Section 309 of H. R. 4681 just solidified NSA data collection and no one noticed.

[joshcryer]

20. You know what the solution is?

Electing guys like Mark Udall who was on top of this whole NSA thing until he got the boot. Udall and Wyden got Clapper to put his foot in his mouth. All before anyone dumped anything.

But what happened? Well, the dumps were a big huge PR campaign, allowed a whole new media corporation to be created (which led to Matt Tabbi and a whole bunch of other writers leaving that same corporation due to its messaging efforts), all the while Udall gets shit on continually and loses his job due to lackluster elections (worst turnout since the Great Depression).

The people just don't give a shit anymore. They really don't. Making a big media spectacle and making book and movie deals over very fucking important issues isn't going to help anyone. Because it becomes a joke, it becomes entertainment, as opposed to civil policy.

I predicted nothing good would come of it, even while people were championing NSA funding being taken away.

The internet is going to go fully encrypted due to these actions, it'll be the software coders, not the editorialists for profit, who will achieve the solution.