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In reply to the discussion: Al Gore: Edward Snowden's 'Important Service' [View all]Uncle Joe
(59,676 posts)110. State senators are much more obscure than holding national office and insofar as the NSA is
concerned specifically, Gore would've never instituted the program at the level of Bush or Obama for it was anathema to his core ideals of respecting the First Amendment as his substantial track record attests to.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_gore
Gore was one of the Atari Democrats who were given this name due to their "passion for technological issues, from biomedical research and genetic engineering to the environmental impact of the "greenhouse effect."[32] On March 19, 1979 he became the first member of Congress to appear on C-SPAN.[49] During this time, Gore co-chaired the Congressional Clearinghouse on the Future with Newt Gingrich.[50] In addition, he has been described as having been a "genuine nerd, with a geek reputation running back to his days as a futurist Atari Democrat in the House. Before computers were comprehensible, let alone sexy, the poker-faced Gore struggled to explain artificial intelligence and fiber-optic networks to sleepy colleagues."[32][51] Internet pioneers Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn noted that,
"as far back as the 1970s, Congressman Gore promoted the idea of high speed telecommunications as an engine for both economic growth and the improvement of our educational system. He was the first elected official to grasp the potential of computer communications to have a broader impact than just improving the conduct of science and scholarship [...] the Internet, as we know it today, was not deployed until 1983. When the Internet was still in the early stages of its deployment, Congressman Gore provided intellectual leadership by helping create the vision of the potential benefits of high speed computing and communication."[52]
Gore introduced the Supercomputer Network Study Act of 1986.[53] He also sponsored hearings on how advanced technologies might be put to use in areas like coordinating the response of government agencies to natural disasters and other crises."[52]
As a Senator, Gore began to craft the High Performance Computing Act of 1991 (commonly referred to as "The Gore Bill" after hearing the 1988 report Toward a National Research Network submitted to Congress by a group chaired by UCLA professor of computer science, Leonard Kleinrock, one of the central creators of the ARPANET (the ARPANET, first deployed by Kleinrock and others in 1969, is the predecessor of the Internet).[54][55][56] The bill was passed on December 9, 1991 and led to the National Information Infrastructure (NII) which Gore referred to as the "information superhighway."[57]
Gore knew the Internet would advance the American Peoples' freedom of speech powers like nothing before its time. Gore was for empowering the American People not surveilling them in-mass.
Gore's track record in championing both the Internet and environment, is exceptional, long and well documented.
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They responded to his tasking and he received their reports. After 8 years as VP, he certainly
24601
Jun 2014
#161
Makes you wonder why he didn't speak out when he was in power. But on 2nd thought, it's not
24601
Jun 2014
#164
LOL good joke! Almost thought you were serious until re-reading it and realizing it was parody for
24601
Jun 2014
#166
I love your jokes. Tell the one again about how no abuses happened before 9/11. It has all of
24601
Jul 2014
#201
It seems you're the one joking to believe the NSA was anything resembling what happened after Bush
Uncle Joe
Jul 2014
#202
No, only Scenario one mentions a minority. Scenario 2 mentions a small majority.
merrily
Jun 2014
#194
It doesn't take any imagination, we know Gore would've been a different and better President
Uncle Joe
Jun 2014
#98
Obama was a relative unknown not even finishing his first term as Senator before being elected
Uncle Joe
Jun 2014
#106
He'd had 12 years as a state senator, though, so it's not as though he had no record. And, there
merrily
Jun 2014
#107
State senators are much more obscure than holding national office and insofar as the NSA is
Uncle Joe
Jun 2014
#110
You're right. It's the essence of silliness to debate the idea Gore would have attacked Iraq. n/t
pnwmom
Jun 2014
#115
This thread has nothing to do with Nader. I hear the sound of axes grinding.
