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How do you abolish something that the entirety of the federal and state governments rely upon? Intelligence resources are being pooled to the NSA, and cyber-int
by ihsw 13y ago
How do you abolish something that the entirety of the federal and state governments rely upon? Intelligence resources are being pooled to the NSA, and cyber-intelligence reports are being sourced wholly from the NSA. They're the single most powerful intelligence agency in the US, and there's absolutely no sign of it slowing down.
If there's anything that Obama shall be remembered for, it's that under his administration there was an astronomical consolidation of power. The DHS has progressively been getting more and more involved in pulling the strings of all levels of law enforcement.
- yuhong 13y agoReading the context they did say reform is an alternative.
- rhizome 13y agosomething that the entirety of the federal and state governments rely upon? This is not the case at all. The NSA has only existed for 65 years, we can do just fine without it.
- unethical_ban 13y agoSo have computers.
- rhizome 13y agoPoint?
- nitrogen 13y agoI was about to make the same point, that the list of things that have existed for 65 or fewer years includes a number of things I couldn't live without (e.g. my own existence, for one). I agree that the NSA needs to stop wholesale data gathering and needs public transparency, but the age of the NSA is not a useful argument that we can live without it, since we can't live without other things that are younger.
- rhizome 13y agoCategory error: the topic is the federal and state governments, not the age of things you personally require for existence.
- nitrogen 13y agoJust replying to what you said: rhizome 7 hours ago | link | parent | flag *something that the entirety of the federal and state governments rely upon?* This is not the case at all. The NSA has only existed for 65 years, we can do just fine without it.
- anigbrowl 13y agoDon't be obtuse. Part of what makes the NSA powerful is its vast data-processing capacity. If it was just a bunch of spooks with shortwave radios and shorthand pads you wouldn't think twice about it.
- mullingitover 13y agoIn hindsight, it's probably telling that Obama said he was heavily inspired by Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln vastly consolidated federal power during his presidency, and had some dubious issues with the Constitution as well.
- bishnu 13y ago"some dubious issues with the Constitution as well." Is there a President this is not true for?
- Zigurd 13y agoCarter?
- jchan 13y agoThe sad part of that being, of course, the fact that while Lincoln had half of the country in rebellion and offensive war to deal with, Obama has something that is less deadly than bathtubs to deal with. It is almost farcical.
- jivatmanx 13y agoI think you're reading too much into that choice. I believe he chose Lincoln the same reason that Romney said that "Modern Family" is his favorite T.V. show: They both rank #1 in polls.
- Sven7 13y agoIf you are wondering if its possible to dismantle something large and bureaucratic...there is evidence for it in the shutting down of the German nuclear sector. 17 multi billion dollar reactors, 350k employees, 50-250$ billion in shutdown costs. "Under Control" is a short documentary about it.