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Comment by jessedhillon | Hacker News Reader

Assumption #1 in your comment: NSA activities have not and are unable to stop arbitrary terror attacks at all.

Assumption #2: That successful attacks in this scenario would lead (reasonable or otherwise) people to demand less surveillance.

Assumption #3: Terrorists want to the NSA programs ended, which would not make sense if #1 is true.

So I'm not sure why this would be a good strategy for anyone.

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In your post:

Assumption #1: What is good for terrorists is bad for the NSA.

I think you will find that terrorist's successes have a very beneficial effect on the power and budget of the NSA. Look at what 9/11 did for them.

I think you misinterpreted the comment. It's arguing that now would be the optimal time for terrorists to strike, validating the NSA.

And strengthening the NSA would directly cause the further fall of the USA. The cheapest way to to attack the USA as an institution is to attack the USA in way the gives the most radical factions power in the short term.

Farther, not further, when referring to distance, even if that distance is figurative.

Wether or knot I take you're advice, it is a suite tip.

I don't disagree that that is how it would be portrayed by the media and viewed by the public. But a thinking man would argue otherwise, since it would mean that a terrorist attacked just when the NSA had the most amount of information available ever. A terrorist attack right now would show that dragnet surveillance on top of being Orwellian is also ineffective. When you're looking for more needles, collecting more hay without extremely powerful tools for hay processing is insanity.

I guess I'd be wondering how the NSA failed to prevent the attack, with all these NSA revelations coming out every few days. I already wonder why I'm still getting illegal telemarketers' calls, why the drug cartels still operate, why so much evil in this world continues with the omniscient NSA.

j/k I don't really wonder...

Yeah, I had the same thought about "Rachel from Card Servives" robo-calls. Apparently those go through more-or-less illegally obtained cut-outs, but the NSA is in a unique position to go after those Card Services jerks.

Then I thought, hey, it's just like bus transit: the rich folks don't ride buses, so that kind of utility gets no money. The NSA, uh, people, don't get robo-calls, so they don't see the problem.

I think you have #3 wrong - parent is saying terrorists want NSA programs expanded.

OP is saying NSA wants "terrorist" programs expanded.

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