We have previously discussed how Barack Obama has become the president that Richard Nixon always wanted to be. From his Administration’s comprehensive attack on privacy and civil liberties, investigation of journalists, to his claim of unilateral authority to kill citizens, Obama has created an Imperial Presidency that could haunt this nation for generations. He has succeeded with the silent acquiescence of many liberals and Democrats who have embraced personality over principle in continuing to support his Administration. Now, a new report documents how the National Security Agency under Obama has been gathering records of online sexual activity and evidence of visits to pornographic websites to be used as part of a proposed plan to harm the reputations of people consider radicals. The obvious comparison to Nixon is only dwarfed by the comparison to J. Edgar Hoover, but again the silence is deafening from the Democrats. In the meantime, the so-called “reforms” of the NSA as expected would preserve the massive data-gathering programs of the agency — as guaranteed by such “reformers” as Dianne Feinstein.
Among the targets is at least one person identified as a “U.S. person.”
The program reportedly has already targeted six Muslims deemed radical and subject to such “personal vulnerabilities.” The published NSA document, dated Oct. 3, 2012, details the surveillance to gather dirt on enemies. When combined with the utter lack of congressional oversight and unchecked executive powers, such surveillance quickly becomes insatiable for intelligence officials who can destroy people by revealing embarrassing private details.
The NSA is gathering dirt such as “viewing sexually explicit material online” and “using sexually explicit persuasive language when communicating with inexperienced young girls.” Shawn Turner, director of public affairs for National Intelligence, responded to media requests with little more than a shrug, saying such activities “should not be surprising” since the “the US Government uses all of the lawful tools at our disposal” against people deemed enemies of the state. Of course, it is available at their disposal because of a President with what is increasing viewed as authoritarian appetites and a Congress that has no appetite to fight for abstract principles like privacy.
Bush officials are already applauding Obama for his Administration’s gathering of dirt on targeted individuals. Indeed, advocates of the program are now citing the controversial claim of the President to kill people on his sole authority as a rationale for this new controversial system under a lesser evil rationale. Stewart Baker, former general counsel for the NSA in the Bush administration and someone viewed as a nemesis to civil liberties by many, insisted that “On the whole, it’s fairer and maybe more humane” than vaporizing them.
The published documents refer to one target as attracting the NSA’s ire by arguing that “Non-Muslims are a threat to Islam” and then identified his vulnerability as “online promiscuity.” Another academic dared to write in support of the concept of “offensive jihad” and so the NSA targeted him for his “online promiscuity” and “publishes articles without checking facts.”
Of course, with the rest of the unchecked powers secured by Obama with the support or acquiescence of Democrats and many liberals will be handed over to the next president . . whoever that may be.
Op-Docs
‘Why Care About the N.S.A.?’
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/26/opinion/why-care-about-the-nsa.html?_r=0
“The Internet has placed all of us firmly in a new and insecure world. Simultaneously, a perpetual “war on terror” has infused within that world a culture of fear and anxiety, along with surveillance policies that will have long-lasting implications. Now is the moment for a course correction, where civil liberties are written not just into our laws but also into our computer code.”
Every time I see one of these articles I look back at the changes in my lifetime and I am sad for the loss of privacy and the changing attitude of the American people.
For many years the Govt. has been chipping away at our freedom, but it went on Steroids following Sept 11.
I think back to my 8th grade civics class about 1963 or 1964. The teacher would hand out court cases and different legal issues. The class would then choose up sides and go at the court case. The class always had students on each side until we got to the “Search Warrant”
The “Search Warrant” was a case where a warrant was served on Granny, nothing in the original warrant was found, but the police found “Porn” (remember this was pre-Hustler magazine and Playboy had not even thought about showing pubic hair) – “Porn” was not so legal back then – and nobody in class was willing to argue the side of the police and the seizing of Granny’s “porn” – to all of us it was cut and dried – give Granny back her porn and the police were way wrong.
Today we have sneak and peak, looking at all the books you checked out from the library, keeping records of your internet visits, most of those activities done in secret – and the list goes on and on of what we have lost, and very few people will stand up and say this is not right. Everything that happens being sucked off the internet and then Congress passes laws that let the Telco’s off for their illegal actions.
