The Top 5 Claims That Defenders Of The NSA Have To Stop Making To Remain Credible - EFF

[Maedhros]

46. Yet all of these arguments are in response to those who express concern with the growing

National Security State, as reasons why the concern is unfounded.

I have not seen that. To a person, I have seen people saying Snowden's revelations of the NSA's activities is not new or ground-breaking as he (and Greenwald) have been characterizing/sensationalizing them. Not that they are inconsequential.

Yes, that is the form the argument takes: "they're just sensationalizing it," usually followed by chiding the poster for being concerned.

I have seen that said ... and it is not followed by "no need to worry" but rather, we need to be MORE/AS concerned about corporations, as they have no oversight.

I'd wager that 100% of the people concerned about NSA surveillance also object to data gathering by corporate entities. I know I was fighting against corporate information hoarding and abuse back in the 90's - generally, and specifically by canvassing against a law that allowed car insurance companies to use credit rating scores to determine insurance rates.

In that context, the argument is entirely spurious. In another, the government has exclusive law enforcement capabilities that adds a unique risk to blanket surveillance and data gathering.

No ... "It's legal/unconstitutional so let's change the law."

I have to disagree here. The entire point of vehemently objecting to the NSA's practices is to spur changes in the policy, and changing the law is one of the goals. Many posters base their criticism on the lack of effort to do just that.

I believe that to be a true statement. Like with any protective service ... when nothing goes wrong, no one gets the credit (largely because it is the nature of protective services to not talk about what they do); but when something does go wrong, people are quick to place blame. So I guess I'm a NSA defender.

As they say, "trust - but verify." NSA surveillance has been resoundingly not verified to protect us from terrorists. Administration claims to the contrary have been soundly debunked, and the NSA has clearly lied to the nation and to Congress about it's program. Snowden's leaks show that NSA surveillance does not target terrorists, but is directed toward allied heads-of-state and corporate entities for industrial espionage purposes. There is a preponderance of evidence suggesting that the NSA should not be trusted.