Will NSA reforms really make a difference?
President Barack Obama recently spoke about his intention to reform the National Security Agency and the way it collects massive amounts of data regarding Americans’ phone calls and emails. Obviously, he’s bowing to the pressure he’s receiving from both sides of the aisle on this one.
How much will change and how long it will take remain to be seen, of course. I wouldn’t hold my breath on this, if I were you. The Obama Administration has always justified this spying by claiming that they are only looking for terrorist connections, and that in an age of terrorism we have to be willing to give up certain freedoms in order to obtain the security we need.
Please forgive us we if don’t have a great deal of confidence in that claim, especially considering how invasive this administration has been since day one.
Senator Rand Paul, who has been one of the strongest proponents for liberty over the past decade, doesn’t believe we should have to sacrifice one for the other. One of his quotes while speaking at Freedom Fest in 2012 was, “In America today, we’re not yet burning people at the stake, fortunately. Nor are we burning books. But your government is interested in what books you read. They’re interested in what you say in your phone calls. They’re interested in what you write in your emails.”
He followed up by saying, “We have been too lax in giving up our privacy. We are trading our liberty for some sort of sense of ostensible security. Look at how we travel now, the personal privacy and dignity we’ve lost…When we give up our dignity and basic freedoms that we’ve always enjoyed as Americans, we give the terrorists a victory they most certainly don’t deserve. We lose something too important to who we are as a people.”
How do you feel about this? Has the government gone too far in terms of taking away our liberties in order to provide security, or are they just doing what they need to do to keep us safe? I hope you’ll chime in on this important issue.
I tried twice….you missed my fantastic opinion!
Since I don’t turst Hussein, Boehner or McConnell as far as I can throw ’em, just leave the Patriot act alone. The absolute LAST thing this country needs is another Freedom altering Law from Hussein and company.
Are you crazy? The government is taking away our freedoms and NOT keeping us secure! There is no tradeoff. It’s funny to me but the White House and the President don’t even seem to be “secure”. Drones and crackpots all over the White House lawn and even getting into the building. Is THAT what they call security? They’re ALL IDIOTS!
The NSA will never reform itself. Too many people to lose jobs. It will take serious outside pressure to accomplish that. We will never be free until that organization is dissolved. And it seems no government organization, once formed, ever goes away. Obama talked about wanting to fundamentally change this country. I want to change it too–back to 60 years ago. Young folks don’t know how wonderful it was back then. Everyone was safe. Fewer people were really poor. We were freer. We may not be able to go back, but we can move forward to a safer and freer society. No more reliance on government programs. No whining about there being no jobs. Go out and create them yourself. Without so much government intrusion and regulation of every aspect of our lives this would be so much easier.
Agreed!! Our Founding Fathers did not list our rights with an addendum at the end that says, “Unless there is terrorist activity”. Our rights were given to us in no uncertain terms. Set term limits for all elected officials. Elect people that can do the job. If they don’t do what they were elected to do, remove them from office. When there terms are up, they go home and go back to their original jobs. No more lifetime pay and security, no more getting rich off of taxpayers. And no more $500,000 speaking fees. When Congress isn’t in session, they go home. Require voter identification for all elections. Also, government employees are now earning 78% more than the private sector. That absurd and backwards. There used be a 25 – 40% difference. But it was in favor of the private sector. People worked for the government because they believed in something, the benefits were good and it was a step towards the private sector. Get rid of welfare and the vote will balance out. Churches and communities used to and still should be helping those in need, not the government. Welfare is a highly abused system and it’s being used to buy votes. Lower the corporate tax rates and bring jobs back to America. Make education and healthcare affordable. Bring our military back to full strength and let them do their jobs. Last but not least, send the illegal aliens home and secure our borders. This is not the answer to all of our country’s problems, but it’s a hell of a start. The best thing we could possibly do for our country and her people is Bring God Back.
Amen
The Goverment can not be trusted at all. Everything that has ever happened that we should have been told the truth about has all been a lie. What kinds of things am i talking about? Everything from UFO’s and aliens, to JFK’s assasination, voting, the illuminatti, the moon landings, fort knox gold depository, new world order, etc.etc.
Remember the Goverment, they manipulate what happens all over the world and especially here at home. Why? For greed, wealth, power, influence, and control of the people. Obama has never proven he was born in the U.S. yet, because he can’t. But the shadow goverment wanted him in office because he is their puppet. The shadow goverment is the illuminati and the bilderberg group whose members must have at least 1 billion dollars to be a member, these people own all of the banking and major businesses (which includes the media as a business) in the U.S. and abroad in other nations. They want to eleminate the Constution of the United States because it guarantees certain rights that they want to take away from the American people. They say it’s old and outdated as an excuse that times were different back then. BULL.THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE.
