As the world joins in opposition to the U.S. attack on privacy worldwide, President Barack Obama has to face awkward meetings with world leaders of allied countries who were subjects of his surveillance. Some reports have stated that Obama personally approved the monitoring of Angela Merkel’s telephone three years ago. Now, the National Security Agency (NSA) is insisting that Obama did not order the monitoring personally. I am not sure what is worse: that Obama ordered interceptions of allied leaders like Merkel or that the surveillance state is so large that functionaries now have the discretion to order such surveillance. Merkel may not find it as more assuring that Obama didn’t order her monitoring than the notion such she is just another target delegated to discretion of lower level officials. It is also not clear if Mike Rogers is going to suggest that Merkel should also thank us for the monitoring.
NSA and the White House will only say that it is not currently monitoring Merkel’s phone calls as opposed to prior surveillance of our ally. The most chilling aspect of the response is the suggestion that this is just another delegated act from Obama. After all, he delegated the decision of which citizens should be killed on his unilateral authority under his Kill List policy. It is all part of our new Security State. Killing citizens, surveilling allied leaders, seizing the records of Americans from email and phone systems . . . it is all the new normal of delegated presidential authority. I have previously written about the dangers of the Imperial Presidency established by Obama. However, what is even more chilling is how absolute presidential powers become delegated absolute presidential powers. Such delegation not only gives presidents like Obama some deniability in scandals like this but allow for the expansion of such programs under a thousand faceless functionaries. Of course, the Administration is also pursuing a scorched earth policy against reporters and whistleblowers in the hopes of avoiding any future need to explain itself to anyone.
Even in the face of global condemnation, the cult of personality surrounding Obama continues to silence any significant opposition from Democrats. We have allowed the creation of a security state employing hundreds of thousands with hundreds of billions of invested public funds and giant annual budgets. It is a system that is designed to be used, not to remain dormant. We are not just the protected class but the targeted class of such surveillance. It is a system that runs on any source that could be a threat or reveal information of a threat — a standard that allows monitoring of friends and foes alike.
The Germans are of course upset because such surveillance happens to violate German law, but that has hardly proven a barrier in the United States. In expanding these programs, we appear to have transcended the rule of law to embrace a new model of a security state. We have gotten to the point that we not only treat our own laws as increasing discretionary but treat the laws of other nations as equally discretionary. Diplomatic principles are no more inviolate as civil liberties in the new world being fashioned around counter-terrorism. Once transparency has been achieved in the United States, it is inevitable that the world will then look unacceptably opaque to our security forces.
What is most striking from comments like those of Rogers is that we appear completely clueless or willfully blind to the view of our actions by other nations. Since we do not doubt our motivations, we cannot understand why anyone would be uncomfortable with our actions. As with drone strikes and assassination units, our view might change if other countries engaged in the same actions by ordering special forces to kill targets in the United States or unleashing drone attacks or seizing all of our phone records. As we break down legal walls and limits, we are returning the world to a diplomatic version of the state of nature. At that point, we will be left with the simple rule of “might is right.” It is the original law of the jungle and it is perfectly sustainable for the strongest amongst us. Having realized Nixon’s dream of an Imperial Presidency, Obama seems to have moved on to extending Teddy Roosevelt’s Big Stick policy to cover the world and the world leaders.
Source: National Post
SoTB,
Missed that. Unfortunately, had to do something called work. I hear that if you do this “work” thing, people sometimes give you money.
@Jill – If a foreign dignitary is working in cahoots with some internal US intelligence cabal who arguably has been getting away with secretly undermining it’s own country since 1947 for it’s own financial gain, who do you think should listen to their Blackberry Z10 to see how far and deep the plot goes? How many times has this same organization smuggled illegal German NAZI scientists into America after WW2 after a DIRECT Presidential Order to not do that? How many times have we spied on the Germans since WW1 and through the Cold War period? There’s a valid reason to do such things even if it seems Machiavellian.
In a perfect world we should trust all of our so-called friends. But just like President Reagan suggested about this IMPERFECT world “Trust but verify…”
I re-read JT’s statement above about the “rule of law” and I can not see what US law NSA is breaking by spying on a foreign country (especially under FISA if she’s talking to other so-called Americans in a conspiratorial fashion?). Especially one that might be discussing things that negatively impact USA in some way.
