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"NSA does not object to any lawful, peaceful protest." Come on: is it possible that anyone has felt the need to write this seriously on the corporate web page

"NSA does not object to any lawful, peaceful protest." Come on: is it possible that anyone has felt the need to write this seriously on the corporate web page of the NSA? AMAZING. I hope (but I do not know, they do not say) the NSA also does not object to free speech, to private property, to freedom of press, to freedom of economic initiative, to freedom of religion... EDIT: Come to think of it, it is possible that they had internal conversations like what are we going to do with these people?. And then the chiefs said: "hey, we do not object to these demonstrations!". Scary...

malandrew 13y ago
Everyone in the NSA swears to uphold the Constitution, not objecting to lawful, peaceful protests should be a no brainer that goes without saying[0]. Hopefully they post this on an internal bulletin board for their employees as well. It would have been nice if they had made a statement to the effect that they will not collect any information on people participating in the protests. [0] First Amendment excerpt: "... the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances ..."
- mikeash 13y ago
  It's like saying, "I will not kill you today." The literal meaning is innocent, but the fact that it was stated at all has terrifying implications.
- lsiebert 13y ago
  I doubt they can avoid hoovering people, protesters or not. Plus, even if they don't, other government groups may. I would recommend turning off your phone before heading to a protest. Well before, maybe leave it at home even, as turning off your phone nearby to a protest may be just as noticeable as having your phone there.
alexvr 13y ago
Haha, yes. Their "We don't mind if you exercise your rights this time" attitude is unnerving. Actually, it's pretty funny. What's the other option (besides not even acknowledging the demonstrations, which is the most sensical, I think)? Saying, "We strongly object to protests"? I would love to see them say something like that. It's almost like they think we care what they think of us, or maybe they are so delusional that they think they have the authority to call off a protest. Or maybe they're getting at "We don't mind if you protest; while you do that, we'll carry on as usual. Your efforts are futile." That's not so funny.
- ISL 13y ago
  It's hard for NSA to say anything without being attacked for it at the moment. A few attempts at drafting a superior response led me to realize that, in the present situation, there's almost nothing NSA can say. If those in power were to admit that past actions were wrong and move forward to reduce the scope of surveillance, their opponents would crucify, imprison, and sue them. For us to move forward, a little forgiveness would go a long way. We have to make change possible. After all, NSA is doing exactly what the electorate has asked for: moved to prevent small groups and individuals domestic and abroad from taking actions that hurt and kill innocent civilians. Sweeping surveillance is a powerful tool to achieve that end. It's also a long-term structural risk for our society. We have to propose tools with similar performance, or get society to accept a small risk of attack. When someone brings the first independently-developed biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons to bear in a coordinated attack, alternative defensive solutions and a civil libertarian populace can provide bulwarks to resist the temptation of always monitoring everyone. If surveillance is the only option, it will be used.
jpdoctor 13y ago
> "NSA does not object to any lawful, peaceful protest." I think you missed the key point of the verb "object": Whether they object or not is immaterial to whether they are going to mark the protesters for additional NSA scrutiny of phone calls or email.
PavlovsCat 13y ago
One possible response: "You're a public servant, aren't you? How about you fetch me a glass of water." -- Bill Hicks

malandrew 13y ago

Everyone in the NSA swears to uphold the Constitution, not objecting to lawful, peaceful protests should be a no brainer that goes without saying[0]. Hopefully they post this on an internal bulletin board for their employees as well. It would have been nice if they had made a statement to the effect that they will not collect any information on people participating in the protests. [0] First Amendment excerpt: "... the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances ..."

mikeash 13y ago
It's like saying, "I will not kill you today." The literal meaning is innocent, but the fact that it was stated at all has terrifying implications.
lsiebert 13y ago
I doubt they can avoid hoovering people, protesters or not. Plus, even if they don't, other government groups may. I would recommend turning off your phone before heading to a protest. Well before, maybe leave it at home even, as turning off your phone nearby to a protest may be just as noticeable as having your phone there.

alexvr 13y ago

Haha, yes. Their "We don't mind if you exercise your rights this time" attitude is unnerving. Actually, it's pretty funny. What's the other option (besides not even acknowledging the demonstrations, which is the most sensical, I think)? Saying, "We strongly object to protests"? I would love to see them say something like that. It's almost like they think we care what they think of us, or maybe they are so delusional that they think they have the authority to call off a protest. Or maybe they're getting at "We don't mind if you protest; while you do that, we'll carry on as usual. Your efforts are futile." That's not so funny.

ISL 13y ago
It's hard for NSA to say anything without being attacked for it at the moment. A few attempts at drafting a superior response led me to realize that, in the present situation, there's almost nothing NSA can say. If those in power were to admit that past actions were wrong and move forward to reduce the scope of surveillance, their opponents would crucify, imprison, and sue them. For us to move forward, a little forgiveness would go a long way. We have to make change possible. After all, NSA is doing exactly what the electorate has asked for: moved to prevent small groups and individuals domestic and abroad from taking actions that hurt and kill innocent civilians. Sweeping surveillance is a powerful tool to achieve that end. It's also a long-term structural risk for our society. We have to propose tools with similar performance, or get society to accept a small risk of attack. When someone brings the first independently-developed biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons to bear in a coordinated attack, alternative defensive solutions and a civil libertarian populace can provide bulwarks to resist the temptation of always monitoring everyone. If surveillance is the only option, it will be used.

jpdoctor 13y ago

> "NSA does not object to any lawful, peaceful protest." I think you missed the key point of the verb "object": Whether they object or not is immaterial to whether they are going to mark the protesters for additional NSA scrutiny of phone calls or email.

PavlovsCat 13y ago

One possible response: "You're a public servant, aren't you? How about you fetch me a glass of water." -- Bill Hicks