a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment by b_b
b_b  ·  3724 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Israel’s N.S.A. Scandal

This is seriously fucked up. Using semi-legally collected information for anti-terror activities is borderline. Using it for political persecutions is down right totalitarian. I'm not so surprised this is happening in Israel, but I am a bit surprised that the US is feeding them unfiltered data. I legitimately thought that the US was tight lipped with intelligence even with our closest allies. I have to assume that political persecutions are a threat to the US as well. Not sure if you're aware of our history, but the FBI used to do this all the time, but the practice (at least nominally) went out of favor in recent decades. I'm sad for the government, and I'm sad that you and I having this information will change nothing. The NSA is so insulated that while they would certainly like to keep their programs secret, it doesn't make a bit a difference to them operationally whether we know what they're doing or not.





kleinbl00  ·  3723 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Keep in mind - the NSA also gives unfettered access to the DEA. With weed being legal in two states, quasi-legal in a dozen and illegal in the rest, that's "political persecutions" right down the line.

By the bye, James Bamford is the dude when it comes to the NSA.

b_b  ·  3723 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Didn't know about the author, but he sounded authoritative. Thanks for the info.

kleinbl00  ·  3723 days ago  ·  link  ·  

He's "testified before the Church Committee" grade badass.

He's "threatened by the NSA not to publish" badass.

He's "Reagan wrote an executive order in an attempt to keep his debut book from being published" badass.

James Bamford is da man.

Cumol  ·  3724 days ago  ·  link  ·  

This is also some stuff for conspiracy theories.

"Israel spies on palestinians and then used this data to blackmail them and turn them into agents"

Its a horrible country. I wonder what they got on me :D I also count as a palestinian