The right to protest is going away with “designated protest zones” that are wire cages miles away from the event they are protesting. The firing of a bus driver for flipping off Georg W. Bush. The jack booted thug response to the Occupy movement.
So sad to have watched the death of my country’s soul in my lifetime.
We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force.
Ayn Rand
“Some Obama Administration officials have said privately that Snowden downloaded enough material to fuel two more years of news stories.
“The worst is yet to come,” said one former U.S. official who follows the investigation closely.” -from the following article
“Spies worry over “doomsday” cache stashed by ex-NSA contractor Snowden”
By Mark Hosenball
WASHINGTON Mon Nov 25, 2013 3:58pm EST
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/25/us-usa-security-doomsday-idUSBRE9AO0Y120131125
From August:
Anyone remember Elliot Spitzer?
Reblogged this on Brittius.com.
It’s what government does.
Thanks for that reminder, Paul. When I hear the clueless minions say ‘if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear’ I cringe. It’s probably the most ignorant argument anyone can make. The rules can be changed whenever the evil powers-that-be want them to change. What is legal today, could be illegal tomorrow, so your past actions could be considered crimes.
I also relate ‘if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear’ nonsense to the Martin Niemöller quote:
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me–and there was no one left to speak for me.
I’ll add:
First they came for the porn viewers, and I did not speak out. Because I was not a porn viewer.
Then they came for the ………
It bothers me that often when the prof writes these stories he does not admonish repubs, only “democrats and liberals” This personality ver substance is uaually the brush with which repubs paint the president.. This story is disturbing, as is so many others re NSA spying, drones, etc, but the quiet or lauding by the repubs should not be ignored. Congress has oversight for uch of this but instead has washed their hands of it.
Makes sense. Reports do this to Republicans every day. Might as well do it to Islamist extremists too.
Dont forget to blame the GOP for not fighting this NSA/Obama takeover of individual privacy and rights. While dems are feckless and spineless, the GOP is brutal and dangerous, since they would jail you for looking at porn and not simply let you know you are being watched. Bottom line is the people are fine with this disturbing level of Orwellian oversight, since the keep electing the same fools with different faces each and every election cycle. As far as democrats, George McGovern types are absent. To the end, he was a stalwart for individual freedoms. The new generation of politician, especially democrat, pales in comparison. Maybe because the NSA has porn records on all of congress……
I experienced the “cult of personality” with my own father. While he decried what J Edgar did he embraces what Obama does because my Dad has nothing to fear and Obama is good.
I fear far too many people are just like my father.
I wonder if the Weather Underground has any idea that the imperial presidency is continuing its attack on groups it’s deems subversive……
What’s that song by John Foggarty…. Put me in coach…. I’m ready to play……
I’m grateful that there is evidence to show what I’ve always supposed is happening. The NSA, as Jonathan points out, is merely carrying on in the tradition of J. Edgar Hoover. Hoover became the “man who couldn’t be fired” because he knew too much about the personal indiscretions of those supposedly in power. The NSA Director serves with impunity because he “knows” where all the politicians “bodies” are buried. The NSA is merely the information gatherer for the Corporate Military Intelligence Complex and they run the show where most things are concerned. It’s known as oligarchy.
Wrong thread, I was also watching some Michelle Bachmann Palin porn.
The morning after pill aspect is not some minor issue. It’s not like a business owner not wanting to be open for business on a holy day or serve pork. You can certainly make a reasoned argument that this lawsuit should not prevail, but it is demeaning to lump this in w/ ticky tacky religious tenets,
Maybe some of these NSA creeps will see their wives and girlfriends in amateur porn sites w/ large penis men.
As I and others have said, Nixon is green w/ envy of this despot.
This would be news if I hadn’t lived during J. Edgar Hoovers reign as FBI KIng. The intelligence agencies have been spying the sexual habits of pols and vip’s like Martin Luther King for decades. If the NSA is extending that nonsense to all of us, we will have to give them a triple XXX rating. Unchecked power will be our demise.