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NSA collected 500M U.S. call records in 2017, a sharp rise: official report

reuters.com

121–130 of 360 posts

Re: NSA collected 500M U.S. call records in 2017, a sharp rise: official report

#121
post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>We have not been made (substantially) safer. How do you know that? >Were property crimes up significantly prior to the installation of the ANPR readers? No. Are they down significantly after? No. I get that this comparison sounds similar, but it really doesn't make any sense. The most powerful nations in the world are constantly trying to gain as much access to our secure systems, communications, and infrastructure.…

Wasn't stuxnet created by the NSA?

IIRC yes. I also think I heard that Israel was involved. Anyway, who did it wasn't my point, my point was that all governments are engaged in this level of competition. The NSA exists (and has such a monstrous budget) because it is in constant, direct conflict with extremely capable and dangerous opponents. (not trying to pick out deranged criminals acting indepenedently from a crowd)

Re: NSA collected 500M U.S. call records in 2017, a sharp rise: official report

#122
post #107
post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Whom are they protecting? Cause it sure is not the average citizen. But was there ever any indication to the contrary? How did we as Americans convert to the myth that our government, let alone our "intelligence" agencies, have any inclination to protect us or advance our interests? That has never been their practice ever. Our government spent the better part of a century not only allowing 3.5 million of us to live…

If your comment is meant to be sarcastic, then I am failing to see it... Could you explain what you mean by enslaving as prisoner? So you would let a rapist free or what?

Prisoners are allowed to be slaves under the 13th amendment.

You don't have to free them to stop allowing slavery in prison.

Re: NSA collected 500M U.S. call records in 2017, a sharp rise: official report

#123
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These people seem to think that the NSA is only collecting data to stop mass shootings and normal crimes. The concept of using this data to stamp out more systematic terrorism, espionage and other nation state attacks doesn't occur to them.

How does keeping tabs on every phone call my ~85-year-old grandmother makes help keep the country secure?

If your grandmother worked somewhere with access to critical infrastructure or had access to IP that would be in our best interest to protect and she was for some reason in contact with terrorists or suspected foreign agents then it's useful information.

Keep in mind that they need court ordered approval to access the data so without that existing context it's off limits.

You should be more concerned with what your service providers and companies like Google or Facebook are doing with that data because they aren't limited by FISA courts.

Re: NSA collected 500M U.S. call records in 2017, a sharp rise: official report

#124
post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>We have not been made (substantially) safer. How do you know that? >Were property crimes up significantly prior to the installation of the ANPR readers? No. Are they down significantly after? No. I get that this comparison sounds similar, but it really doesn't make any sense. The most powerful nations in the world are constantly trying to gain as much access to our secure systems, communications, and infrastructure.…

Upvoted for making specific arguments rather than abusing people, like you did in some other parts of this thread.

Because it seemed like a legitimate misunderstanding rather than a complete unwillingness to even glance at the NSAs mandate.

Re: NSA collected 500M U.S. call records in 2017, a sharp rise: official report

#125
post #115
post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If your comment is meant to be sarcastic, then I am failing to see it... Could you explain what you mean by enslaving as prisoner? So you would let a rapist free or what?

No no, I'm just pointing out that the 13th amendment to the Constitution didn't outlaw slavery entirely, but instead a clause literally beginning with the word "except" - can you imagine? "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except ..." It's candor and obfuscation at the very same time. Here's the rest of the text: "...as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist with…

The concept of prison the way we intend it is relatively new (let's say a couple of hundred years). So I am not surprised to see that there are still some references to slavery here and there, because that was actually the punishment back then.

The reason we have more blacks than white in prison is for dozens reasons:

- legacy - cultural differences - social injustice

Etc.

Don't solve problems, ignore them, expect that people behave the way you want, wait until someone screws up here and here, let it escalate, ignore again and/or apply short term solutions, mix all this stuff, fast forward all of it, and you have the current situation.

Just be lucky to be on the right side and have good parents.

Re: NSA collected 500M U.S. call records in 2017, a sharp rise: official report

#126
post #120
post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh, a novel. Never read that.

Eh? Did you click the link? It's non-fiction.

Read my comment above as an answer to yours. Sorry, but I don't like this sort of nonfictional books.

They kind of miss the point, in my opinion.

Re: NSA collected 500M U.S. call records in 2017, a sharp rise: official report

#127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mass shootings have tripled since 2011.

This entire thread is proof that people will vehemently spout opinions on topics that they don't even have the slightest understanding of. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Security_Agency Try reading literally just the first paragraph.

[deleted]

Re: NSA collected 500M U.S. call records in 2017, a sharp rise: official report

#128
post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wasn't stuxnet created by the NSA?

IIRC yes. I also think I heard that Israel was involved. Anyway, who did it wasn't my point, my point was that all governments are engaged in this level of competition. The NSA exists (and has such a monstrous budget) because it is in constant, direct conflict with extremely capable and dangerous opponents. (not trying to pick out deranged criminals acting indepenedently from a crowd)

Wasn't the reporting about it being NSA + Israel all from Kaspersky or did any non-biased researchers confirm?

Re: NSA collected 500M U.S. call records in 2017, a sharp rise: official report

#129
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Like what? I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about here. Uh, the constant mass shootings that have occurred over the past year wherein, 100% of the time, the perp was already known to police and FBI and had a very public troubling online presence detailing their years of mental instability and virulent racism? >intelligence agencies don't talk about their activities, even their successes, for very good…

> NSA [is] just as responsible for dropping the ball on domestic terrorism every other week Domestic terrorism isn't the NSA's purview. Their job is signals intelligence against the rest of the world.

Ummmmm. How do they achieve that by tapping 500 million local calls? Let me guess, the locals call rest of the world.

Re: NSA collected 500M U.S. call records in 2017, a sharp rise: official report

#130
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These people seem to think that the NSA is only collecting data to stop mass shootings and normal crimes. The concept of using this data to stamp out more systematic terrorism, espionage and other nation state attacks doesn't occur to them.

How does keeping tabs on every phone call my ~85-year-old grandmother makes help keep the country secure?

It doesn't. They don't.
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