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Because the review panel is a joke. First, they wanted Clapper to do the independent review. [1] This is the man that openly lied to congress and remains scott

Because the review panel is a joke. First, they wanted Clapper to do the independent review. [1] This is the man that openly lied to congress and remains scott-free to this day. Next they picked Michael Morell. [2] This dude was the acting director for the CIA until March of this very year. Clearly he has the capacity to conduct an independent review of his NSA buddies. Joining this luminary will be Cass Sunstein [3], author of such classics like "Democracy and the Problem of Free Speech", and the person who proposed the government should infiltrate what he deems "conspiracy theory groups": However, our main policy idea is that government should engage in cognitive infiltration of the groups that produce conspiracy theories [4, page 14] Supporting these brains is Richard Clarke, who built his personal career on pushing the "war on terror" after 9/11. He also recently added "cyberwar" to his extensive portfolio of things he has absolutely no clue of. His views on privacy protections and large scale surveillance are well known: If given the proper authorization, the United States government could stop files in the process of being stolen from getting to the Chinese hackers. If government agencies were authorized to create a major program to grab stolen data leaving the country, they could drastically reduce today’s wholesale theft of American corporate secrets. [5] (It doesn't take a genius to realize this is the proposal of a person that probably doesn't even have internet access.) Of course, all of these people work in some capacity for the Obama administration. It didn't even occur to the government morons running this show that maybe, just maybe, they should not pick people with an obvious and direct conflict of interest. They don't even bother to give the impression of caring. [1]: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130812/13512624147/president-asks-confessed-liar-to-congerss-james-clapper-to-set-up-independent-review-committee-over-nsa-surveillance.shtml https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130812/13512624147/presi... [2]: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/08/white-house-picks-panel-to-review-nsa-programs/ http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/08/white-house-pic... [3]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cass_Sunstein http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cass_Sunstein [4]: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1084585 http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1084585 [5]: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/opinion/how-china-steals-our-secrets.html http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/opinion/how-china-steals-o...

tod222 13y ago
> Because the review panel is a joke. This is exactly right. This is a case of the government reviewing itself by packing the review board with insiders and sympathizers. Nobody who disagrees with the NSA's behavior has been selected for this panel. Blogger Emptywheel has been following this much more closely than the general media: Advocate of Secret Infiltration, Cass Sunstein, on Obama’s “Committee To Make Us Trust the Dragnet” [1] The No-Technologist Technology Review Panel [2] 3 Tech Issues the Non-Technologist NSA Technical Committee Needs to Address [3] [1] http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/08/22/advocate-of-secret-infiltration-cass-sunstein-on-obamas-committee-to-make-us-trust-the-dragnet/ http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/08/22/advocate-of-secret-infi... [2] http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/08/27/the-no-technologist-technology-review-panel/ http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/08/27/the-no-technologist-tec... [3] http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/08/28/3-tech-issues-the-non-technologist-nsa-technical-committee-needs-to-address/ http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/08/28/3-tech-issues-the-non-t...
xutopia 13y ago
Of course the panel is a joke but how many technologist put themselves in situations where they'd be in politics?
tptacek 13y ago
Cass Sunstein is among the most famous living constitutional law scholars. Richard Clarke built his post-government career (after being the most senior counterterrorism official in the Clinton administration) as a critic of the way the "war on terror" had been prosecuted, and has been working on "cyberwar" subjects for over a decade. I don't like Clarke much and I don't agree with everything Cass Sunstein proposes but your dismissive tone harms your argument.
- Amadou 13y ago
  Cass Sunstein is among the most famous living constitutional law scholars. Obama himself graduated magna cum laude with a masters degree in law from Harvard and then lectured on constitutional law for 12 years at the University of Chicago Law School. Expertise in constitutional law doesn't necessarily translate to skepticism here. The constitution is not a moral authority on privacy. Richard Clarke He wrote an interesting op-ed before he was named to this committee. It appears to be critical of the NSA's operation, but a closer reading suggests his problem is about the degree, he's fine with massive record keeping, he just wants it in the hands of the telcos. http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/worry-nsa-article-1.1369705 http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/worry-nsa-article-1.13697...

tod222 13y ago

> Because the review panel is a joke. This is exactly right. This is a case of the government reviewing itself by packing the review board with insiders and sympathizers. Nobody who disagrees with the NSA's behavior has been selected for this panel. Blogger Emptywheel has been following this much more closely than the general media: Advocate of Secret Infiltration, Cass Sunstein, on Obama’s “Committee To Make Us Trust the Dragnet” [1] The No-Technologist Technology Review Panel [2] 3 Tech Issues the Non-Technologist NSA Technical Committee Needs to Address [3] [1] http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/08/22/advocate-of-secret-infiltration-cass-sunstein-on-obamas-committee-to-make-us-trust-the-dragnet/ http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/08/22/advocate-of-secret-infi... [2] http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/08/27/the-no-technologist-technology-review-panel/ http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/08/27/the-no-technologist-tec... [3] http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/08/28/3-tech-issues-the-non-technologist-nsa-technical-committee-needs-to-address/ http://www.emptywheel.net/2013/08/28/3-tech-issues-the-non-t...

xutopia 13y ago

Of course the panel is a joke but how many technologist put themselves in situations where they'd be in politics?

tptacek 13y ago

Cass Sunstein is among the most famous living constitutional law scholars. Richard Clarke built his post-government career (after being the most senior counterterrorism official in the Clinton administration) as a critic of the way the "war on terror" had been prosecuted, and has been working on "cyberwar" subjects for over a decade. I don't like Clarke much and I don't agree with everything Cass Sunstein proposes but your dismissive tone harms your argument.

Amadou 13y ago
Cass Sunstein is among the most famous living constitutional law scholars. Obama himself graduated magna cum laude with a masters degree in law from Harvard and then lectured on constitutional law for 12 years at the University of Chicago Law School. Expertise in constitutional law doesn't necessarily translate to skepticism here. The constitution is not a moral authority on privacy. Richard Clarke He wrote an interesting op-ed before he was named to this committee. It appears to be critical of the NSA's operation, but a closer reading suggests his problem is about the degree, he's fine with massive record keeping, he just wants it in the hands of the telcos. http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/worry-nsa-article-1.1369705 http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/worry-nsa-article-1.13697...