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Don't people usually get to spend decades in prison for that? Shouldn't justice be the same for the NSA as it was for Kevin Mitnick?

smtddr 13y ago
As much as I really don't like what the NSA is doing, this argument isn't valid. Law enforcement privileges cannot be directly compared to those of regular citizens. If you want to argue they've abused their privileges... then I'm with you 1,337%
- salient 13y ago
  Is NSA "law enforcement" though? They are spies. It is (or should be) also quite illegal for them to be doing that to its own citizens, so if they do that, they should be in prison. Too bad we live in a time where the president of US and Congress, prefer to protect these guys no matter what (whether it's spying or torture), instead of punishing them according to the law.
  - malandrew 13y ago
    I really don't consider the NSA to be law enforcement. What, if any, US laws are they responsible for enforcing? The FBI, Secret Service, Highway Patrol, city, state and country police departments, sheriffs, etc. are all in charge of enforcing laws. The NSA and the CIA as far as I can tell are not. Additionally neither are really tasked with domestic operations of any kind. National domestic law enforcement issues fall under the jurisdiction of the FBI.
- AJ007 13y ago
  I don't think the NSA is a law enforcer. They are an intelligence collector which may utilized by either the military, law enforcement, or executive branch. Law enforcement still has to behave within the confines of the law. Unfortunately what we've had in the US is a revolving door of individuals who neither respect nor enforce the law. The Obama administration's attacks on whistle blowers is the equivalent to an organized criminal syndicate attempted to intimidate and snuff out informants. Law enforcement has been turned upon itself, rather than going after the individuals breaking the law, they are going after those who are providing evidence of the crime. For the record, and I've stated this before, there are two very separate issues here -- what the NSA does to the US & what the NSA does to everyone else. I am only referring to what is occurring in the US against US citizens (and US corporations.) There is very little disagreement that what has been done in the past and what likely is continuing does not fall within the confines of US law. The complicit and conspiratorial behavior among the highest levels of law enforcement & military mean there is no investigation, no prosecution, no tribunal for what is undoubtedly illegal behavior. What the US's allies think about blanket surveillance and espionage is another matter, which should be debated between citizens of those democracies.

smtddr 13y ago

As much as I really don't like what the NSA is doing, this argument isn't valid. Law enforcement privileges cannot be directly compared to those of regular citizens. If you want to argue they've abused their privileges... then I'm with you 1,337%

salient 13y ago
Is NSA "law enforcement" though? They are spies. It is (or should be) also quite illegal for them to be doing that to its own citizens, so if they do that, they should be in prison. Too bad we live in a time where the president of US and Congress, prefer to protect these guys no matter what (whether it's spying or torture), instead of punishing them according to the law.
- malandrew 13y ago
  I really don't consider the NSA to be law enforcement. What, if any, US laws are they responsible for enforcing? The FBI, Secret Service, Highway Patrol, city, state and country police departments, sheriffs, etc. are all in charge of enforcing laws. The NSA and the CIA as far as I can tell are not. Additionally neither are really tasked with domestic operations of any kind. National domestic law enforcement issues fall under the jurisdiction of the FBI.
AJ007 13y ago
I don't think the NSA is a law enforcer. They are an intelligence collector which may utilized by either the military, law enforcement, or executive branch. Law enforcement still has to behave within the confines of the law. Unfortunately what we've had in the US is a revolving door of individuals who neither respect nor enforce the law. The Obama administration's attacks on whistle blowers is the equivalent to an organized criminal syndicate attempted to intimidate and snuff out informants. Law enforcement has been turned upon itself, rather than going after the individuals breaking the law, they are going after those who are providing evidence of the crime. For the record, and I've stated this before, there are two very separate issues here -- what the NSA does to the US & what the NSA does to everyone else. I am only referring to what is occurring in the US against US citizens (and US corporations.) There is very little disagreement that what has been done in the past and what likely is continuing does not fall within the confines of US law. The complicit and conspiratorial behavior among the highest levels of law enforcement & military mean there is no investigation, no prosecution, no tribunal for what is undoubtedly illegal behavior. What the US's allies think about blanket surveillance and espionage is another matter, which should be debated between citizens of those democracies.