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Whistleblower Binney says the NSA has dossiers on nearly every US citizen

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Re: Whistleblower Binney says the NSA has dossiers on nearly every US citizen

#81

Post by nl »

zcid wrote: post #65
nl wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And drive 30 minutes from your home, and use a proxy server to connect to the internet I'd love to hear some details of what you are proposing here. Because right now it doesn't sound like you know what you are talking about. If it makes you feel any better, facebook has a similar level of information about you and they haven't done much harm with it. Um. No they don't.

Your location can be triangulated even if you don't use a cell phone registered to yourself. Using a VPN, you reduce the chances that your internet use will be traced back to you. Facebook has a staggering amount of personal information about most of their users. While not necessarily on the same level as personal phone calls, it should still be a concern of anyone that uses social networks. Try to actually make a ca…

Your location can be triangulated even if you don't use a cell phone registered to yourself.

My point exactly.

Using a VPN, you reduce the chances that your internet use will be traced back to you.

That has some truth in it, but isn't what the OP is proposing.

Try to actually make a case next time you post.

Fair enough. It's worth noting that when I wrote this, the OP was the highest voted comment on this thread.

The NSA has complete financial history of everyone who submits tax returns or uses a credit card, logs of every phone call and email message, and it seems likely they have location data from cell phone providers as well. In the UK their agencies track car movements via registration plates, and it would be surprising if the NSA didn't have similar capabilities.

Saying that is the same as what Facebook has is misleading - it makes the NSA seem like they aren't doing anything extraordinary, and it makes Facebook seem like they are doing things they don't have the right to do.

Re: Whistleblower Binney says the NSA has dossiers on nearly every US citizen

#82

Post by beedogs »

I really fucking hate the right wing and its authoritarian ideology. It's like there are two separate and distinct species of people on this planet: those with empathy and compassion for their fellow man, and these kinds of assholes who just want nothing but control.

It's one of the reasons I got out of the US. My worry is I won't be allowed to return one day.

Re: Whistleblower Binney says the NSA has dossiers on nearly every US citizen

#83

Post by nl »

tristanj wrote: post #69
nl wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And drive 30 minutes from your home, and use a proxy server to connect to the internet I'd love to hear some details of what you are proposing here. Because right now it doesn't sound like you know what you are talking about. If it makes you feel any better, facebook has a similar level of information about you and they haven't done much harm with it. Um. No they don't.

On your second point, here's incomplete list of data that facebook stores about its users. Note that they keep all wall posts, messages, tags, and photos even after the user deletes it from his profile http://europe-v-facebook.org/EN/Data_Pool/data_pool.html Of course, they won't have any of your data if you don't have an account, which might be what you're trying to get at.

Facebook's data is extensive, but nothing at all like what the NSA collects. I responded in detail here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4260143

Of course, they won't have any of your data if you don't have an account, which might be what you're trying to get at.

It wasn't my point, but is valid too.

Re: Whistleblower Binney says the NSA has dossiers on nearly every US citizen

#84

Post by dfischer »

ZoFreX wrote: post #61
bobsy wrote: post #27

If this is true doesn't it mean that Bin Laden won the war on terror? Every time I go to the airport I think this. Those full body scanners? Thanks to Bin Laden, now you practically get strip searched for every flight. You have to take off your shoes. You cannot take drinks on a plane. You then have everyone on edge no matter where you go. You and a friend play CounterStrike. You get on the bus and start talking abou…

Bin Laden's aim was to push the US into a war that would bankrupt them. I'd call that mission accomplished.

Importantly, to remove their presence out of the middle east and change their foreign policy. This is not happening though so not accomplished.

Re: Whistleblower Binney says the NSA has dossiers on nearly every US citizen

#85

Post by dfischer »

beedogs wrote: post #82

I really fucking hate the right wing and its authoritarian ideology. It's like there are two separate and distinct species of people on this planet: those with empathy and compassion for their fellow man, and these kinds of assholes who just want nothing but control. It's one of the reasons I got out of the US. My worry is I won't be allowed to return one day.

If you really think this is the result of the right wing politicians you're kidding yourself.

Re: Whistleblower Binney says the NSA has dossiers on nearly every US citizen

#86

Post by CamperBob2 »

andreif wrote: post #74
CamperBob2 wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're making extraordinary claims regarding the parallels with the Reichtag fire. I won't ask for extraordinary evidence, just reasonable evidence. The part I don't get is why it seems to matter so much whether 9/11 was an unexpected attack or a planned conspiracy, or whether it was anticipated but not orchestrated by the government. The effect is all that matters, and the effect was, in fact, exactly the same as th…

> The part I don't get is why it seems to matter so much Oh, may be to start doing something to stop such horrible things from happening again. No?

But the acts perpetrated by the US in retaliation for 9/11 were far worse than the act itself. That would still be true regardless of whether or not the tinfoil-hat brigade is right.

Re: Whistleblower Binney says the NSA has dossiers on nearly every US citizen

#87

Post by mchmch »

Angostura wrote: post #54
ilaksh wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"The War on Terror" I wish that people would learn what "The War on Terror" really is. The United States IS like other countries, including China, now and in the past. In 2001 there was an event in the United States which was very similar to the 1933 Reichstag fire in Berlin. Very few people can accept that reality, so this comment will probably be buried. I don't think people even know what a State is. The harsh tru…

You neglected to add those all important words "wake up sheeple". You're making extraordinary claims regarding the parallels with the Reichtag fire. I won't ask for extraordinary evidence, just reasonable evidence.

How about 1500+ experts including Registered Architects, Structural Engineers, Scientists, etc who are willing to go on camera and agree that there is no way the official story 9/11 is possible. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBCu_pvhnzQ

Re: Whistleblower Binney says the NSA has dossiers on nearly every US citizen

#88

Post by twoodfin »

Everyone in this thread seems to miss the fact that if the NSA were deliberately keeping files on communications between Americans in America that would be a really big deal. But AFAIK, no one in a position to know anything has even alleged this.

Re: Whistleblower Binney says the NSA has dossiers on nearly every US citizen

#89

Post by treelovinhippie »

I think soon people will realize that the only defense against this kind of data collection (and it's subsequent uses - which grow more powerful everyday) is to record your own life and know the same (if not more than) what governments and corporations know about you.

Re: Whistleblower Binney says the NSA has dossiers on nearly every US citizen

#90

Post by euroclydon »

kamaal wrote: post #80
bobsy wrote: post #27

If this is true doesn't it mean that Bin Laden won the war on terror? Every time I go to the airport I think this. Those full body scanners? Thanks to Bin Laden, now you practically get strip searched for every flight. You have to take off your shoes. You cannot take drinks on a plane. You then have everyone on edge no matter where you go. You and a friend play CounterStrike. You get on the bus and start talking abou…

Muslim here. I never understood both sides and their actions. I mean I find both Islamic fundamentalism and American actions all round globe both equally dumb. I don't think OBL ever had it as an explicit aim to pull down US militarily or culturally transform US into a Islamic state. That is impossible, and I assume somebody like him already understood that. I guess his aim was to drag US into a war and then reduce t…

Its actually surprising that US fell for it.

Yep. Bush would have been a hero if he hadn't fallen for it. Compassionate conservatism, expressed in Medicare Part C. Tax cuts combined with modest military expansion would have held the deficit in check.

But remember the pundits saying, "this one calles for boots on the ground"? Even Jon Stewart showed a clip of Bush or someone making a compassionate statement, and commented "you're killing my blood lust." And he meant it!

I don't guess Clinton wouldn't have fallen for it -- he didn't during all of OBL's significant attacks in the 90's.

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