Comrade Grumpy
Jul 2014
#203
Aside from the fact that its almost always the Pro-snowden people using it against the Antis nt
Bodhi BloodWave
Jun 2014
#126
Democracy existed in Ancient Athens. We have a republic, more like Ancient Rome.
merrily
Jun 2014
#105
As for the SCOTUS, I am in Wash the State. We have two Democratic Senators
rhett o rick
Jun 2014
#123
Whether You Agree Or Disagree With Vice President Gore, We Should ALL Respect His Opinion!!!
Corey_Baker08
Jun 2014
#118
People become disagreeable because they are frustrated that they cannot find the words
JDPriestly
Jun 2014
#130
It's not fair to imply that those that hate Snowden and whistle-blowers in general also hate Democra
rhett o rick
Jun 2014
#48
It means he has an opinion that differs from others. We agree Snowden broke the law.
kelliekat44
Jun 2014
#14
Gore was literally born into politics and law. He has a law degree. He got into Congress at 28.
merrily
Jun 2014
#20
That has nothing to do with being in a better position to judge intel matters than a DUer.
merrily
Jun 2014
#27
He refused to take a stand but was 'leaning' toward not returning the boy to his father.
randome
Jun 2014
#31
Not at all. I've never served in a war zone, nor have I ever been briefed on classified info daily
merrily
Jun 2014
#52
I value many opinions of Al Gore but not all. And I am asking no one to value my opinion over
kelliekat44
Jun 2014
#23
Similarly, I feel that many posters here would have reacted very differently if
merrily
Jun 2014
#29
What the NSA types, Obama and Kerry have said. And no, aside from general claims, I have not heard
merrily
Jun 2014
#32
No specific claims of damage at all have been made by anyone that I've heard or seen.
lark
Jun 2014
#33
Candidly, even if they got specific, I would not take the word of the USG on something like this.
merrily
Jun 2014
#39
Oh, I don't think the claims of harm are valid, just that the "harmed relationships with allies"
Maedhros
Jun 2014
#66
Maybe even by the time he made his first selection for Senate approval, namely, Rahm.
merrily
Jun 2014
#86
The Democratic politicians for whom we are allowed to vote are largely imaginary entities,
Maedhros
Jun 2014
#89
Yep. Although, to be fair, the candidates on the Republican side are also products of
merrily
Jun 2014
#90
I think it is naive to believe that neither China nor Russia nor the Taliban would expect the US
JDPriestly
Jun 2014
#133
I don't think they were shocked. I think they knew. It seems evident Merkel did from her silly
merrily
Jun 2014
#176
Let's establish some perspective here. If the NSA is out of control, it may be very hard
rhett o rick
Jun 2014
#53
On this issue (classified info) in particular, he has far more basis to form an expert opinion
merrily
Jun 2014
#67
Al Gore was thrown under the bus in 2000 when there were people claiming no difference
JI7
Jun 2014
#41
he isn't being thrown under the bus, people may disagree but they aren't claiming he is like Bush
JI7
Jun 2014
#73
So a post with a puke emote saying he's lost his marbles is not throwing him under the bus?
merrily
Jun 2014
#75
For the third time, I missed the POS bit on multiple threads. Or on any thread.
merrily
Jun 2014
#87
True, but almost anything would have been better than 8 years of Shrub and Darth Cheney
blackspade
Jun 2014
#104
Too bad the NSA surveillance can't look at YouTube, else it might have found the lunatic shooters
valerief
Jun 2014
#56
Actually, my point was that the NSA surveillance which is supposed to protect us from terrorism
valerief
Jun 2014
#64
couldn't get two clues from Russian intelligence about the Tsarnaev brothers either.
merrily
Jun 2014
#81
Everything was so exaggerated (I was going for obvious caricature) that I don't get
Dragonfli
Jun 2014
#102
You have actual choices. However, been taught-and reinforce for yourself--that you
merrily
Jun 2014
#177
The Powers That Be make rules against exposure of themselves. Therefore, whistle-blowers have to
rhett o rick
Jun 2014
#163
We all have to weigh the risks against the benefits. Having young children raises the risks
rhett o rick
Jun 2014
#197