The White House should end the bulk collection of Americans’ phone records | Hacker News Reader

The White House should end the bulk collection of Americans’ phone records

washingtonpost.com

92 pointsLibertatea11 comments

Notice the word "American" in the title, as a citizen of an allied nation which always stood by US it pisses me off being snooped on since what the NSA is doing would violate all the privacy and data protection laws here and is well just plain wrong

... furthermore

How would "Americans" feel about some other nation spying on them? Do you guys realise that you are handing a get out of jail free card to Chinese, Iranians, Russians to continue censoring and surveying their citizens and YOU LOT as well

What's with the preaching?

First, quite a few other nations already spy on us and did so long before the NSA put all their cards into the digital basket. They would continue to do so regardless of anything the US did.

Second, your own government is cooperating and probably adding quite a bit more to the mix.

Third, "Americans" have little do with it. I don't condone it and I have no control over it. Many are apathetic, sure, but many more are apathetic in your own country. Most of the outrage in the media and political circles has been in the US. Explain that?

Personally, I'd say we need to remain aware that we have a leader role on this tiny planet. What we do will always be kind of seen as "the future".

We have much more power than any nation and therefor we have much more responsibility. If we f#ck up, the world's f#cked. It may sound arrogant, but that is the power balance of today as I see it.

We have more power and therefor more potential to do good and to save the planet than any other nation. But recently, we have used it pretty much against that goal...

Agree. The problems the human race faces today are global problems. Everyone is concerned by these issues. And solutions can only be global ones.

What is the oath of office is for an attorney general? It can't be anything about upholding the constitution, obviously, otherwise Eric Holder would have been indicted already. Holder could go down as the worst AG in American history. He's even worse than the guy who lost an election to a dead man, and wanted to make dancing illegal.

Janet Reno was pretty bad, too, and John Ashcroft.

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/41797

All the way to postal employees.

..and the worldwide hoovering up of internet traffic, for surveillance purposes.

Yeah, to me that seems like a much bigger issue, considering that all communications are moving on the Internet (even "voice" calls). But I suppose they are pushing for this first, because a lot of politicians are old, and fear the phone spying much more than they fear the Internet spying.

But I suppose they are pushing for this first, because a lot of politicians are old, and fear the phone spying much more than they fear the Internet spying.

That is probably true. And so frightening. Basically, those politicians don't really know how tech works and what the real dangers are. And they're supposed to protect the citizens with their decisions...

Plus, when you get old, you have much less of an incentive to think "long term", obviously. There should probably be some rule that restricts older politicians to a "consulting-only" role.

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