I can’t trust a woman who hates dogs. It looks like Russia doesn’t either. Putin loves his dog KONI. Angela doesn’t… 👿
You may know baseball trivia better than I, but I would need some proof. But I played the game and coached it for 30 years. I know the game better than you, hopefully your ego can accept that. A baseball trivia competition would be fun. I sometimes just read old Baseball Encyclopedias. That was my birthday present annually for 7 or 8 years, until internet made it obsolete. I like cross cultural trivia questions like, how are Harmon Killebrew and Jerry Lee Lewis connected? This is a pretty easy one.
“A baseball trivia competition would be fun. I sometimes just read old Baseball Encyclopedias.”
I don’t do baseball trivia, I do baseball statistics. I was a member of SABRE in the 80’s. As far as playing the game I played into my 40’s and got my second heart attack one afternoon while playing. You know about my heart condition don’t you Nick? The heart attack was on my old heart, you know before the new one that you want taken back.
As far as coaching goes Chuck Dressen was a baseball manager for forty years and he was a smug ass, driven by ego, just like you. The Dodgers really came into their stride when a quiet man named Alston took over.
earsoftheworld 1, October 28, 2013 at 5:44 pm
An NSA-certified “secure” smartphone. lol
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I knew somebody was going to pick up on that. Just thought it would be Gene H. or Otteray Scribe… 😀
@Jill – The NSA does not predate Bush Sr. It got its start in 1952 when George was collaborating with Allen Dulles et al to overthrow Nicaragua and Iran to feather their oily nests. Of course according to George he was NEVER with the CIA before he was it’s director. Truman and Eisenhower couldn’t keep these “rowdy friends” in check. Maybe the NSA was stop-gap to also keep an watchful eye on internal affairs too (albeit illegally) – not just the Communists. So I find it difficult to understand how we the American people can do anything about this cabal of watchful eyes. To me it’s “status quo ante”. Like the wise man said: “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” What better way than how NSA does it?
@Nick Spinelli – Jezus H. Christ! I can’t take you any where any more! Use your outside pretext voice when you’re fibbing… 🙂
Please play nice in the sandbox… We all really do like you here – despite the ostensibly well-deserved vitriol. You remind me of the guy at grade school who was always saying “stop hitting your self…” and “you can’t help that you’re ugly and poor…”
“I’m OK, You’re OK” – Thomas A Harris MD,
An NSA-certified “secure” smartphone. lol
Mike Spindell 1, October 28, 2013 at 4:59 pm
“The golf course shrink had to get George Bush in there. That guilt for being so supportive of Obama, volunteering for this guy when he could have been out helping the needy, is showing through that veneer of confidence.”
Did I address you Nick? What happened to your promise to Professor Turley and your apology to him for your bad behavior? That happened only a few days ago and we see that the promise was yet another in a long series of lies from you.
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And Nick, you tried to lay that trip on me.
Naughty boy nickola the nick meister nickum prohibitum.
Mike S, he is only ball bursting.
That was him that snatched your ball on the 12th hole such that you could not find it.
He is getting as bad as the selfish gene.
“He is getting as bad as the selfish gene.”
Dredd,
He doesn’t have the chops to have read Dawkins. Needless to say I don’t golf. I can’t afford it. 🙂
sonofthunderboanerges 1, October 28, 2013 at 4:16 pm
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@Dred – I feel ya’ bra’ but what up wid’ the perceived invective? i.e. “sonofblundermoanenergy” – I was going for the RED ARMY et al. Angela Merkel has a bunch of rowdy friends me thinks’.
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Good point. Well said.
You need to care about the rule of law. He is breaking EU law. He is also breaking US law. JT has explained this. It’s a very big deal because lack of rule of law is breaking down this society. I would hope everyone would care about the breakdown of society.
@Jill – IF Mr. Obama was taping Angela’s BlackBerry Z10 (she thinks that’s secure?) then what law is he breaking? German law? Big deal. Israel spies on US daily. Where’s the angst about that? If Angela was smart she’d get the same phone Mr. Obama uses. This one: The anti-NSA Smartphone
“Can you hear me now?”
“NO!!!”
“GOOD!” 🙂
2016 is way too late to address what is happening right now. The NSA has a history which predates even Bush. There is plenty of blame to go around. Speculation on 2016 is an excellent smoke screen to current reality.
If you are interested in stopping this lawlessness you must take action now. You must let the current “democratically elected” “leaders” know you find their actions wrong and you will not tolerate them.
Did you shoot under 90 today?