By the way RESEARCH what I have said for yourself do not take my word for it.
That’s right Mike they are not our friends and they were not elected by us. We were given a phony election and out of it came a phony president who is a phony American. However we are going to just wait and trust them to provide for us. Because we don’t know how to proceed we are doing nothing but grumbling.
The answer?
Zeitgeist 1 circa 2006
Zeitgeist Addendum 2007
Zeitgeist Moving forward
Look up Peter Joseph
Jaques Frisco and The Venus Project.
All of our resources we need to live are already here on this earth. We don’t import them from outer space. The problem is that the Rich own all of our resources that are here on this Earth for all. We have the technology to supply electricity and food to every living being on this earth for thousands of years. Instead, Oil=greed=Money. We need a resource based economy. Not a monetary system.
All would be equal….and help other humans rather than killing or ripping each other off.
The Rich are very few.
We the poor: including football players, Rockstars, and any form of entertainment, are more powerful in numbers. We The People.
The government has betrayed the people… Prepare!!!!
Governments and law enforcement cannot cure/fix the nature of man, but can curb it. If the fix is not internally accomplished, then fear is needed to curb the expression of the depraved natures.
Those, please elaborate. Give some examples of how great has successfully curbed the expression of depraved nature.
Additionally, government agents have harmed more people in the name of law, order, security, public safety and “protection” than any criminal organization could ever dream of doing. Fear has lead to nothing but complacency and loss of freedom. They have kept the American people so afraid for so long by turning our children into murders and/or corpses that many actually believe they are keeping us safe and free.
We are less secure than ever before and we have been voluntarily giving up our freedoms for decades. Trillions have been spent to “secure and protect freedom” and if you’re even remotely paying attention you have to know that, if our military is fighting for our freedom, they are losing horribly. If our police forces are trying to protect citizens, they are terrible at it.
Losing freedom and being more likely to be killed by the police than by terrorism means that both if those programs have failed miserably. To believe otherwise is simply naive and self defeating.
Rev, the majority of Police Depts across our Nation are full of good men of All colors. However, when you get closer to the lower class ghetto areas where mostly Blacks live, all of a sudden the cops there are the bad guys just for protecting themselves and doing their duty???
With the Sharpton/obama Hate Whites Machine going around spouting and inflaming the ignorant and the uneducated Blacks, what do you expect? Both Black men do NOT love our country and want to change it to their power, not the Whites. That will never happen until the MAJORITY of the Black Race gets educated and expands their knowledge about the human condition and how Faith sustains hope. There is no hope in the low rent Black districts, just adults strung out on drugs, adolescents running unobserved, making their own crimes and rules about life…a circle of never ending misery for the few individuals who truly want to escape that nightmare.
So before blaming all these Racial issues on the Cops who are trying to maintain some kind of order in an orderless place, look at the two men responsible for orchestrating this whole Racial/Hate White Cops scenario. They are the ones you should direct your hate – or in your case, your prayers. Save some prayers for the Cops who actually risk their lives to save people no matter what race those people are…these are the Heros of today – NOT the potus nor Sharpton, a supposed Minister of God? Which God? Because it surely isn’t our Christian God, but most likely the horned one. No wonder our world is such a mess. Fake Preachers using the word of God to hurt and confuse. God is watching them and they will be tried and thrown down from the Gates of Heaven. Amen.
Yeh, I support the local constabulary…..but don’t share more than I have to. When society has a total breakdown or gov goes further on this crazy course it’s on, then you will have to protect yourself from them like you will from almost everyone else.
Get prepared…..food, firearms, ammo, gobags and a place to go to, cash + some small old silver/gold coins to trade with when the cash money goes worthless. It is closer than you may think when the credit system breaks down and it all goes dark.
This sounds like the response I’d expect from a bad police officer or a government employee involved in population control. Curbing the actions of mankind is what mind control and eugenics are doing for mankind now and I don’t think it necessary now or in the future.
