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I think the main counterpoint is that as soon as the USG starts to seriously abuse this power the rest of the West will coordinate around a different hegemony,

I think the main counterpoint is that as soon as the USG starts to seriously abuse this power the rest of the West will coordinate around a different hegemony, probably the EU, but maybe the UK + Canada / AUS / NZ. The internet and western democracies generally are naturally open, and abusing this power will do more harm than good.

nitrogen 10y ago
Aren't the major English-speaking countries already cooperating in this abuse of power?
- rogerbinns 10y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes : Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. > Despite the impact of Snowden's disclosures, some experts in the intelligence community believe that no amount of global concern or outrage will affect the Five Eyes relationship, which to this day remains one of the most comprehensive known espionage alliances in history
- linkregister 10y ago
  I think the revelations from the Snowden leaks were that the NSA had a mechanism for getting information from Facebook and other U.S. internet companies, in a program now known as PRISM to the public (known as FAA 702 to the Intelligence Community and Congress). According to disclosures, NSA would submit requests via FBI National Security Letters for information about foreign persons of intelligence interest. So it would appear that only the NSA had the capability to perform these requests; AUS/CAN/UK/NZ would not have access. More information can be found on theintercept.com, theguardian.com, and other online newspapers.
- 3pt14159 10y ago
  It depends on your definition of "abuse", but what's going on in China and Russia with respect to the internet is far more abusive than an underused and ineffectual dragnet surveillance program.
  - nitrogen 10y ago
    Sure, but we shouldn't compromise our own standards just because we see others behaving badly.

nitrogen 10y ago

Aren't the major English-speaking countries already cooperating in this abuse of power?

rogerbinns 10y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes : Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. > Despite the impact of Snowden's disclosures, some experts in the intelligence community believe that no amount of global concern or outrage will affect the Five Eyes relationship, which to this day remains one of the most comprehensive known espionage alliances in history
linkregister 10y ago
I think the revelations from the Snowden leaks were that the NSA had a mechanism for getting information from Facebook and other U.S. internet companies, in a program now known as PRISM to the public (known as FAA 702 to the Intelligence Community and Congress). According to disclosures, NSA would submit requests via FBI National Security Letters for information about foreign persons of intelligence interest. So it would appear that only the NSA had the capability to perform these requests; AUS/CAN/UK/NZ would not have access. More information can be found on theintercept.com, theguardian.com, and other online newspapers.
3pt14159 10y ago
It depends on your definition of "abuse", but what's going on in China and Russia with respect to the internet is far more abusive than an underused and ineffectual dragnet surveillance program.
- nitrogen 10y ago
  Sure, but we shouldn't compromise our own standards just because we see others behaving badly.