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treestar

(82,383 posts)

33. But they aren't spying on the communications of all Americans

Mon Dec 23, 2013, 12:39 PM

Dec 2013

That false charge is equally unfair. He only exposed that they kept Verizon's metadata. Not that they could even use it for much.

There is not point in keeping the emails of all Americans. They aren't doing that. If they did, there would be no point. It's mostly useless to them.

The argument that the government is trying to suppress dissent is just ridiculous. From Boner to Occupy, we are allowed to dissent loudly and publicly, so why would they need our emails? No one can be arrested for anything they say short of threatening death on somebody else.

People are building up this horror in their minds to the point where it's starting to look ridiculous and undermines any real concern about government spying. And who it's really done on. It's never put, for example, into a concern for the most likely victims at this time, Muslims. Real concern with that would be going to the mosques to see if they feel spied on.

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Snowden�s heroic work: Media must match his courage: �Truth is coming, and it cannot be stopped.� [View all] kpete Dec 2013 OP

25% of reporters self censor out of fear of the govt!!! riderinthestorm Dec 2013 #1

and the rest are too busy doing fluff pieces on bands (NPR) and ... planetc Dec 2013 #38

"But, but, but we don't do truth or insight. We do spin and spew." - Corporate Media Borg, Inc. (R) Berlum Dec 2013 #2

I wonder what his duped fiance thinks about such malleable matters as 'truth'. randome Dec 2013 #3

LOL Scuba Dec 2013 #4

Show your care about her with your very own op. L0oniX Dec 2013 #5

Well...she has you. SaveOurDemocracy Dec 2013 #7

And his garage boxes! riderinthestorm Dec 2013 #8

Lol, yes, no one cares about the Whistle Blowers fiance. sabrina 1 Dec 2013 #9

And, I bet you also say Clinton's BJ is of no concern to the public. Fawke Em Dec 2013 #11

Simply pointing out the fact that Snowden only cares about 'truth' when he thinks it benefits him. randome Dec 2013 #16

How did Snowden revealing this information benefit him? Uncle Joe Dec 2013 #42

He wanted to be a hero, I think. randome Dec 2013 #45

If Snowden wanted to be a hero, then he must have thought his actions in revealing this information Uncle Joe Dec 2013 #51

No one is tracking your every electronic move. At least so far as we know. randome Dec 2013 #58

That's not what this former top NSA Official and creator of the system says. Uncle Joe Dec 2013 #65

I know. And if he can point to any evidence this is happening, let's see some jail time... randome Dec 2013 #67

Would Binney have come out with this without all the energy being put in to it? Uncle Joe Dec 2013 #84

He didn't have to leave blueinannarbor Dec 2013 #59

Once Snowden decided to reveal this information, he didn't have any choice but to leave and Uncle Joe Dec 2013 #66

I doubt Snowden decided to risk execution for a book or movie deal. n/t Uncle Joe Dec 2013 #86

"...so these repetitive threads trying to gin up outrage are getting tiresome." ChisolmTrailDem Dec 2013 #54

My NSA masters pay me a buttload of money, that's why!!! randome Dec 2013 #64

If you were debating that would be one thing. Instead you repeat the exact same talking points riderinthestorm Dec 2013 #74

All you are pointing out.. sendero Dec 2013 #100

Thank you NSA Spin-Meister hueymahl Dec 2013 #19

Misdirection - Such A Fine Example Of Logical Fallacy In Play cantbeserious Dec 2013 #25

Won't somebody think of the children^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H fiance. Pholus Dec 2013 #28

Oh won't someone please think of the mindwalker_i Dec 2013 #30

Snowden is the diversion. So is this OP, which is simply to praise him instead of discuss the issues randome Dec 2013 #34

Yes, there are people who lead the discussions in the same direction mindwalker_i Dec 2013 #69

I have no problem at all with stopping the collection of metadata. I've said that many times. randome Dec 2013 #70

Your obvious attempt at distraction aside, where did you come up with fiance? DesMoinesDem Dec 2013 #36

I guess they weren't officially engaged so I'll take that back. randome Dec 2013 #47

Just as I thought. DesMoinesDem Dec 2013 #50

It wasn't a lie, it was an error. You corrected me. randome Dec 2013 #52

Ok, how about a more direct approach: Why are you engaging in misdirection and distraction? n/t ChisolmTrailDem Dec 2013 #55

The article and OP is about Snowden's 'courage'. I disagree that he's courageous, that's all. randome Dec 2013 #60

Dude... that is lower than pathetic. bvar22 Dec 2013 #81

you go for the argumentum ad hominem every damn time. yodermon Dec 2013 #85

I Wonder How The Duped Boxes In The Garage Feel... WillyT Dec 2013 #93

That's the best you can do? marmar Dec 2013 #103

Snowdon is a traitor demoncrat Dec 2013 #6

So you approve of what the NSA is doing and the fact that our government is lying to us to try to RC Dec 2013 #10

