In 63 days Trump will inherit mass surveillance from Obama
unplugthensa.orgCracks me up this is presented like "Obama, come on, we know you're a good guy. Pleassssse".
Give me a break... Barack loves extrajudicial powers.
This is the problem with large, powerful governments. Sooner or later, the other guys will have the power.
If you voted for Obama (ESPECIALLY twice) and you're worried about Trump having power over the NSA, I am laughing at you.
You do realize the bush administration started this entire thing right? Get your facts right.
Nowhere did your parent claim Obama created the surveillance state. Only that he loves taking advantage of it, which is true. For the same reasons he has shown no leniency to Manning or Snowden.
like sooheon correctly pointed out, I never said Obama started the program (and let's be honest, Bush didn't mastermind it either). However, acting like Obama has done anything but completely turn his back on his 2008 campaign "promises" is foolish. He ran against these programs, than immediately gave the middle finger to everyone that believed him. He's expanded and entrenched the surveillance state. Period.
I don't think Obama will do anything, because I agree with you that he likes having this surveillance and his drone powers.
The problem is that Trump might be less responsible with the powers given to him.
In my opinion the person who let this situation happen is less responsible from the two.
It's ironic to fear monger Trump who is not even in the office when the last, approved guy, created this mess and possibility in the first place.
Or more responsible. We don't know anything yet.
Apparently, trump and his entourage are keeping an enemies list.
Are you worried about him ordering extrajudicial assassinations? Cause Obama has done that.
What, was I supposed to vote for Romney? You think Mitt Romney was going to roll back mass surveillance?
It's a rather incoherent message. First, they state:
"Take action to dismantle the NSA"
which shouldn't be too difficult, just revoke the 1952 Presidential Order and defund them from the intelligence budget.
Then:
"The NSA has turned the Internet into a weapon, collecting everything it can. "
OK going steady so far, still on-message. All n-billion people on the Internet are in the dragnet and we're all nodding in agreement.
But then, when they enumerate their actual action-points:
"Delete the data stored on Americans, and demolish the physical infrastructure needed to collect this data. "
So it's not dismantling they actually want but blunting. Still want to keep the NSA to spy on those nasty non-persons abroad.
Look I don't have a problem with Americans calling for the NSA to stop spying on Americans, that's your internal problem. But please don't wrap it up in hyperbole about 'dismantling' the NSA if you don't actually mean that.
Why would Obama pardon Snowden, it is obvious he is in agreement on the whole "he is a traitor" thing. Also, why is Trump inheriting thing a motivating factor for anyone?
"Oh God! Please give us back the situation where government overreach is back in the hands of career politicians!"
How about you instead focus on petitioning to the new President who might actually be swayed into doing something about it if conservative and liberals come together and push for it. He's a populist, make it the cool thing to do...
Because the President-Elect has shown himself to be dangerously autocratic, almost comically (if it wasn't so tragic) unprepared for governance up to and including things known by 8th grade civics students, grudge-holding and vendetta-seeking, not a fan of freedom of the press, again almost comically (if it wasn't so tragic) sensitive to insults and slights, and shows no sense of even understanding, much less respecting, the institutions that we have built to rein in this sort of thing.
Like I get it, I was in the streets during Clinton's terms and during Bush's terms and I strongly opposed the expansion of the shadow surveillance state under Obama.
But pretending that handing it over to Trump is a normal handover to a Republican administration is whistling past the graveyard.
Looks like that's what America wants in a leader as he was elected democratically.
Either enact the powers or don't. Assume anyone can become President.
Curious how Trump is "autocratic" and Obama is not. Was Obama not autocratic when he drone-killed US citizens without due process? I'm not even sure what the word means. Obviously the President is entrusted with some powers that are autocratic and some that are checked by the other branches.
"A new leader will be elected, they'll flip the switch, say that because of the crisis, because of the dangers that we face in the world - some new and unpredicted threat - we need more authority, we need more power. And there will be nothing the people can do at that point to oppose it. It will be turnkey tyranny." - Edward Snowden (June 2013)
I guess it's only ok when YOUR GUY runs ramshod over the Constitution...
It's really telling about intentions, particularly in view of registries, or lists, where it's perfectly ok to keep a master list of gun purchasers, but not illegal aliens (or apparently, even visa holders). We were told "what's the harm in a list". Looks like we knew what what your intentions were the whole time for the list... Action against those people when possible or politically expedient...
I wonder what list we all end up on if we actually fill out and submit anything on the form from the link?
Now ask yourself if you want to live the rest of your life asking yourself these questions all the time.
And Steve Bannon, the guy who runs Breitbart News, will have access to the take.
not if Obama shuts it down and does tell him about it...
"Damn it, he took the Lightning cable to transfer the data from the external drive! Can't afford another one of those on a $1 salary."