@Geralde, yes Google gives info to the Gov. It was on TV, at how money they made selling yours and mine, and everyone else. One big problem also, is they employ muslims, like so many other parts of the internet. I, just a minute ago got a phone call, from some muslim, telling me I have a problem with my comp., and to go turn it on , and he would tell me where to go to check it out. This has been happening pretty often. The first, & only time my credit card has been hacked, was by this muslim owned 7/11 up the road. And found out that it was being used buying guns, & gun parts. This is getting out of hand, with these muslims. I watched a special on TV, a under cover FBI agent, still undercover from our on Gov., that is covering this up. There are terrorist camps, right now in 22 states, training to KILL us. They are being set up by a man named, Jamaat Ul-Fuqra. He has ties to, and are backed by Al-Qaeda, Muslim Brotherhood, and Cair. I found a map showing there locations. 1 in Alabama, in Marion county, 4 in Texas, 3 in Gerogia, and many more places. Most are here in the SouthEast, through the Carolina’s. And are located in rural arrears , with small population, and small police forces. Most all 7/11’s here in the South are owned by muslims, and 2 near by are owned by 1 person. And found out this man owns 27 of these places. These people have infiltrated every part of our country, and every faze of it, and they do communicate. After I post this, I’ll get another phone call, from a muslim, I would almost bet. This is the reason why Obama will not close the border, they are pouring across. A friend of mine, a Mexican, told me, everyone is worried about the wrong people crossing the border. He said they paid BIG money to get help crossing. All this is being hid from the real American people, the ones that are being spied on. Obama is setting us up for a total destruction. His army is HLS. He has put 3 times more money in HLS, than our own military, that he is trying to dismantle. He has spent more money on HLS, than any President in history, and it is not for our protection. It’s for his Marshall Law. This will be used to help take our rights, and if he ever declares it, he’ll be President as long as he wants. With all this being done, does it look like he’s going anywhere in 2016!! GOD BLESS AMERICICA!! While we have her!
I would love to have a copy of the map and locations if you could send me a copy, [email protected].
Rod, you have Muslimphobia…along with many Americans, rightfully so. But Potus has way too many lawsuits in Court as well as a Conservative Congress that is going after him big time…something he is shocked about. He truly thought he was playing that child’s game, “King of the Hill”. He isn’t and is finding this out snd the vise will only become tighter as time marches on.
As for Muslims being everywhere, yes there are many. Do NOT let them frighten you. Do NOT let them make you a “victim”! Do something to protect yourself and loved ones. Buy a weapon, learn how to use it and all the safety precautions associated with it. Teach your family how to protect themselves at all times. Once YOU TAKE OVER YOUR OWN LIFE, NO ONE CAN MAKE YOU A VICTIM without their pain.
Why do you think this potus is trying to remove our 2nd Ammendment rights? Because he is scared of all the guns in American’s hands. Of all the Nations on earth, America has the most people who own guns, probably the vast majority, including those liberals who are fighting to remove guns from us all. If the American people revolted, there would be casualties on both sides which could include our govt officials. Do you think they want that? No. Declaring Martial Law to a bunch of pissed off gun bearing Americans is pretty stupid and desperate. And bringing Martial Law requires a state of chaos that is a natural disaster or enemy invasion…nothing except Katrina required that recently. So until potus can change the weather patterns or until another Nation invades our lands (which most are afraid of our Nuclear capability), Americans are relatively safe from that happening.
Have you seen potus’ mass of white hair lately? He had none in 2008…7 years later and he looks like Uncle Remas. He is tired and worn out and wants to go golfing instead of playing games with the world. Anything he tries is going to be met with resistance now. All he will do is bloody himself by hitting his head against an immovable wall.
As for the muslims in the public eye right now, they will slowly slip back into the shadows once they reslize America isn’t for the taking. I also believe Congress as well as individual states will create laws removing their private Muslim communities from existence and force them to obey our U.S. laws…or be deported. Muslims thought they could terrorize or sneak into our Society undetected, but they were wrong. Once the biggest muslim leaves the White House – and he will – the rest will disappear or at least assimilate into the American way of life never wanting to acknowledge their ties to Islam ever again. There still will be instances of irratic muslims trying to destroy America, but when Americans pull together United, they will easily be destroyed.
Have strength, know God personally, teach yourself survival and protect your family. Do not panic because that means they win. God Bless America!!
If we want freedom to be left in tact then get the government out of our daily lives. Make each person responsible for his/her own safety. Abide by the Constitution and let Americans own weapons to protect their homes, from terrorists abroad and within. Training of course should be mandatory!
Mandatory training? Who approves the course? How do you track such trading? Who pays for the tainting? Who would conduct testing of knowledge retention? Would all weapons owners be forced into a database? Would it be one time training or routine?
