NSA Leaks Existence of Further Monitoring

[narcimund 0]

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In the latest twist to the privacy battle in the United States, anonymous but well-placed sources have revealed that since 2002 the NSA has been accumulating video of Americans in public bathrooms and hotel bedrooms.

"These videos are never actually screened by humans except in the rare case that we identify a suspect who is connected with a terrorist group or is engaged in unlawful drug activity," the unnamed NSA employee claimed. "Innocent Americans have nothing to fear. We do not watch individual tapes of citizens who have nothing to hide."

Privacy advocates claim that being watched -- even by automated equipment -- is an unlawful intrusion into their most personal moments but intelligence experts counter that terrorists could be building or even planting explosive or chemical devices in our nation's public bathrooms even as we speak.

"The danger of terrorists using our cultural inclinations against being watched during elimination or lovemaking against us is real. They know our weakenesses and any chance for our enemies to operate behind closed doors is a major weakness. America can not afford these taboos in a time of war."

The NSA and the White House officially deny keeping video of millions of Americans doing their business but Congressional sources are calling for an investigation.

And state legislatures continue their push for laws against fully enclosed public bathroom stalls with 17 states already pushing for ballot measures this November.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[Amazon 7]

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In the latest twist to the privacy battle in the United States, anonymous but well-placed sources have revealed that since 2002 the NSA has been accumulating video of Americans in public bathrooms and hotel bedrooms

Sure makes it easier to blackmail opponents though.

[champu 1]

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I'll say this for the leftwingers on dropzone: For all their faults at least they mostly wait until someone says a thing before they lambast that person for it.

The rightwingers on the other hand seem unable to stop themselves from making up nonsense about their opponents.

Both groups, unfortunately, are plagued by hypocrisy and rampant logical fallacies.

I think I've officially had it with this forum.

[narcimund 0]

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I think I've officially had it with this forum.

My gosh. Someone's abandoning the forum because I sat down to compose a joke? And on his way out this person researches my posting history to reveal a supposed hypocrisy?

I'm truly honored.

I only wish I could aim this skill of mine more precisely. If I knew I could remove one person from Speakers' Corner I could have picked someone more irritating to be rid of.

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[unformed 0]

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In the latest twist to the privacy battle in the United States, anonymous but well-placed sources have revealed that since 2002 the NSA has been accumulating video of Americans in public bathrooms and hotel bedrooms.

"These videos are never actually screened by humans except in the rare case that we identify a suspect who is connected with a terrorist group or is engaged in unlawful drug activity," the unnamed NSA employee claimed. "Innocent Americans have nothing to fear. We do not watch individual tapes of citizens who have nothing to hide."

Privacy advocates claim that being watched -- even by automated equipment -- is an unlawful intrusion into their most personal moments but intelligence experts counter that terrorists could be building or even planting explosive or chemical devices in our nation's public bathrooms even as we speak.

"The danger of terrorists using our cultural inclinations against being watched during elimination or lovemaking against us is real. They know our weakenesses and any chance for our enemies to operate behind closed doors is a major weakness. America can not afford these taboos in a time of war."

The NSA and the White House officially deny keeping video of millions of Americans doing their business but Congressional sources are calling for an investigation.

And state legislatures continue their push for laws against fully enclosed public bathroom stalls with 17 states already pushing for ballot measures this November.

It's about time they do this. Had the NSA been monitoring bedrooms back in Clinton's times, maybe he wouldn't have had the urge to get a blowjob from his intern.

This is very good for the morality of this godless country. People will think twice before boning their secretaries in their office restroom or going in a bar bathroom to do a line of coke.

This ad space for sale.

[Amazon 7]

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This is very good for the morality of this godless country. People will think twice before boning their secretaries in their office restroom or going in a bar bathroom to do a line of coke.

Sweet .......Mandated Morality.. oh yeah...I remember now. I wonder if George is using another George's book as a how to book rather than the cautionary tale that warned of totalitarianism.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/07/28/IN244190.DTL

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING
The ever-watchful eye of Big Brother kept constant tabs on the citizens of Orwell's totalitarian state, using two-way telescreens to monitor people's every move while simultaneously broadcasting party propaganda.

While that technology may not have arrived yet, public video surveillance has become all the rage in law enforcement, with cameras being deployed everywhere from sporting events to public beaches. The Bush administration has also announced plans to recruit millions of Americans to form a corps of citizen spies who will serve as "extra eyes and ears for law enforcement," reporting any suspicious activity as part of a program dubbed Operation TIPS --

Terrorism Information and Prevention System.

