6 ms·

As if they care about the common good. Hilarious.

jonnybgood 12y ago
For US citizens, it's an obvious yes. If you disagree, can you show me where collecting this information has held detrimental effects on the common good of US citizens?
- keithpeter 12y ago
  Perhaps, over time, the increasing isolation of the US coupled with deep distrust of future presidents by the leaders of other governments may lead to a reduction in economic power? Also, the impossibility of organising a broad based political movement for change within the US in response to, say, severely worsening economic or climatic conditions because of 'self censorship' by US citizens? These are weak signals working over a long timescale. But those things are important.
- ivanca 12y ago
  If you don't know what information they are collecting and how they are using it, then how would you know if it has or has not detrimental effects? It's impossible to know.
- olefoo 12y ago
  If being under surveillance really does trigger the feeling of being stalked as prey; then it raises everyones stress level ( as represented by cortisol in the bloodstream ) and that should be detectable in the general population through the incidence of stress related injuries and mental health issues. Of course it could just be lost in the noise of the ongoing financial and environmental crises.
meepmorp 12y ago
I think you'd be hard pressed to find people at the NSA who don't care about the common good. Perhaps you don't share the same understanding of what constitutes the common good, but your accusation is unfair.
- samstave 12y ago
  Utter crap. I do not think you know what the hell you're talking about - and I also don't think you understand the gravity of the power that having an octopus for total information awareness over the planet actually means. You're lost.
  - woah 12y ago
    Hitler did what he did for the common good.
    - olefoo 12y ago
      He was a humanitarian as well as a vegetarian. _insert emoticon indicating sarcasm combined with emoticon indicating awful pun_
    - olefoo 12y ago
      He was a humanitarian as well as a vegetarian. _insert emoticon indicating sarcasm combined with emoticon indicating awful pun_
  - matthewmacleod 12y ago
    It's not crap - the point is valid. The fact that there exists danger in "an octopus for total information awareness", and that IMO it's entirely undesirable, it's also perfectly possible that a bunch of people disagree with me, and believe that the existence of such is indeed for the "common good." You don't win a war like this by painting these people as evil or amoral. They are just wrong.
    - meepmorp 12y ago
      Thanks for getting the point.
  - meepmorp 12y ago
    > I do not think you know what the hell you're talking about - and I also don't think you understand the gravity of the power that having an octopus for total information awareness over the planet actually means. Jesus, you're a a condescending prick.

For US citizens, it's an obvious yes. If you disagree, can you show me where collecting this information has held detrimental effects on the common good of US citizens?

keithpeter 12y ago
Perhaps, over time, the increasing isolation of the US coupled with deep distrust of future presidents by the leaders of other governments may lead to a reduction in economic power? Also, the impossibility of organising a broad based political movement for change within the US in response to, say, severely worsening economic or climatic conditions because of 'self censorship' by US citizens? These are weak signals working over a long timescale. But those things are important.
ivanca 12y ago
If you don't know what information they are collecting and how they are using it, then how would you know if it has or has not detrimental effects? It's impossible to know.
olefoo 12y ago
If being under surveillance really does trigger the feeling of being stalked as prey; then it raises everyones stress level ( as represented by cortisol in the bloodstream ) and that should be detectable in the general population through the incidence of stress related injuries and mental health issues. Of course it could just be lost in the noise of the ongoing financial and environmental crises.

meepmorp 12y ago

I think you'd be hard pressed to find people at the NSA who don't care about the common good. Perhaps you don't share the same understanding of what constitutes the common good, but your accusation is unfair.

samstave 12y ago
Utter crap. I do not think you know what the hell you're talking about - and I also don't think you understand the gravity of the power that having an octopus for total information awareness over the planet actually means. You're lost.
- woah 12y ago
  Hitler did what he did for the common good.
  - olefoo 12y ago
    He was a humanitarian as well as a vegetarian. _insert emoticon indicating sarcasm combined with emoticon indicating awful pun_
  - olefoo 12y ago
    He was a humanitarian as well as a vegetarian. _insert emoticon indicating sarcasm combined with emoticon indicating awful pun_
- matthewmacleod 12y ago
  It's not crap - the point is valid. The fact that there exists danger in "an octopus for total information awareness", and that IMO it's entirely undesirable, it's also perfectly possible that a bunch of people disagree with me, and believe that the existence of such is indeed for the "common good." You don't win a war like this by painting these people as evil or amoral. They are just wrong.
  - meepmorp 12y ago
    Thanks for getting the point.
- meepmorp 12y ago
  > I do not think you know what the hell you're talking about - and I also don't think you understand the gravity of the power that having an octopus for total information awareness over the planet actually means. Jesus, you're a a condescending prick.