The use of force, which terms like “mandatory” require, is the antithesis of freedom. If you truly believe in freedom, then you can’t also support force. The only force that should ever exist is consequences for the infringement of individual freedoms and rights.
We need to stop with the idea that we know best. We need to stop signing contacts for everyone. We need to encourage freedom and personal responsibility, not authoritarianism and force.
We shouldn’t have to give up any freedoms to have total security from our own gov’t. That what our forefathers founded this country on anyway; security & freedom . We need leaders in our gov’t right now that will take the Obama administration by the tail & collar & throw them out in the cold world they”re trying to make us live in. Hope someday a leader will appear in our country to turn the hand of time back, so we can live & travel this world free of fear.
Are you talking about the Patriot Act. That is the one that took away our freedoms and that was rushed through Congress by the Bush Administration.
The article was about Obama’s statements regarding reforming the NSA. The NSA is the federal agency in charge of administering such laws as the Patriot Act and various other freedom invading regulations.
If we want our liberties restored the only way to do that is to turn our back to the whole world and be like Switzerland. None of the “freedoms” we have given up have stopped new terrorist organizations from poping up, and chances are will not stop them from attempting to continue their regin of terror on this country. We have become the most hatted nation on the planet. Two Navy Sailors were just attacked in Turkey one of our supposed alies. Maybe we should just do US (the United States) first and let the rest of the world sort out their problems. If we don’t like their politics or Government we have the choice not to play with them just like when we were kids. Don’t play with the crazy kids or the Bully’s. We now have more enimies than alies all in the name of being #1. Ha what a joke #1 in national debt, spying on our own people, and being hatted by other country’s and so to come to a town near you #1 in poverty and unemployment…..
when people take responsibility for there choices and the consequences of those choices then will freedom of choice return . when a person is not willing to defend there moral agency [ responsibility of choice] even unto death then they loose what makes life worth living.
Any time a government spies on its own “employers ” something is very wrong. WE “the Employers ” can fired those in congress R & D who allow this spying to happen and continue.
— Tracking on internet is getting so bad, after buying what I wanted. adds continue for weeks of same type of stuff I bought. Then was called on phone to make a purchase with ” My Credit Card they have “, ????? How did this company get my credit card number ??? I have never bought anything from them. So this had to be done thro google , do not use text or any social media.
— Does google and face book work for government ?? It sure does look like it,
Perhaps many readers are not old enough to remember communist rule and the KGB actions taken against all those who “disagreed” with its propaganda, but I am. Communism changed its name to the Soviet Socialist Republic, but did not change its tactics. Liberal socialism in the United States is following the same path that communist/socialists have followed and instituted around the world since the end of the second world war. Unfortunately history is not a favored subject in the educational process in our schools, therefore, we have become like turkeys standing in a rain storm, heads up and mouths wide open, for our government to drown us in the pouring rain of their freedom snatching rule. This is what historical records reveal about governmental takeovers of the freedoms of its people and this is what we have allowed to happen right here in the U.S. of A. Read Thomas Jefferson’s warning that freedom cannot be secure without constant vigilance, by each member of our society, to vote and be aware of who and what you are voting for. Review our government’s platitudes about protecting us with “security measures” for OUR benefit that terminate our freedoms in exchange for the promise of security, and you shall surely arrive at the “Big Brother will protect you” equation peddled by Washington. Historically, for many centuries of civilization, such has been the case, and should you choose to lessen the need to study world history’s pattern, just begin with how Adolf Hitler gained control of Germany, how Castro gained control of Cuba, how communism gained control over democracy in China, Russia, and North Korea, and the light will dawn for you as to what is happening in America. Congratulations! Your ignorance and lack of vigilance now stands before you. Look in the mirror and point your finger at your own reflection looking back at you. YOU are the person responsible.
Time is running out!!! Mexico,Russia, China, and who knows who else is in on this!!! Their intention is to take America down!!!!! It may be to late all ready!!!
One World Government has been in the works for hundreds of years! It was done slowly while dumbing the population down so they aren’t smart enough or quick to catch the rube. The dark side thinks they are winning and we may go through some very hard times, but those of God will win out. Don’t despair we know right from wrong and will grow beyond them who deny us freedom, peace, love and free will.
If we always vote the way we’ve always voted (R’s & D’s) we’ll continue to be what we are. If you think there is a speck of difference between the Repubs and the Demo’s then the media has done their job. The current system is organized crime at it’s best and fullest expression. Privatize the profits and socialize the losses. The greatest crime syndicate in the history of the world. And we, like freaking idiots, wrench our hands and say “Someone should do something.” Well, we are that someone and I for one am ready to push back, an Army of one. Pogo was right, WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY AND HE IS…. US.
