I have blogged about things like government abuses under USA PATRIOT since 2010. I am sure there are some who read my blogs and other sources and thought that I was paranoid. Now, with whistleblower Edward Snowden's revelations of the actual extent of the National Security Agency's (and who knows who else's) domestic spying program, people are finally beginning to understand that we are indeed watched by Big Brother, and and to a greater degree than many first imagined. While some people are still using the old platitude "I don't care if they spy on me, I have nothing to hide," many people are very angry about being unwittingly spied upon by the Government, and rightly so.
I am pleased to see that not only are the "common people" becoming more and more upset about domestic spy programs, but they are beginning to demand action in curtailing these abuses. And the mainstream media is being forced to cover NSA activities right on the front page of their newspapers and as lead stories on their televised newscasts. On the Internet, there are blogs and articles indicating that not only are the "paranoid" concerned about domestic spying, but "regular" people are, as well. It all reminds me of one of the most asinine statements I have ever seen published in a scholarly work:
The person who believes he is being followed is paranoid, unless of course, he REALLY IS being followed.
This little gem, the creation of some brilliant psychologist, though asinine to the point of laughter, is true, nonetheless. I, and others who called our Government over-reaching and abusive, have been called paranoid and "conspiracy theorists" for many years. Now, surprise, it turns out the Government REALLY IS watching each and every one of us, albeit electronically...I think(?). The NSA, CIA, FBI, DIA, and whatever other alphabetical agencies are out there, have been and are yet watching you and me. And we have a whistleblower to prove it. Ironically, the whistleblower may face federal charges for revealing the true nature and extent of the nation-wide domestic spying program. The real criminals are calling Mr. Snowden a dangerous person, even a traitor, for what he has done. Indeed, some are already calling for him to be arrested and tried for treason. That for his exposure of the Government's TREASONOUS ACTIVITIES.
Since the passage of USA PATRIOT and the other equally odious measures, various government officials and private "privacy experts" have assured us that only "potential terrorists" were being targeted by the various unconstitutional "anti-terrorist:" programs initiated since 9-1-1. But this latest revelation proves that all Americans who use credit cards, cell-phones and the Internet have been "profiled" and "cataloged" by the NSA and whatever other agencies are mining all this data. Since the Government has told us they are only interested in monitoring "potential terrorists," it must follow that all the MILLIONS of innocent American citizens being monitored are considered "potential terrorists."
Did you know that one of the things the NSA spy program does is make a "normal profile"of a given person? That is indeed what happens. The "profile" consists of all of a particular person's collected data including routine cell phone usage, routine Internet surfing patterns, online purchase data, and credit card usage data. Cell phone data collected includes the numbers called and the frequency that certain numbers are called. And, CHANGES in the cell phone usage patterns are recorded as well. Internet surfing patterns are collected, including what sites are visited and how frequently a given site is visited. Again, changes in a person's Internet usage are of interest, and are automatically flagged by the spying computer program. A person's fuel purchases are monitored, as well as their travel destinations, as indicated by airline or cruise ship ticket purchases. These are just a couple of examples. I am sure we, the public, have no idea of the total extent to which we are monitored. Any changes in any of the above mentioned categories automatically triggers further investigation into our activities.
Is this what America truly stands for? Are we truly a nation of people "with nothing to hide so we don't care if we are being spied upon?" I do not believe so. I believe the outrage will spread even more when the true extent of US Government snooping comes to light. And we are not helpless, though we are at a disadvantage. But we can all take action to curtail this outrageous, illegal, and unconstitutional government activity. It will be a slow process, for certain, but we can regain our freedom and our privacy. The most basic thing we can do is keep putting pressure on our representatives to repeal all of the unconstitutional "War On Terror" measures that have been enacted since September, 2001. We can refuse to vote for any candidate, including the presidential candidates, who will not publicly promise to make it his or her mission to repeal those laws. In the meantime, I am so proud of the American people as they are finally demonstrating the willingness to stand up and say "We will stand for this NO LONGER!" It is truly a breath of fresh air to me.
I am pleased to see that not only are the "common people" becoming more and more upset about domestic spy programs, but they are beginning to demand action in curtailing these abuses. And the mainstream media is being forced to cover NSA activities right on the front page of their newspapers and as lead stories on their televised newscasts. On the Internet, there are blogs and articles indicating that not only are the "paranoid" concerned about domestic spying, but "regular" people are, as well. It all reminds me of one of the most asinine statements I have ever seen published in a scholarly work:
The person who believes he is being followed is paranoid, unless of course, he REALLY IS being followed.
This little gem, the creation of some brilliant psychologist, though asinine to the point of laughter, is true, nonetheless. I, and others who called our Government over-reaching and abusive, have been called paranoid and "conspiracy theorists" for many years. Now, surprise, it turns out the Government REALLY IS watching each and every one of us, albeit electronically...I think(?). The NSA, CIA, FBI, DIA, and whatever other alphabetical agencies are out there, have been and are yet watching you and me. And we have a whistleblower to prove it. Ironically, the whistleblower may face federal charges for revealing the true nature and extent of the nation-wide domestic spying program. The real criminals are calling Mr. Snowden a dangerous person, even a traitor, for what he has done. Indeed, some are already calling for him to be arrested and tried for treason. That for his exposure of the Government's TREASONOUS ACTIVITIES.
Since the passage of USA PATRIOT and the other equally odious measures, various government officials and private "privacy experts" have assured us that only "potential terrorists" were being targeted by the various unconstitutional "anti-terrorist:" programs initiated since 9-1-1. But this latest revelation proves that all Americans who use credit cards, cell-phones and the Internet have been "profiled" and "cataloged" by the NSA and whatever other agencies are mining all this data. Since the Government has told us they are only interested in monitoring "potential terrorists," it must follow that all the MILLIONS of innocent American citizens being monitored are considered "potential terrorists."
Did you know that one of the things the NSA spy program does is make a "normal profile"of a given person? That is indeed what happens. The "profile" consists of all of a particular person's collected data including routine cell phone usage, routine Internet surfing patterns, online purchase data, and credit card usage data. Cell phone data collected includes the numbers called and the frequency that certain numbers are called. And, CHANGES in the cell phone usage patterns are recorded as well. Internet surfing patterns are collected, including what sites are visited and how frequently a given site is visited. Again, changes in a person's Internet usage are of interest, and are automatically flagged by the spying computer program. A person's fuel purchases are monitored, as well as their travel destinations, as indicated by airline or cruise ship ticket purchases. These are just a couple of examples. I am sure we, the public, have no idea of the total extent to which we are monitored. Any changes in any of the above mentioned categories automatically triggers further investigation into our activities.
Is this what America truly stands for? Are we truly a nation of people "with nothing to hide so we don't care if we are being spied upon?" I do not believe so. I believe the outrage will spread even more when the true extent of US Government snooping comes to light. And we are not helpless, though we are at a disadvantage. But we can all take action to curtail this outrageous, illegal, and unconstitutional government activity. It will be a slow process, for certain, but we can regain our freedom and our privacy. The most basic thing we can do is keep putting pressure on our representatives to repeal all of the unconstitutional "War On Terror" measures that have been enacted since September, 2001. We can refuse to vote for any candidate, including the presidential candidates, who will not publicly promise to make it his or her mission to repeal those laws. In the meantime, I am so proud of the American people as they are finally demonstrating the willingness to stand up and say "We will stand for this NO LONGER!" It is truly a breath of fresh air to me.
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