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Worth Reading: Trevor Pott's editorial on NSA PRISM and its real ramifications
app103:
For those suffering some form of "outrage amnesia", I'll just leave this old Bush era news story right here, so in about 7-8 years from now, when all this hits the headlines for a 3rd time (as breaking news), maybe someone with deja vu will point out the fact that it's old news and that this database of information was set up shortly after the 9-11 attacks and news of it was made public in 2006.
http://usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-05-10-nsa_x.htm
And the wikipedia page about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSA_call_database
I think this makes it even more disturbing, the idea that so many could freak out about this back in 2006 and then promptly forget that it ever happened, acting all surprised all over again when they hear about it again, years later, freaking out all over again, as if they never knew and news of this was brand spanking new.
I think the old saying about those that don't remember history being doomed to repeat it needs to be revised a bit, to include something about those that don't remember history being doomed to treating it as recent news when they hear about it again.
Tinman57:
I think this makes it even more disturbing, the idea that so many could freak out about this back in 2006 and then promptly forget that it ever happened, acting all surprised all over again when they hear about it again, years later, freaking out all over again, as if they never knew and news of this was brand spanking new.
I think the old saying about those that don't remember history being doomed to repeat it needs to be revised a bit, to include something about those that don't remember history being doomed to treating it as recent news when they hear about it again. -app103 (June 09, 2013, 05:34 PM)
--- End quote ---
Most all of this crap started from the G.W. Bushy era, which is the biggest reason why I dislike "W". Americans have a short attention span, thanks to all of our technology. But the news media has a lot of the blame to go along with that, we only hear what they want you to hear. There was a HUGE breaking story right after that to distract everyone into the new story while the old story fades away into oblivion. The news media & government has been using that tactic for years, it was even mentioned in a few movies.
But what do I know, I've been wearing this tin cap for so long....
barney:
... treating it as recent news when they hear about it again.
-app103 (June 09, 2013, 05:34 PM)
--- End quote ---
Well ... wouldn't that be repeating history ;)?
But I totally agree with you. And, while I can't quote chapter and verse, I remember similar reports back in the Kennedy administration and again in the Clinton administration. This is definitely something akin to the seven (7) year itch, in that it keeps happening, and we don't do anything about it. Only difference is that collection methodology keeps improving. Next step? Maybe rfid/barcode tattoos becoming mandatory? Implants? The possibilities on the horizon are endless :P.
wraith808:
For those suffering some form of "outrage amnesia", I'll just leave this old Bush era news story right here, so in about 7-8 years from now, when all this hits the headlines for a 3rd time (as breaking news), maybe someone with deja vu will point out the fact that it's old news and that this database of information was set up shortly after the 9-11 attacks and news of it was made public in 2006.
-app103 (June 09, 2013, 05:34 PM)
--- End quote ---
Oh, I have an answer to that one... from a writer's blog. Read the whole thing. It's a good read. But this is the relevant part.
I was listening to NPR yesterday. They were talking about the information the NSA was collecting on phone records. In the course of the conversation, there was an offhand remark to the following effect: “Obama is doing the same thing Bush did, although now it may be legal.”
<snip />
How far have we come? Think about it. A major news organization mentions in passing that a President has committed a crime, and it isn’t even worth a pause in the conversation.
Are you angry yet? Disgusted? Appalled? I am.
--- End quote ---
People remember... It's just ... look at 40's post above about the reaction of kids. That sort of explains it.
More than the repeating history, I think that a favorite quote by Churchill sums it all up to me:
"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened."
- Sir Winston Churchill
And all of this explanatory diatribe is only to stretch out the outrage to the point that most people "pick themselves up and hurry off", and this becomes yesterday's news.
wraith808:
About NSA whistleblower
Interview with NSA whistleblower
(And mouser, I'm being nice... I'm putting all of this in the same thread so it can all go to the basement at once!)
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