Opinion of Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden

[All Along The Watchtower]

I am leaning towards the view that PRISM is less of a counter terrorist program and more of an anti-political dissident program. The United States government's priority these days is the protection of corporate power, not the protection of ordinary people, which should be obvious to anyone with a brain (how many Wall Streeters have been prosecuted again??) so I'm not sure I understand the reactionary attitudes of so many here.

[TNF]

I am leaning towards the view that PRISM is less of a counter terrorist program and more of an anti-political dissident program. The United States government's priority these days is the protection of corporate power, not the protection of ordinary people, which should be obvious to anyone with a brain (how many Wall Streeters have been prosecuted again??) so I'm not sure I understand the reactionary attitudes of so many here.

[bedstuy]

I am leaning towards the view that PRISM is less of a counter terrorist program and more of an anti-political dissident program. The United States government's priority these days is the protection of corporate power, not the protection of ordinary people, which should be obvious to anyone with a brain (how many Wall Streeters have been prosecuted again??) so I'm not sure I understand the reactionary attitudes of so many here.

Give me a break.  The NSA as no legal authority to spy on people for political reasons.  And where is the evidence that it happened?  And where is the motive? 

It's fine to question the government.  But, there's a line between questioning and making up conspiracy theories.  The people who work in government are not evil people, nor are they owned by the banks.  You're just making ridiculous assumptions. 

[bballrox4717]

I am leaning towards the view that PRISM is less of a counter terrorist program and more of an anti-political dissident program. The United States government's priority these days is the protection of corporate power, not the protection of ordinary people, which should be obvious to anyone with a brain (how many Wall Streeters have been prosecuted again??) so I'm not sure I understand the reactionary attitudes of so many here.

Give me a break.  The NSA as no legal authority to spy on people for political reasons.  And where is the evidence that it happened?  And where is the motive? 

It's fine to question the government.  But, there's a line between questioning and making up conspiracy theories.  The people who work in government are not evil people, nor are they owned by the banks.  You're just making ridiculous assumptions. 

This. I'm so sick of the conspiracy crowd. The government is not out to get us.

[opebo]

I am leaning towards the view that PRISM is less of a counter terrorist program and more of an anti-political dissident program. The United States government's priority these days is the protection of corporate power, not the protection of ordinary people, which should be obvious to anyone with a brain (how many Wall Streeters have been prosecuted again??) so I'm not sure I understand the reactionary attitudes of so many here.

Give me a break.  The NSA as no legal authority to spy on people for political reasons.  And where is the evidence that it happened?  And where is the motive? 

It's fine to question the government.  But, there's a line between questioning and making up conspiracy theories.  The people who work in government are not evil people, nor are they owned by the banks.  You're just making ridiculous assumptions. 

This. I'm so sick of the conspiracy crowd. The government is not out to get us.

That's fine, but how does assuming 'positive motives' on the part of the State change the fact that these men performed a 'freedom fighting' service in revealing what said State was doing?

I really don't see the relevance of whether the State was 'good' or 'bad' here - the State wishes to keep secrets, and the people wish to know.  So, the people should thank these men who have sacrificed their lives to expose said secrets.

[SPC]

I am leaning towards the view that PRISM is less of a counter terrorist program and more of an anti-political dissident program. The United States government's priority these days is the protection of corporate power, not the protection of ordinary people, which should be obvious to anyone with a brain (how many Wall Streeters have been prosecuted again??) so I'm not sure I understand the reactionary attitudes of so many here.

Give me a break.  The NSA as no legal authority to spy on people for political reasons.  And where is the evidence that it happened?  And where is the motive? 

It's fine to question the government.  But, there's a line between questioning and making up conspiracy theories.  The people who work in government are not evil people, nor are they owned by the banks.  You're just making ridiculous assumptions. 

So I guess COINTELPRO never existed. Good to know.

[bedstuy]

I am leaning towards the view that PRISM is less of a counter terrorist program and more of an anti-political dissident program. The United States government's priority these days is the protection of corporate power, not the protection of ordinary people, which should be obvious to anyone with a brain (how many Wall Streeters have been prosecuted again??) so I'm not sure I understand the reactionary attitudes of so many here.

Give me a break.  The NSA as no legal authority to spy on people for political reasons.  And where is the evidence that it happened?  And where is the motive? 

It's fine to question the government.  But, there's a line between questioning and making up conspiracy theories.  The people who work in government are not evil people, nor are they owned by the banks.  You're just making ridiculous assumptions. 

So I guess COINTELPRO never existed. Good to know.

The fact that something existed 40 years ago is proof that it exists today.  Good to know. 

