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Is there plan to bombard the american public on so many fronts that they accept mass surveillance? What the actual fuck is wrong with this country.

grasshopperpurp 9y ago
That's exactly it. It's also pretty hilarious that the GOP is trying to extend the FBI's power and oversight - given the current situation with their dear leader.
- digi_owl 9y ago
  "we ram a bill to expand your powers through, you ease up on the investigation".
- pixl97 9y ago
  Step 1: expand power - in progress. Step 2: corrupt power - well it isn't like the FBI hasn't done that in the past.
- RickJWagner 9y ago
  Seeing how Comey (and top collaborators) basically ignored Hillary Clinton's obvious crimes WRT security, it does seem odd. Maybe they're buying some agents of their own, to even things out.
mtgx 9y ago
And FISA reauthorization always happens a few days before Christmas. Californians, remember to vote Feinstein out in the Democratic primary. She's been one of the main champions of this bill and type of mass surveillance (as well as the anti-encryption bills, which she's not giving up). It's probably one of the reasons why she decided to go back on her promise not to run again, so she can pass it once more in a few years. Her husband also makes big bucks from the defense industry and from government contracts - probably not a coincidence at all. She's one of the richest Congress people - again, likely not a coincidence.
- chimeracoder 9y ago
  > Californians, remember to vote Feinstein out in the Democratic primary. She's been one of the main champions of this bill and type of mass surveillance (as well as the anti-encryption bills, which she's not giving up). Senate Minority Leader Schumer has been the other main proponent. Unfortunately, New York is not really a democracy, so there is no way for us to get rid of him.
  - Bartweiss 9y ago
    Schumer is awful on a lot of levels, but I don't seem him losing his office unless he goes the way Sheldon Silver did.
    - chimeracoder 9y ago
      > Schumer is awful on a lot of levels, but I don't seem him losing his office unless he goes the way Sheldon Silver did. Agreed. New York politicians can get away with attempted murder caught on videotape (literally) and there's still no chance that they'll lose re-election, thanks to the array of arcane election laws that, in practice, collectively disenfranchise New York voters.
- kabdib 9y ago
  If you're not a resident of California, you can still "vote" by sending campaign contributions to her opponents. I figure [without much supporting evidence or data] that one vote equals $50, so you can "vote" as much as you want, quite cheaply.
- boomboomsubban 9y ago
  There isn't a Democratic primary in California, their system is ridiculous. All candidates are in the primary, the top two are on the ballot. Last election had two Democrats against each other, one of them got 19% of the primary vote. Getting Feinstein off the ballot is nearly impossible.
  - mac01021 9y ago
Banthum 9y ago
With their revealed preferences, people have signaled that they want convenience more than privacy. Really, surveillance barely even seems necessary any more. People already voluntarily tell Facebook, Uber, Instagram, Amazon and their credit cards companies every detail of their lives. I'm not even sure we can reasonably stop that. The issue to me isn't so much people gathering data, because it's obvious that will happen. Rather we need restrictions on how that data can be stored, shared, integrated across datasets, and mined.
- bo1024 9y ago
  I think it's more accurate to say, people have signaled that they understand the immediate benefits of convenience, but have trouble evaluating the harms of privacy loss. (At least, I know this is true for me.)
  - digi_owl 9y ago
    Cory Doctorow likened it to maintaining a diet. If see could see/feel the calories turning into fat instantly, it would be easier to avoid eating as much.
- sli 9y ago
  Something that startles me is the number of Telegram users who get openly angry when Telegram pushes a security or privacy update instead of an update with random new features. It just blows my mind that there are people who actually exist -- a lot of them -- who want animated stickers that much more more than anything at all privacy or security related.
wu-ikkyu 9y ago
Reminds me of when MSNBC cut off NSA criticism with "breaking news" about Justin Bieber https://youtu.be/GH68bSJXGE8 https://youtu.be/GH68bSJXGE8
- choward 9y ago
  I didn't realize everything wrong with the world today could be summarized in such a short video.
MrZongle2 9y ago
IMO the effort to fight NN should have been spent fighting this. The end consumer will eventually see the costs of losing NN. The cost of losing privacy is not as obvious in the short-term.
colordrops 9y ago
It seems like it. No one should ever be called a conspiracy nut these days.