….at least, the enemy is Among Us. In fact have taken over education, hollywood, and media. They are generally our enemy and it may get a lot worse.
Orrin,
We did willingly give away our freedoms. We used our passiveness, which you elegantly point out how the “gimme generation” manifested.
Don’t we first have to assume our responsibility in all this in order to heal this? Truth will follow responsibility.
When truth manifests disruption will follow.
Are we/you ready for the disruption in order to aid in humanity’s healing, OR will society’s passiveness prevail, making the path for the future administrations and the elite who have purchased them one of continued lies with no disruption.
My comments are not about survival. They are about healing. Not healing humanity, but about healing our selves as we cannot heal another. We can only heal ourselves. Each individual healing will result in many others reaching their own healing. Before you know it humanity is healed.
Dear Frank,
First, let’s get real. “We The People” and all PATRIOTS didn’t willingly surrender our freedoms for “government controlled security!” FREEDOM WAS RIPPED FROM US over the past four or maybe six administrations that produced a majority of “dumb-asses”.
The politicians began subliminally “shaving” a little of our Constitutional Rights here and a tiny bit there a long time ago.
Then, the next batch of politicos looked back and saw how easy it was to mess with the Constitution and make themselves more powerful … and RICH!
During this period the American people became so self-serving, superficial and irresponsible they simply ignored “the little things”. Then, came the “gimme generation.” Masses became accustomed to freebies and many urban families became 3 to 4 generations deep in welfare dependency! (Why work when we can manipulate the lax system and elect socialists who want to give us more free stuff? We can get everything to make us comfortable and happy for FREE!)
Our school children HAVE slowly been dumbed down to accommodate the lazy, to the point most children are graduating high school and even college classes … while unable to read, write or do basic math! THAT IS GUT WRENCHING AND OUTRAGEOUS!!!
I have no meaningful recommendations for making it better. I fear we are nearing another civil war right here at home. The best we can do for now is help people smarten up and vote! And vote for people committed to protect the Constitution and not buy their votes with “more free stuff”!
This administration came into power with no credentials, no meaningful experience at leadership, no business savvy and a double deep (now obvious to anyone with a brain) hard socialist mindset. Obama and his minions play the “race card” at every step and browbeat their detractors or anyone willing to stand and fight. No rational group of influence seems to be willing to stand and say, “The Emperor Has No Clothes!”
Thus, we now find ourselves “subservient” and at the mercy (or lack of mercy) to an out of control, growing by leaps and bounds government. What they cannot do by whim, they do with illegal, bureaucratic, internal agency “policies” or by blatantly illegal Presidential command !!!
God Save America,
Orrin
We the people need to make sure we show up at the poles in 2016 and take our country back.I wish we could impeach this president now so we can start curing our ailing nation right away.
Finally somone who sounds like he knows what he’s talking about.
9/11 was the grand excuse to take away all of our freedoms. Investigations need to be done to finally expose the truth. I’m quite sure the implosion that was done was not just the foreign terriorists. Highly sophistacated FBI and CIA? Concsider this? Have u ever seen an implosion not an explosion done by the foreign terriorists?? I didn’t think so! The way it stand now the terriorists have won both the foreign ones and domestic. Just watch the newburgh sting and you will see what the fbi is capable of. This is a scary world. I hate the spying. Who is spying and why?? Its so creepy! God bless all those who are worthy, for the rest, let the devil have his full dues.
Why hasn’t he been impeached yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree Lisa, Why hasn’t he been impeached? He is a domestic terrorist destroying our country. Where are the people with some balls who will stand up to him and his goons and arrest him for treason, or at least remove him from office. He’s just an ordinary man in a public office committing crimes against our country. We have a military that needs to take action and do something, inconjunction with the chief justices (judges) and congress. GET OFF YOUR ASSES.
You took an OATH to protect our country from all foreign and DOMESTIC enemies. WELL?
NSA — TSA — are not needed in our country. Goes against all of our freedom rights. United States is a country of the people, for the people, by the people not to be ruled by breaking our rights daily.
Vote all congress members out, who have voted for all these actions done against us.
AMEN!!!
The problem in this great country is the people don’t see the point of voting as long as the electoral vote controls who’s put into office. Their vote in before the people s vote get rid of of this so the people s vote count s
I think they are needed, but to a certain extent, then you back off.