stuff, he just has others do the dirty work, like Nixon. If this is what the FBI has done in 7 years, what will go on after this new system is up and running? https://www.eff.org/pages/patterns-misconduct-fbi-intelligence-violations FBI, CIA, NSA... After 2001 it's all the same.
It actually began covertly prior to the 20th century, gradually becoming more overt and massively so after the election of Obama.
It's frightening to know just how fast and loose the various three-letters play with the Fourth Amendment. Well before 2001 I was at a three-letter data center to do some work and one of the data spooks was all geeked out about having someone to show off to. After showing me some things he shouldn't have, he asked me, "So, who do you want to know about?". I told him there wasn't anyone I was all that interested in, and he replied that if I thought of someone in the future all I had to do was call. And I'm just some random guy in no way affiliated with law enforcement, the military, or the government and with no plausible need to know. At another three-letter facility I was just BS'ing with some data spooks while waiting for my entry authorization to come down so I could go in and get to work and the topic of phone taps came up. According to this guy, they do warrantless taps all the time, far more in number than judicially authorized taps. "All the law provides", he told me, "is that what we get without a warrant is not admissible in court." As if I needed more reasons to distrust and disrespect the government.
Or so according to what the media has told you. I mean, I think a person would have to be rather naive to believe what you wrote here. Nothing has changed since Bush left office. If anything, things have only progressed further. The media only reports what it wants you to know. Also, Obama doesn't run shit, which I know you are already aware of.
