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They certainly know that sooner or later things risk coming to light. But it seems more likely that they would have preferred to have this leak and its accompa
by northwest 13y ago
They certainly know that sooner or later things risk coming to light.
But it seems more likely that they would have preferred to have this leak and its accompanying chilling effect happen at a later date, when they can be sure that everybody is under their control and their power structure could not be brought down anymore.
- espeed 13y ago> They certainly know that sooner or later things risk coming to light. General Michael Hayden, former head of NSA, said essentially that on Face the Nation a few weeks ago: One of the results of the Snowden leaks is that it launched a national debate about the balance between privacy and security. I'm convinced the more the American people know exactly what it is we are doing in this balance between privacy and security -- the more they know -- the more comfortable they will feel. So frankly I think we ought to be doing a bit more to explain what it is we're doing, why, and the very tight safeguards under which we are operating. ... Here's how I do the math. In an ideal world, I would keep all of this secret because any of it that I make public slices some of my operational advantage away from me. But here's what I've learned heading up both NSA and CIA. You may be able to do one thing one-off based upon narrow legalness and the President's authorization, but in democracies like ours don't get to do something over a long period of time without national consensus. So I'm willing to shave points off of my operational effectiveness in order to make the American people a bit more comfortable about what it is we're doing; otherwise, the American people won't let us do it in the first place. CBS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpfwjI9Eqy4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpfwjI9Eqy4