THIS. Fawke Em Dec 2013 #12

Essential liberty that comes from the government having treestar Dec 2013 #31

The "its ONLY the Meta-Data" has been debunked many times. bvar22 Dec 2013 #83

That doesn't prove it is anything other than metadata treestar Dec 2013 #87

Care to elaborate as to why? mindwalker_i Dec 2013 #13

But they aren't spying on the communications of all Americans treestar Dec 2013 #33

"It's all just fine and dandy" mindwalker_i Dec 2013 #71

We are amused. n/t Wilms Dec 2013 #72

And the influx continues... woo me with science Dec 2013 #14

Snowden DID expose national secrets. SoapBox Dec 2013 #15

With The Current War On Whistleblowers - Please Enlighten Us On How This Would Work cantbeserious Dec 2013 #22

Big Brother Needs A Fact Check gussmith Dec 2013 #26

Whistle Blowers Need A Forum gussmith Dec 2013 #29

The traitors are those who have subverted our democratic, representative government woo me with science Dec 2013 #23

So Does That Make You A Traitor For Supporting The Desecration Of The 4th Amendment cantbeserious Dec 2013 #24

LOL, Keith is that you! Get lost 3 post troll! Nt Logical Dec 2013 #43

MIRT, look at this posters name! Come on! 3 posts? nt Logical Dec 2013 #46

Hit and run post? "DEMONcrat"? Really? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!1!11 n/t ChisolmTrailDem Dec 2013 #57

"demoncrat"? three posts since 2010? n/t BlancheSplanchnik Dec 2013 #62

K&R Courage is contagious. woo me with science Dec 2013 #17

Just do a massive data dump on mulitple mirrored sites ad be done with it benld74 Dec 2013 #18

Disagree, I think the timing has been masterful. Pholus Dec 2013 #37

Many Cannot Handle The Truth - Including Some Here cantbeserious Dec 2013 #20

Yeah, those ferriners are just not very patriotic . . FairWinds Dec 2013 #21

Running away & hiding in totalitarian countries, while sniping at the US govt is not "heroic". baldguy Dec 2013 #27

+1 treestar Dec 2013 #32

"Former NSA Senior Official. "slippery slope toward a totalitarian state"" polichick Dec 2013 #40

Lol, they have you fooled! Gullible much? nt Logical Dec 2013 #49

Neither was sniping at the redcoats from behind trees. Pholus Dec 2013 #63

There you go again, painting Obama as the Enemy. baldguy Dec 2013 #88

You seem to have problems with target identification... Pholus Dec 2013 #92

You're defending a libertarian Paulite, using the same imagery & talking points as the RW Teabaggers baldguy Dec 2013 #94

Namecalling. Guess you ran out of cogent things to say? Pholus Dec 2013 #97

Who is a Bush/Cheney fan? baldguy Dec 2013 #98

The person defending NSA Dragnet Spying, born from one of the ten PNAC goals. Pholus Dec 2013 #99

And yet we didn't hear a peep out of the RW when these programs were implimented baldguy Dec 2013 #101

You really need to be handheld here, don't you. Pholus Dec 2013 #102

Didn't the government start spying on people back in Hoover's day? fadedrose Dec 2013 #35

Snowden didn't reveal anything new. See this EFF timeline and note they left out a lot stevenleser Dec 2013 #56

That timeline only demonstrates even more profoundly how dramatically Snowden has impacted our aware riderinthestorm Dec 2013 #75

All you have to do to see I am right is to do your own search of the pre-6 month period. stevenleser Dec 2013 #76

They "decided" not to include info? Really? That makes this timeline dubious at best riderinthestorm Dec 2013 #82

"Snowden has had no impact and he will have no impact"? progressoid Dec 2013 #90

Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Dec 2013 #39

News is what somebody somewhere wants to suppress; all the rest is advertising. Lord Northcliffe K&R Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2013 #41

Truth will win, but the fight is not an easy one. PowerToThePeople Dec 2013 #44

Great! Start with 9/11... KansDem Dec 2013 #48

and the truth is... this is much ado about nothing. DCBob Dec 2013 #53

Yep, a blip in what will be 50 plus years of continuous discussion on limits of NSA surveillance stevenleser Dec 2013 #61

Well, the regime thinks it "something" enough to make CYA statements about it. Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2013 #73

Well, when there are lunatics are running around screaming with hair on fire.. DCBob Dec 2013 #77

Lunatics like the ACLU, Jimmy Carter, Bernie Sanders, Daniel Ellsberg? Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2013 #80

They are not the lunatics.. DCBob Dec 2013 #91

Well, who are the lunatics? The leaders of the countries we spy on? Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2013 #95

K&R. (nt) Kurovski Dec 2013 #68

Snowden is NOT a journalist. He's a leaker. n/t pnwmom Dec 2013 #78

Are the people and papers who published the "leaks" jouranalists? Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2013 #96

If half America is in poverty then polynomial Dec 2013 #79

Snowden�s heroic work: ucrdem Dec 2013 #89

The anti-Snowden responses to this OP are comedy gold...... marmar Dec 2013 #104

Snowden has done a lot of damage I know many see what he is doing as something good but Tippy Dec 2013 #105