And thanks to the hastily passed USA Patriot Act, the Justice Department has sweeping new powers to monitor phone conversations, Internet usage, business transactions and library reading records. Best of all, law enforcement need not be burdened any longer with such inconveniences as probable cause.



Oh and too bad this was not around when the Shrub was stuffing quantities of Coke up his own nose.

[waltappel 1]

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This is very good for the morality of this godless country. People will think twice before boning their secretaries in their office restroom or going in a bar bathroom to do a line of coke.

Good point. Let's go back to the Godly days when witches were burned at the stake.

Walt

[billvon 3,111]

>Let's go back to the Godly days when witches were burned at the stake.

Now you're being extremist and ridiculous. No one is suggesting that. Simply forcing them to wear a big red W would be enough.

[rehmwa 2]

It's fun when a funny thread turns even more "Onion"-like

mmmmm, the Onion

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[akarunway 1]

Ya mean they have me on video jacking off. OMG. Jeesh people. Lighten up one in awhile

I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

[narcimund 0]

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Ya mean they have me on video jacking off. OMG. Jeesh people. Lighten up one in awhile

What's wrong with the US Government having video of you masturbating? It's all in the name of the War on Drugs and Homeland Security.

And besides, with video of MILLIONS of people masturbating (and defecating and sleeping and screwing and watching TV) it's not like you've been singled out. It all just goes in the database for "trend analysis."

And I'm sure nobody's actually watched the video of you masturbating. Even if they have, the law guarantees they'll strongly protect your privacy.

If you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear.

So what's the problem?

First Class Citizen Twice Over

[rehmwa 2]

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It all just goes in the database for "trend analysis

I just assumed it was a perk for Congress to keep them from surfing the internet during business hours. Teddy Kennedy has his own password and can just cruise the database for videos....

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[unformed 0]

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This is very good for the morality of this godless country. People will think twice before boning their secretaries in their office restroom or going in a bar bathroom to do a line of coke.

Sweet .......Mandated Morality.. oh yeah...I remember now. I wonder if George is using another George's book as a how to book rather than the cautionary tale that warned of totalitarianism.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/07/28/IN244190.DTL

Since you're going to bring up 1984, did you actually finish the book? If I remember correctly, and I do, since I just checked the text, the last sentence in the book was "He (Winston) loved Big Brother". He was taught the folly of his ways and he repented and he joined the government.

Why?

Why did he do this?

Everybody talks about 1984 as being a depressing tale. I beg to differ. I think it is a liberating tale. It shows us how much better and moral people we could be with the use of technology.

Yeah, Big Brother is watching. That's because Big Brother cares.

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Oh and too bad this was not around when the Shrub was stuffing quantities of Coke up his own nose.

It is. Maybe he could have learned the folly of his ways earlier in his life. But you know something - he cleaned up and he found God, without anybody telling him to. That says something, and I say, good for him.

This ad space for sale.

[unformed 0]

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This is very good for the morality of this godless country. People will think twice before boning their secretaries in their office restroom or going in a bar bathroom to do a line of coke.

Good point. Let's go back to the Godly days when witches were burned at the stake.

Walt

Why do you have to kill witches? That is not right. God said, "Thou shalt not kill". Witches may be evil, but they are people too.

As in 1984, we can teach them to live better, purer lives.

That is the way of God, not kill everybody who doesn't agree with you.

This ad space for sale.

[avenfoto 0]

unformed... an entity with 18five jumps in six years, and a wealth of information on how others should be living thier personal lives... fantastic...

note to self... file with windcatcher and steel...

[unformed 0]

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unformed... an entity with 18five jumps in six years, and a wealth of information on how others should be living thier personal lives... fantastic...

note to self... file with windcatcher and steel...

Yeah I'm sorry I don't have mommy and daddy to pay for all my jumps. I had to take a few years off to go to school and get a good job.

Wait. What does skydiving have to do with life knowledge?

Oh right. Nothing.

This ad space for sale.

[Amazon 7]

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He was taught the folly of his ways and he repented and he joined the government.

Why?

Why did he do this?

Everybody talks about 1984 as being a depressing tale. I beg to differ. I think it is a liberating tale. It shows us how much better and moral people we could be with the use of technology.

Yeah, Big Brother is watching. That's because Big Brother cares.

M'Kay.. that speaks volumes

[waltappel 1]

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Why do you have to kill witches? That is not right. God said, "Thou shalt not kill". Witches may be evil, but they are people too.

As in 1984, we can teach them to live better, purer lives.

That is the way of God, not kill everybody who doesn't agree with you.

From what I can tell, having God on your side seems to be a license to kill and torture. Religion and government seem to be a really ugly mix that results in bad things happening to people who don't quite fit in with that religion.

