Setting The Record Straight - Government Contractors

[Quillback]

F&F,

I was trying not to get into the middle of this because it is a touchy subject. My point is the dude didn't do what he did because he is a government contractor, and one should not assume I'm out to do bad because I am one.

Vr,

Mike

Snowden had a security clearance, when you get a security clearance you agree, under threat of penalty, to not divulge secure information, never, ever, unless authorized to do so. He signed an agreement to that effect. He's a lawbreaker and has violated the trust the government of the US placed in him.

[Wayne SW/MO]

He's a lawbreaker and has violated the trust the government of the US placed in him.

Yes and he could have taken the whistle blower route and gone to his congressman, and I believe that would have relieved him of prosecution.

[Al Agnew]

Just some food for thought...do we know how many "innocent", as in not connected to any terrorist group and not guilty of planning a terrorist act, people have actually been harassed, arrested, or otherwise harmed by the actions of the NSA? In other words, if you have nothing to hide in relation to terrorism, have you really been harmed so far by all the shenanigans?

In a way, it's kind of like waterboarding. The problem may be that the government is doing it, but the problem is also that NOBODY seems to be able to keep secrets. Leaks are rampant. Decisions are made on personnel that are just plain stupid, making the leaks more likely.

Before this all came out, a lot of people probably suspected the government was doing something like this, but as was said above, they didn't worry much about it, didn't even think about it. Now, all of a sudden it's front and center, gives a bunch of partisans and ideologues an issue they can go nuts about, and incidentally, just might harm the government's ability to stop terrorism attacks.

As for Mic's original point, it's a good one. But if you're going to contract out top secret, highly classified jobs, you better be a little better at vetting the people you're hiring to do them...either the government should do the vetting or the company should.

[Buzz]

Well said Al.

This has been going on for years. If you are innocent then you have nothing to worry about.

They would be really bored with my phone calls and searh results.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Before this all came out, a lot of people probably suspected the government was doing something like this, but as was said above, they didn't worry much about it, didn't even think about it. Now, all of a sudden it's front and center, gives a bunch of partisans and ideologues an issue they can go nuts about, and incidentally, just might harm the government's ability to stop terrorism attacks.

Of course we knew the governemnt was keeping tabs. Remember when prior to 2008 the Gov. forced phone companies to release the records? There was a huge battle over it. Some companies did and some balked. The Gov. was also, and may still be, searching through emails and forum posts that contain certain words and or phrases. They had a list of certain buzz words, like bomb, kill, and such. They had a whole list. When those words were used, the conversation was intercepted and analyzed. But that was all ok then. It was all accepted under the threat of terrorism.

[ness]

Well said Al.

This has been going on for years. If you are innocent then you have nothing to worry about.

They would be really bored with my phone calls and searh results.

I hear you on that. My family calling in and an occasional outbound call to Domino's.

[Feathers and Fins]

What price liberty? Where is the warrants to gain this information? Enough we have a constitution for a reason and a violation of it in any name is still a offense to liberty. OK you say if you don't have anything to worry about then who cares. Ask those who visited France June of 1944 that question

[fishinwrench]

As many mistakes that are made (typos made, wrong numbers dialed, credit card fraud, inaccurate gossip spread, ect.) I am really surprised that most folks are ok with their every move being recorded. It's bound to cause incrimination of more innocent folks than it is true criminals.

Hell, if the info hadn't already gotten into the wrong hands we wouldn't even know who Snowden was.

Unless the NSA is going into the business of busting cheating spouses, retrieving lost passwords, and providing alibis for defense lawyers I can't imagine how this "operation" could possibly pay for itself.

[Wayne SW/MO]

As many mistakes that are made (typos made, wrong numbers dialed, credit card fraud, inaccurate gossip spread, ect.) I am really surprised that most folks are ok with their every move being recorded. It's bound to cause incrimination of more innocent folks than it is true criminals.

Hell, if the info hadn't already gotten into the wrong hands we wouldn't even know who Snowden was.

Unless the NSA is going into the business of busting cheating spouses, retrieving lost passwords, and providing alibis for defense lawyers I can't imagine how this "operation" could possibly pay for itself.

Ain't that the truth.

It smells pretty bad really if you think about. They say they need numbers, no names or addresses, so that if a number shows up in an overseas contact they can pull up the info for the FBI to investigate. So the question is, why can't they just do warrant to the carrier when and if a number needs attention/ Why would they need the numbers before hand? They will know it exist because someone is calling it. They will know the carrier and the location without this so called billion dollar program. This doesn't pass the smell test and it should raise eyebrows that congress, both parties, are trying to reassure the people that it is benign. That's bull!

[Jack Jones]

I love how everyone is so concerned about liberty, rights, etc.... The truth is that there are no such things as "rights" or the "rule of law". These are imaginary concepts fed to the people below those in power to placate them. They'll grant them to you just so long as it doesn't interfere with their agenda. If it does, there's all of a sudden a justification to suspend or terminate them, or a re-definition of terms such that no matter your argument, you are wrong. Not only wrong, but obviously not a patriot and with the terrorists.

If the government wants to spy, they will. Nothing will stop them. Need a warrant? Not too hard to get when all your cronies are in the "government" also. There have been many dictatorships and totalitarian regimes whose constitutions granted the people "rights". Exercising them is a whole different story.

So in the immortal words of Red Foreman "If the U.S. Government decides to stick a tracking device up your butt, you say Thank You and God Bless America!"

Carry on Comrades!