[Link]

I am leaning towards the view that PRISM is less of a counter terrorist program and more of an anti-political dissident program. The United States government's priority these days is the protection of corporate power, not the protection of ordinary people, which should be obvious to anyone with a brain (how many Wall Streeters have been prosecuted again??) so I'm not sure I understand the reactionary attitudes of so many here.

Give me a break.  The NSA as no legal authority to spy on people for political reasons.  And where is the evidence that it happened?  And where is the motive? 

It's fine to question the government.  But, there's a line between questioning and making up conspiracy theories.  The people who work in government are not evil people, nor are they owned by the banks.  You're just making ridiculous assumptions. 

So I guess COINTELPRO never existed. Good to know.

Someone doesn't know what PRISM is or how many people are actually employed at the NSA.

If the NSA or the FBI or anyone else crossed the line and just started targeting groups they didn't like the program would be shut down in 30 seconds.  The only thing that is keep the majority of Americans like myself at bay is 1) terrorist threats 2) even given several years and two administration no one has shown even one concrete example of someone being harmed by these programs.  Not a single person.  Is your local PD even that good?  Maybe they should be shut down.

[SPC]

I am leaning towards the view that PRISM is less of a counter terrorist program and more of an anti-political dissident program. The United States government's priority these days is the protection of corporate power, not the protection of ordinary people, which should be obvious to anyone with a brain (how many Wall Streeters have been prosecuted again??) so I'm not sure I understand the reactionary attitudes of so many here.

Give me a break.  The NSA as no legal authority to spy on people for political reasons.  And where is the evidence that it happened?  And where is the motive? 

It's fine to question the government.  But, there's a line between questioning and making up conspiracy theories.  The people who work in government are not evil people, nor are they owned by the banks.  You're just making ridiculous assumptions. 

So I guess COINTELPRO never existed. Good to know.

The fact that something existed 40 years ago is proof that it exists today.  Good to know. 

The point was that the illegality of such an action does not render it implausible.

[Yank2133]

I am leaning towards the view that PRISM is less of a counter terrorist program and more of an anti-political dissident program. The United States government's priority these days is the protection of corporate power, not the protection of ordinary people, which should be obvious to anyone with a brain (how many Wall Streeters have been prosecuted again??) so I'm not sure I understand the reactionary attitudes of so many here.

Give me a break.  The NSA as no legal authority to spy on people for political reasons.  And where is the evidence that it happened?  And where is the motive? 

It's fine to question the government.  But, there's a line between questioning and making up conspiracy theories.  The people who work in government are not evil people, nor are they owned by the banks.  You're just making ridiculous assumptions. 

This.

It hard to take people seriously when they spout off nonsense like that. The whole point of the PRISM program is to deal with the realities of modern technology. The old way of figuring out how terrorist communicated online doesn't work anymore so the NSA had to adapt.

[Link]

This.

It hard to take people seriously when they spout off nonsense like that. The whole point of the PRISM program is to deal with the realities of modern technology. The old way of figuring out how terrorist communicated online doesn't work anymore so the NSA had to adapt.

Thank you for interjecting a bit of reality into this discussion.  These programs have been going on for YEARS.  Yet every time I ask no one can give me the name of a single person that has been harmed by them.  Not one.  That is pretty good track record for a government program of this scale.  How many large police departments, oil companies, banks, etc can make that claim.  Upon close inspection this is the most benign thing I've read about in quite some time.  Pollen allergies bother more than PRISM.

[Lief 🗽]

The only thing that is keep the majority of Americans like myself at bay is 1) terrorist threats 2) even given several years and two administration no one has shown even one concrete example of someone being harmed by these programs.  Not a single person.  Is your local PD even that good?  Maybe they should be shut down.

This is a great point. Of course, the local PD is roughing up poor brown people, not anyone the self-righteous, paranoid white suburbanite internet freedom fighters are interested in.

[LastVoter]

I am leaning towards the view that PRISM is less of a counter terrorist program and more of an anti-political dissident program. The United States government's priority these days is the protection of corporate power, not the protection of ordinary people, which should be obvious to anyone with a brain (how many Wall Streeters have been prosecuted again??) so I'm not sure I understand the reactionary attitudes of so many here.

Give me a break.  The NSA as no legal authority to spy on people for political reasons.  And where is the evidence that it happened?  And where is the motive? 

It's fine to question the government.  But, there's a line between questioning and making up conspiracy theories.  The people who work in government are not evil people, nor are they owned by the banks.  You're just making ridiculous assumptions. 

So I guess COINTELPRO never existed. Good to know.

The fact that something existed 40 years ago is proof that it exists today.  Good to know. 

Didn't someone important say something along the lines of "Fool me once..."