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I prevented one terrorist attack by myself. Nobody knows that, because attack was prevented.
by corrund 6y ago
I prevented one terrorist attack by myself. Nobody knows that, because attack was prevented.
- zingplex 6y agoI understand that it is impossible to prove a negative, but at the same time given the scope of the surveillance dragnet I'd hope they'd have something they could point to. At this point I would even circumstantial evidence as to the programs efficacy would go a long way, but it doesn't look like they even have that.
- gopiandcode 6y agoIts not proving a negative, its proving an existential query, there exists terror attacks that were stopped by PRISM. If the data was useful, then they could certainly point to the in-progress attacks that were thwarted - stopping an attack does not erase all information about its existence.
- throwaway0a5e 6y agoThe government prevents thousands of terrorist attacks every year by being tolerable enough that the number of people filling rental trucks full of explosives is zero.
- Pick-A-Hill2019 6y agoTimothy McVeigh begs to differ (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/apr/13/oklahoma-city-bombing-20-years-later-key-questions-remain-unanswered https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/apr/13/oklahoma-cit...)
- bigbubba 6y agoThat was 25 years ago. The average number of such trucks per year is zero.
- jariel 6y ago? There are actually a myriad of interlocking protocols that help to thwart such activities, to ignore them is not reasonable. Most poignantly there is literally an Ammonium Nitrate security program. [1] As for the 'number of truck bombings being zero' ... it did happen and the average is 'more than zero' and when we consider the implications (an entire building and 100's of dead etc.) it's a concern. Obviously, it's hard to determine the effectiveness of the various programs because they all play a part, but that there haven't been any such bombings since then is at likely a positive sign. [1] https://www.cisa.gov/ammonium-nitrate-security-program https://www.cisa.gov/ammonium-nitrate-security-program
- Zigurd 6y agoThe "secretly prevented attack" thing is bunk because really prevented attacks, and the plotters of those attacks, end up in court and in prison.
- zepto 6y agoDo they? What about attacks prevented before a crime has been committed? By your logic, gun control can’t prevent any shootings.
- zepto 6y agoHow do you know it was only one?