grasshopperpurp 9y ago

That's exactly it. It's also pretty hilarious that the GOP is trying to extend the FBI's power and oversight - given the current situation with their dear leader.

digi_owl 9y ago
"we ram a bill to expand your powers through, you ease up on the investigation".
pixl97 9y ago
Step 1: expand power - in progress. Step 2: corrupt power - well it isn't like the FBI hasn't done that in the past.
RickJWagner 9y ago
Seeing how Comey (and top collaborators) basically ignored Hillary Clinton's obvious crimes WRT security, it does seem odd. Maybe they're buying some agents of their own, to even things out.

mtgx 9y ago

And FISA reauthorization always happens a few days before Christmas. Californians, remember to vote Feinstein out in the Democratic primary. She's been one of the main champions of this bill and type of mass surveillance (as well as the anti-encryption bills, which she's not giving up). It's probably one of the reasons why she decided to go back on her promise not to run again, so she can pass it once more in a few years. Her husband also makes big bucks from the defense industry and from government contracts - probably not a coincidence at all. She's one of the richest Congress people - again, likely not a coincidence.

chimeracoder 9y ago
> Californians, remember to vote Feinstein out in the Democratic primary. She's been one of the main champions of this bill and type of mass surveillance (as well as the anti-encryption bills, which she's not giving up). Senate Minority Leader Schumer has been the other main proponent. Unfortunately, New York is not really a democracy, so there is no way for us to get rid of him.
- Bartweiss 9y ago
  Schumer is awful on a lot of levels, but I don't seem him losing his office unless he goes the way Sheldon Silver did.
  - chimeracoder 9y ago
    > Schumer is awful on a lot of levels, but I don't seem him losing his office unless he goes the way Sheldon Silver did. Agreed. New York politicians can get away with attempted murder caught on videotape (literally) and there's still no chance that they'll lose re-election, thanks to the array of arcane election laws that, in practice, collectively disenfranchise New York voters.
kabdib 9y ago
If you're not a resident of California, you can still "vote" by sending campaign contributions to her opponents. I figure [without much supporting evidence or data] that one vote equals $50, so you can "vote" as much as you want, quite cheaply.
boomboomsubban 9y ago
There isn't a Democratic primary in California, their system is ridiculous. All candidates are in the primary, the top two are on the ballot. Last election had two Democrats against each other, one of them got 19% of the primary vote. Getting Feinstein off the ballot is nearly impossible.
- mac01021 9y ago

Banthum 9y ago

With their revealed preferences, people have signaled that they want convenience more than privacy. Really, surveillance barely even seems necessary any more. People already voluntarily tell Facebook, Uber, Instagram, Amazon and their credit cards companies every detail of their lives. I'm not even sure we can reasonably stop that. The issue to me isn't so much people gathering data, because it's obvious that will happen. Rather we need restrictions on how that data can be stored, shared, integrated across datasets, and mined.

bo1024 9y ago
I think it's more accurate to say, people have signaled that they understand the immediate benefits of convenience, but have trouble evaluating the harms of privacy loss. (At least, I know this is true for me.)
- digi_owl 9y ago
  Cory Doctorow likened it to maintaining a diet. If see could see/feel the calories turning into fat instantly, it would be easier to avoid eating as much.
sli 9y ago
Something that startles me is the number of Telegram users who get openly angry when Telegram pushes a security or privacy update instead of an update with random new features. It just blows my mind that there are people who actually exist -- a lot of them -- who want animated stickers that much more more than anything at all privacy or security related.

wu-ikkyu 9y ago

Reminds me of when MSNBC cut off NSA criticism with "breaking news" about Justin Bieber https://youtu.be/GH68bSJXGE8 https://youtu.be/GH68bSJXGE8

choward 9y ago
I didn't realize everything wrong with the world today could be summarized in such a short video.

MrZongle2 9y ago

IMO the effort to fight NN should have been spent fighting this. The end consumer will eventually see the costs of losing NN. The cost of losing privacy is not as obvious in the short-term.

colordrops 9y ago

It seems like it. No one should ever be called a conspiracy nut these days.