Talk about the fox guarding the hen house ... Yeish!
-Stoic Joker
I don't actually mind that so much - aside from being pissed that somebody like Ed Snowden continues to be persecuted for living up to his responsibility as a citizen and human being. At this point these idiots aren't fooling anyone but themselves. I'm not saying there aren't people who believe them, but those are pure idealogues who can't admit the truth to themselves.
Just like almost any issue there are basically 3 groups of people. The ones who see, the ones who refuse to see, and the majority in the middle who can't decide for themselves so they go with what feels right. As long as the government kept them convinced there was a monster hiding in the closet waiting attack they were too scared not to believe. As soon as they looked in the closet and saw the NSA instead that's who they're afraid of.
The guys at the top literally can't see the change because nothing has changed where they are. The talking heads on TV are still lobbing softballs so they can keep their access and the boot lickers on K Street are still telling them whatever it takes to keep the government money rolling in. Eventually, by which I mean sooner rather than later, reality will come crashing in all at once when it's too late to do anything about it.
Personally I'm betting that happens when Mike Rogers, the House Intelligence Committee Chairman gets nailed to the wall. He's the easiest target because of his clear financial ties to the intelligence contracting industry and the almost daily revelations of actively obstructing Congressional oversight.
I'm pretty sure he knows it too and unlike most of them he's seen it coming since April at least. That was when Microsoft and Facebook bowed to public pressure and jumped off the CISPA bandwagon. As long as they were focused on the immunity CISPA would give them the conspiracy was safe. After that it was only a matter of time before companies started throwing the government under the bus to cover their own asses.
Not by coincidence IMO 2 days after that announcement Rogers went completely off the deep end on the House floor and he's been swimming in circles there ever since. For a while I thought it was just garden variety self important posturing by a pompous windbag but the longer he goes on the more it looks like panic.
If he goes down the whole house of cards collapses. After that it's every rat for themselves. Whoever comes clean with the most believable fake apology has the best chance of surviving. Sweeping reform will suddenly be the ticket to the White House so that's what we'll get. It won't be sincere for the most part. It won't go deep enough or last long enough, but it will be a start.
