Court Opinion Finding NSA Surveillance Unconstitutional to be released

| Btw, is anybody else recently becoming optimistic that we could actually see some real reform?

Not really, no. The factions which benefit from this have not been hurt much, if at all, by their exposure. Nor has there been any call for a change in policy from those in a position to do so. There has been increased protestations from the political edges, but the core remains solidly in favor of privacy invasions and absolute government power

No Congressional hearings, few editorial calls for change, and a President who continually lies about it and has expressed no outrage whatsoever.

The oligarchy remains as powerful as ever. If anything, more so, because now that the people are aware if it they will begin to adjust to this new reality.

I find myself usually disappointed by the vast majority of what Congress and the White House say and do, so I'm still finding it difficult to be optimistic.

I was, however, pleasantly surprised by how close the vote to defund the NSA's operations came. I think that may have been the point where this issue because more serious.

My optimism for real, important change is still small, but it's certainly increasing. While those in control haven't changed their position, the fact that this government malfeasance has been grabbing headlines for a few months has a huge effect. The administration's been caught inaccurately describing the surveillance regime and in some cases outright lying. Governments have already been forced to reveal far more than they wished to. Most people who are barely paying attention are convinced that the NSA is recording almost everything (and while many still blissfully believe they have "nothing to hide", the fact surveillance is now a fact rather than "conspiracy theory" should chip away at that more quickly). Outrage is especially large for those in the technical community. Even governments' thuggish tactics, like the grounding of Evo Morales's plane and the nine-hour "terror" questioning of David Miranda, are generating headlines and outrage.

It's certainly going to be a slow process, but this has already built enough momentum that something is going to have to change. Whether that change is purely symbolic or real and effectual has yet to be seen, but we're off to a better start than I ever could have imagined last winter.

So naive. Wish you were right, tho

"I welcome a debate - just not right now. Ideally, I welcome it after I'm out of office, because believe you me, it's going to be torches-and-pitchforks time when this shit hits the fan. But in the meantime, it sounds a lot better if I welcome that debate."

Or they changed the program to actually make it Constitutional.

There is just a huge divide between what any politician will say to get elected and what he believes he is compelled to actually do once elected. I don't think he's "beginning to understand" anything. I think he fully understands the crazy ass chess game he's been playing all along. Actually creating the most transparent administration in US history is - well - an extremely subjective and pretty much immeasurable / untestable sort of claim to make in the first place. TONS of wiggle room. Also it's his last term, he doesn't have to do shit except finish out and collect public speaking fees and board compensation checks for - forever.

In Obama's defense, you've never been as informed about all the sneaky stuff the government is up to as right now.

Hah - you foolishly misunderstood the definition of the term "transparent"!!

What he meant was that everything was transparent TO the administration.

All the world an open book to the administration and its agents.

Not only that, it even set it up in the classic American way, so contractors such as Booz Allen could profit from it!!

You lowly pleb!

My guess is 20% reducted. But you have to remember, you can change the meaning of a sentence by removing just one word, or even a comma. The problem is, we will never know if we get the true meaning of the document.

As an aside, if there ever will be the next Edward Snowden, I think he or she should collect all the phone records, email records, and other data for every person in congress. Release that data, and we will quickly see some change.

95% redacted is my bet

Why wait? James Clapper lied to Congress -- that's perjury, obstruction of Congress, and making false statements. We should also be talking about an investigation into the Obama administration, to determine if Clapper was acting alone or if he was part of a larger conspiracy.