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Showing Original Post only (View all)Making You "Comfortable" with Spying Is Obama's Big NSA Fix [View all]
Barack Obama held a press conference on Friday afternoon, supposedly to announce reforms of the NSA's far-flung surveillance programs. In reality, the White House briefing was the start of a marketing campaign for the spy programs that have turned so controversial in recent months. And the President's message really boiled down to this: It's more important to persuade people surveillance is useful and legal than to make structural changes to the programs.
"The question is, how do I make the American people more comfortable?" Obama said.
Not that Obama's unwilling to make any changes to America's surveillance driftnets -- and he detailed a few of them -- but his overriding concern was that people didn't believe him when he said there was nothing to fear.
In an awkward analogy, the President said that if he'd told his wife Michelle that he had washed the dishes after dinner, she might not believe him. So he might have to take her into the kitchen and show her the evidence.
...
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/08/09/making_you_comfortable_with_spying_is_obamas_big_nsa_fix
"The question is, how do I make the American people more comfortable?" Obama said.
Not that Obama's unwilling to make any changes to America's surveillance driftnets -- and he detailed a few of them -- but his overriding concern was that people didn't believe him when he said there was nothing to fear.
In an awkward analogy, the President said that if he'd told his wife Michelle that he had washed the dishes after dinner, she might not believe him. So he might have to take her into the kitchen and show her the evidence.
...
This government can't get this through it's thick skull. We don't like the programs. We don't want to get comfortable with it. We will not learn to enjoy it. It's not us, it's you. So now stop what you're doing. The deciders are too insulated from popular democracy.
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Yes, that is what this was about, imo. They realized they had not succeeded in tamping
sabrina 1
Aug 2013
#78
The phony "terra alert" at the embassies stopped momentum, changed the conversation, & bought time
chimpymustgo
Aug 2013
#91
He obviously has no choice in the matter. Those pulling his strings are calling the shots,
NorthCarolina
Aug 2013
#4
"Globally, roughly 99 percent of the world's communications travel over undersea fiber-optic cables"
whttevrr
Aug 2013
#53
1.6% of something wrong is still wrong! Besides, that's how it starts now, 10 years from now it
Dustlawyer
Aug 2013
#90
Where is this "More transparency, less secrecy" ? Only talking points currently, and small changes
Civilization2
Aug 2013
#89
References To The EFF - Would Not Have Happened Without Snowden's Leaks - This Made My day
cantbeserious
Aug 2013
#20
Some No Longer Trust His Words - His Transparency Is Opaque Doublespeak To Protect Illegal Acts
cantbeserious
Aug 2013
#13
The question, Mr. President, is how to make gov't responsive to the American people again!
Coyotl
Aug 2013
#14
We're never going to get comfortable with giving away our Constitutional rights.
Waiting For Everyman
Aug 2013
#18
Crimes against the American people and violations to the Constitution have NO business
AppleBottom
Aug 2013
#49
I think you are too quick to give him credit for something he should have done 5 years ago.
rhett o rick
Aug 2013
#75
"The question is, how do I make the American people more comfortable?" Obama said.
blackspade
Aug 2013
#34
Oddly if he supported legalized marijuana, we might be more comfortable. nm
rhett o rick
Aug 2013
#76
And just what's so bad about feeling good? This approach has always been used for war
Douglas Carpenter
Aug 2013
#62
par for the course: if McCain tied up the American people with a bow and delivered them to Big
MisterP
Aug 2013
#68
The President either embraces the authoritarian spying on Americans or he has been
rhett o rick
Aug 2013
#73
Now imagine a repuke POTUS in control of the NSA. Does the idea of that upset you?
L0oniX
Aug 2013
#79
I guess most of us are OK with some spying but are against mass surveillance.
limpyhobbler
Aug 2013
#93
Why shouldn't they be destroyed? Why should the government collect Verizon customers' phone logs?
limpyhobbler
Aug 2013
#99
or they could use them to bust weed dealers and disrupt political protests
limpyhobbler
Aug 2013
#103
And if you find the buzz of drones overhead unnerving, silent propellers will be fitted
kenny blankenship
Aug 2013
#102