Maybe not the way of God, but sure seems to be the way of governments who claim to know Him really well.

Walt

[rehmwa 2]

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M'Kay.. that speaks volumes

My assumption was he was playing along with Narci's well constructed joke.

But forgot that some people only find mockery of extremism amusing when it's only from one political direction.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Gravitymaster 0]

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M'Kay.. that speaks volumes

My assumption was he was playing along with Narci's well constructed joke.

But forgot that some people only find mockery of extremism amusing when it's only from one political direction.

Awww why did you have to go and ruin it for us?

-

[Amazon 7]

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But forgot that some people only find mockery of extremism amusing when it's only from one political direction

Seem's MOST of the actual Extremeism these days is coming from the Right...... WAY right.... and about half a dozen here do their damdest to apologize for it no matter WHAT the abuses of power are.

I am glad you find that sort of "amusement" in your life... since there really are people wh think EVERYONE needs to get on the Bush Bandwagon....just like he said.. " you are either with us or you are against us"

[rehmwa 2]

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But forgot that some people only find mockery of extremism amusing when it's only from one political direction

Seem's MOST of the actual Extremeism these days is coming from the Right......

true, extremism is only in one direction on all issues

but as I said, mockery is fun from all directions. It gives you twice as many people to tease for being so serious about their subjective obsessions.

There really are people who think EVERYONE needs to rubber stamp Bush's bandwagon - AGREED

There really are people who think EVERYONE needs to rubber stamp the left wing bandwagon too - get over it.

These nuts on both ends helps us validate a centrist viewpoint. ANd some of them make good money hosting opinion shows and writing for newspapers and doing stand up routines. Good for the economy.

Hint - you can identify the nuts by how self-righteous they get and how personal and mean they are in their attacks. Yet in everyday contact, they can be pretty nice too. Strange isn't it?

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[unformed 0]

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Why do you have to kill witches? That is not right. God said, "Thou shalt not kill". Witches may be evil, but they are people too.

As in 1984, we can teach them to live better, purer lives.

That is the way of God, not kill everybody who doesn't agree with you.

From what I can tell, having God on your side seems to be a license to kill and torture. Religion and government seem to be a really ugly mix that results in bad things happening to people who don't quite fit in with that religion.

Maybe not the way of God, but sure seems to be the way of governments who claim to know Him really well.

Walt

Where do we have the license to kill and torture? We have gone to war for a reason, because we were attacked. If someone came into your house and totally vandalised it, would you not want revenge?

I don't know you. Maybe you wouldn't. Maybe you will just say "okay", lower your head, and start building everything up again.

That would be nice and all.

It would be nice to turn the other cheek. That is what Jesus said anyways.

But if the attacker smacks your other cheek? Do you just turn the first back to him? Do you just keep turning cheeks until you're a dead man? I think not.

That is why we have to attack the Middle East.

Because we were attacked.

Same reason why we went into World War II.

Because we were attacked.

Or should we have just sat there and let Japan start invading more of our country?

This ad space for sale.

[billvon 3,111]

>Seem's MOST of the actual Extremeism these days is coming from the Right......

Just seems that way because they're in power. Power corrupts - not because the people in power are more evil than the people not in power, but because they have more opportunity to abuse it. Take the K street abuses. It's not that republicans were more conniving about it, it's that their position of power enabled them to exclude democrats from the process. (Which is funny when you think about it - the GOP's actions basically protected the democrats from the fallout of the K street influence-peddling charges.)

But if you look closely the same old extremists are still there. There are environmental freaks who burn SUV's and paintball women in fur coats just as there are right wing extremists who kill doctors and protest at soldier's funerals. But since the right wing now has all the power, extremist antics are now more tolerated from the right than from the left, because "they're one of us!" (Needless to say, neither side supports the _really_ extreme examples I listed above.)

So the scandals we see today - the Cunningham crimes, the Abramoff scandal, the Scooter Libby indictment, the investigation of Karl Rove - are primarily GOP just because they have the opportunity to do more, and they are taking advantage of it. If the democrats were in power, the level of corruption would likely be similar (at least, after they figured out they could get away with it.) Which is why I'm in favor of a republican senate, a democratic house and a libertarian/independent/whig (doesn't really matter) president - no one side will have the edge on corruption, and everyone will be held (generally) to the same standards.

[warpedskydiver 0]

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>Let's go back to the Godly days when witches were burned at the stake.

Now you're being extremist and ridiculous. No one is suggesting that. Simply forcing them to wear a big red W would be enough.

ohh great idea on how to pick out the "fun" chicks at the DZ