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Comment by magoon | Hacker News Reader

POTUS is far from powerless when it comes to stopping this spying. It's his wheelhouse.

The powers of the executive branch are broader than most realize.

Given the industrial spying on, well, the world, I cant see any reason why the likes of the NSA do not have possession of information that would compromise almost every elected politician the US has. Even if its small stuff, anything can be used by an opposition or media to ruin a career. In fact, dunno about the US, but here in the UK even a dodgy association can be enough.

Nothing direct, of course. All that is needed is that politicians know that the likes of the NSA comprehensively spy. These for its is sensible to assume that they could have something, even if one has forgotten it. So that uneasy feeling alone is more than enough for politicians not to rattle cages.

Given my impression that both here in the UK and in the US it seems the response to this entire issue by almost every one in the government, media, and even the comedians and satirists (who, in the UK at least, are often more in tune with reality than any one else), is really muted. It's like every one is trying to make it go away, quickly and quietly. No one wants yo get on the wrong side of the spies.

When it comes to politics, sometimes I think the US is a lot more like France than the UK. For example, we have a former Representive who tweeted a sexual picture[1] and then lied about doing so and was forced to resign but will now probably become the next mayor or New York. Then we have a state Governor who disappeared for 6 days and said he was hiking the Appalachian Trail - but he lied and was was really in Argentina having an affair with his mistress[2]. He was forced to resign but just a couple months ago ran for a house seat and won. So, scandal doesn't really mean much in the US either.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Weiner_sexting_scandal

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Sanford_disappearance_and_...

If you like to live under that illusion so be it...

Now that you've brought up the subject of illusions, let's discuss some of the bigger illusions we currently agree to en masse:

1) the 30+ year war on drugs, still in effect because the masses believe the illusion that being excessively tough on crime makes for a better society.

2) 12 USC being modified by the Trading With the Enemies Act of 1917 to include "United States Citizen" [1].

3) House Joint Resolution 192 of June 5th 1933 banning gold and silver as currency, ushering in a bankruptcy with the trimmings of Keynesian Economics [2].

4) "9/11 changed everything".

5) Most relevant, NSPD-51 pulling all branches of government under the Executive during Bush II [3], and none of us caring.

Every one of the above is an illusion; handwaving by bureaucrats, that were integral for bringing us to where we are today. Why do you choose to accept/live by the above illusions? because everyone else is?

(Additionally, you may be making an Appeal to Incredulity [4], if you weren't already aware.)

[1] http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/12/95a

[2] http://www.focusoncommerce.net/index_htm_files/LAW%20-%20Hou...

[3] https://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/nspd/nspd-51.htm

[4] http://www.rationalresponders.com/logical_fallacy_lesson_11_...

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