“Did you shoot under 90 today?”
I’ve already said I don’t play golf, but I know baseball better than you. Your comments today were way below the Mendoza line and you hit like Al Leiter. 🙂
If you are referring to Mrs. Clinton, I assure you it won’t happen. Just as long as the Diebold voting machine hack is strategically NEVER fixed, and Ohio & Florida has Conservatives running the show, I can predict with almost 95% accuracy who that will be in 2016. The family legacy must live on don’t ja’ know.
“The [American] people follow its leadership with determination, confident in its armed forces and ready to bear what fate demands. The year [2016] will be, I am convinced, the historical year of a great New Order. The program could not be anything else than the opening up of the world for all, the breaking down of individual privileges, the breaking of the tyranny of certain peoples, and better still, of their financial autocrats.” – Without my modifications in brackets Who Said This? The next POTUS-45 might say it too. His father (POTUS-41) and grandfather would encourage it I think.
Not sure Angela Merkel agrees with this sentiment but WHO KNOWS who she is talking to? Obama knows!
I think Obama is a functionary and I think he was well aware of the tap.
The most important thing people can do is stop excusing what is going on. America has a deep state. The deep state works through what are nominally called “democratically elected” officials. To get at the deep state our citizens need to stand up to the “democratically elected” officials.
Obama is accountable for his lawlessness. Congress is accountable for their lawlessness. As most of our judiciary seems lawless, this leaves only the people and a small handful of elected officials and lower court judges to try and return our nation to the rule of law. We cannot do this with a population in denial.
Believe me if enough people tell their elected officials that they will not tolerate their lawlessness, it will have an impact, even on the deep state.
@Blouise – I did not actually hear the “functionary” comment. I thought he meant some No Such Agency GLG-20 like “Fiedler” (aka Jack Black) in the EOS movie. (That GLG-20 link is way too funny!) 🙂
Yeah, Cheney visited Langley more than Ft. Meade. At least he could confab with onsite Mossad agents at Langley. No Such Agency doesn’t like foreign spy agencies to have operational offices in the Puzzle Palace. Kinda’ is a conflict of interest don’t ja’ know… :8-):
I don’t really think Angela is talking to Red Army et al… I just threw that in for color commentary. I was hoping you’d get my drift about Erik Prince and the OTHER CIA (the oily ones?) that she is obviously talking too. I know: “WTF is the OTHER CIA?” This one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4Ku1CzaR9g
I wonder who the late Senator was talking about during Iran Contra hearings… 🙄 😎
Justice Holmes: “No mere “functionary” including General Alexander should be allowed to control this kind of power.”
I think we’ve come to the point where it’s valid to ask for whom is Obama the functionary. By extension, it’s worth now considering to what extent any candidate, let alone Obama’s heiress apparent, will discontinue these policies. Who will cede this power? Can it be ceded?
A Congress With Fangs, please. U.S. Attorney’s earning their pay, if you will.
@Nick Spinelli – I particularly liked the part about the “corrupt unions” in the earlier part of the movie. I posted a full movie link up there if anyone wants to watch it. Very good movie and quite insightful.
Harry Caul? You know you’re right! I still can’t see how Harry missed the introduction of the “laser mic” easily defeat-able by a common cheap digital camera and a electric razor.
Lesbian sex flick? ROFLMAO!!! I guess pay back is a biotch huh? 🙂
@Dred – I feel ya’ bra’ but what up wid’ the perceived invective? i.e. “sonofblundermoanenergy” – I was going for the RED ARMY et al. Angela Merkel has a bunch of rowdy friends me thinks’.
SOTB,
Yeah, but, calling Bush Jr. a “functionary” is just lame 😎
Unless President Obama was referring to Cheney … but, no … the military hated Cheney so NSA would never have listened to him. It’s back to Bush Jr. as Obama’s over zealous “functionary”.
Anyway Merkel talking to terrorists of any kind, especially left-wing ones, is just ridiculous.
NSA = No Sane Agents
sonofblundermoanenergy 1, October 28, 2013 at 3:25 pm
…
SPECIAL NOTE: There are OTHER terrorist groups other than Al-Qaida? …
===========================
Yep.
Oil Qaeda DUH mudder of all mudders.
SOTB, Great flick. Hackman sort of reprised Harry Caul in this flick and he and Will Smith had great chemistry. There’s a thread from Friday about a lesbian sex flick you might find interesting. I know that’s your favorite genre.