Snowdon is a dummy

Snowden will almost certainly die at some point. I think he is still human. Could be wrong about that though...

You would know what blowing hot air means, now wouldn't you? That's what you do here 24/7.

And yes, US presidents are impeachable for lewd behavior, and what else?

We'll see if it happens.

I make some decent, reasonable posts.

Except Frank being right more than a clock is highly questionable.

There you go, BBC America.
http://www.bbcamerica.com

Olivier5 wrote:

And I champion the right of Obama, Biden and co to be charged, and to defend themselves in a fair trial where they could try and clear their names from the stench of tyranny that is now engulfing them.

I would love to see them appear before the World Court on this matter.

I give Walter in particular great credit for his ability to respond to people as civilly as he does in spite of efforts to provoke him. I don't have Walter's strength in this area.

'NSA report calls for outrageous proposals'

Security experts are warning that Obama's NSA proposals could turn the intelligence services into lame ducks. DW talked to former CIA agent Fred Fleitz who cautions against making fatal mistakes.
[...]
Fred Fleitz: Our view is that steps need to be taken to reassure the American people about the NSA's programs compromised by Edward Snowden. That's just what had happened to the democracy that people have concerns. I believe these programs have been well monitored and well overseen. The American people have to be reassured of that. So, I'm not saying nothing should be done. However on the other hand we've looked at this report very closely and it calls for some outrageous proposals. Such as providing US privacy rights to non-US-citizens outside the United States, barring the NSA from breaking internet inscription and the security of foreign software.
Now, I assume that as a German citizen you think those are good ideas and you don't want the NSA listening in and breaking into your software. And I understand that. But in the world we live today with terrorist groups that are increasingly tech savy we can't tie the hands of our American or German intelligence from doing what they have to do to find terrorist suspects and to monitor their communications. If we lived in a perfectly democratic world where everyone honored codes of human rights and human decency that would be different. But we don't live in that world. And it's necessary to have aggressive intelligence efforts to defend Western democracy and liberty. It's an unfortunate fact but that's why I support NSA breaking into that inscription. I support NSA breaking into the software of foreigners. Not to listen in to the German people or the people of any European country but because we know al Qaeda has become so sophisticated - we can't close off important weapons from the NSA for monitoring what they are up to.
[... ... ...]
I think the key to defending American freedom and liberties is making sure there is aggressive oversight. I think there is good oversight right now. I think there are ways it could be improved. For example we believe we should create better avenues for intelligence whistleblowers zu raise their concerns when they have them. This is not an excuse for Edward Snowden. There are avenues right now. But those avenues have to be improved. They have to be publicized and I think more legal protections have to be offered to people who have these concerns. I think that there could be additional reports sent to the intelligence committees explaining when some of these sensitive intelligence collection programs against electronic communications are used.

From an interview @ dw

Quote:

'NSA report calls for outrageous proposals'

Security experts are warning that Obama's NSA proposals could turn the intelligence services into lame ducks. DW talked to former CIA agent Fred Fleitz who cautions against making fatal mistakes.
[...]
Fred Fleitz: Our view is that steps need to be taken to reassure the American people about the NSA's programs compromised by Edward Snowden. That's just what had happened to the democracy that people have concerns. I believe these programs have been well monitored and well overseen. The American people have to be reassured of that. So, I'm not saying nothing should be done. However on the other hand we've looked at this report very closely and it calls for some outrageous proposals. Such as providing US privacy rights to non-US-citizens outside the United States, barring the NSA from breaking internet inscription and the security of foreign software.
Now, I assume that as a German citizen you think those are good ideas and you don't want the NSA listening in and breaking into your software. And I understand that. But in the world we live today with terrorist groups that are increasingly tech savy we can't tie the hands of our American or German intelligence from doing what they have to do to find terrorist suspects and to monitor their communications. If we lived in a perfectly democratic world where everyone honored codes of human rights and human decency that would be different. But we don't live in that world. And it's necessary to have aggressive intelligence efforts to defend Western democracy and liberty. It's an unfortunate fact but that's why I support NSA breaking into that inscription. I support NSA breaking into the software of foreigners. Not to listen in to the German people or the people of any European country but because we know al Qaeda has become so sophisticated - we can't close off important weapons from the NSA for monitoring what they are up to.
[... ... ...]
I think the key to defending American freedom and liberties is making sure there is aggressive oversight. I think there is good oversight right now. I think there are ways it could be improved. For example we believe we should create better avenues for intelligence whistleblowers zu raise their concerns when they have them. This is not an excuse for Edward Snowden. There are avenues right now. But those avenues have to be improved. They have to be publicized and I think more legal protections have to be offered to people who have these concerns. I think that there could be additional reports sent to the intelligence committees explaining when some of these sensitive intelligence collection programs against electronic communications are used.

WASHINGTON -- The National Security Agency has implanted software in nearly 100,000 computers around the world that allows the United States to conduct surveillance on those machines and can also create a digital highway for launching cyberattacks.

While most of the software is inserted by gaining access to computer networks, the N.S.A. has increasingly made use of a secret technology that enables it to enter and alter data in computers even if they are not connected to the Internet, according to N.S.A. documents, computer experts and American officials.

The technology, which the agency has used since at least 2008, relies on a covert channel of radio waves that can be transmitted from tiny circuit boards and USB cards inserted surreptitiously into the computers. In some cases, they are sent to a briefcase-size relay station that intelligence agencies can set up miles away from the target.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/15/us/nsa-effort-pries-open-computers-not-connected-to-internet.html

NSA collects millions of text messages daily in 'untargeted' global sweep
• NSA extracts location, contacts and financial transactions
• 'Dishfire' program sweeps up 'pretty much everything it can'
• GCHQ using database to search metadata from UK numbers

The National Security Agency has collected almost 200 million text messages a day from across the globe, using them to extract data including location, contact networks and credit card details, according to top-secret documents.

The untargeted collection and storage of SMS messages – including their contacts – is revealed in a joint investigation between the Guardian and the UK’s Channel 4 News based on material provided by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. ... ... ...