Rand Paul vs. Obama (and the NSA)

[cannon_fodder]

Rand Paul is joining the suit against the NSA and, as he puts it, in support of the 4th Amendment.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/rand-paul-will-sue-obama-over-the-nsa-20140211

THANK YOU.  This is a solid issue for all sides.  Liberals on an individual rights/privacy basis.  Conservatives from a small government/constitutional basis.

Where are the liberals supporting accountability on this?  I really thought both sides would fall over each other to condemn the mass collection of data on US citizens without justification or due process of law. Obama, like most everyone that gets in office, doesn't want to give up that tool (read: power).  What happened to promises of transparent government  (I had hope for that change)?

As an example, the FISA (secret court reviewing secret applications to collect secret data on citizens under a secret law) has a 100% approval rate for 2013.  They didn't turn down a single request.  Clearly that is a farce.

This gets interesting next week.

[nathanm]

There are lots of liberals who are virulently against the NSA's mass data collection, or indeed the organization having any role at all inside the US. Problem is that they aren't part of the mainstream Dem establishment who, like the mainstream Republican establishment, is all about authoritarianism and acting tough on teh Terrors (while really just implementing/continuing a bunch of security theater).

To be fair, there has been some movement in the direction of transparency from the Obama camp and the FISA court, but it's been very little and has come like pulling teeth.

[guido911]

Rand Paul is joining the suit against the NSA and, as he puts it, in support of the 4th Amendment.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/rand-paul-will-sue-obama-over-the-nsa-20140211

THANK YOU.  This is a solid issue for all sides.  Liberals on an individual rights/privacy basis.  Conservatives from a small government/constitutional basis.

Where are the liberals supporting accountability on this?  I really thought both sides would fall over each other to condemn the mass collection of data on US citizens without justification or due process of law. Obama, like most everyone that gets in office, doesn't want to give up that tool (read: power).  What happened to promises of transparent government  (I had hope for that change)?

As an example, the FISA (secret court reviewing secret applications to collect secret data on citizens under a secret law) has a 100% approval rate for 2013.  They didn't turn down a single request.  Clearly that is a farce.

This gets interesting next week.

Obviously I'm telling on you to the NSA over this post.  My guess is you will have an audit soon after.

[Gaspar]

Nate is right.  I have several liberal friends who are every bit as outraged at what we have learned about our government's data collection activities as their limited government counterparts.  Unfortunately I think there are far deeper motives than terrorism at work. This is big data and with big data comes the ability to model and in-turn manipulate society on a BIG level, more than what most of us can comprehend.

I'm considering an additional degree right now (MBA Business Intelligence) and as I research curriculums I am learning a lot about how this type of data is used in the corporate world, gathered voluntarily through smart phone apps.

The ability and power this gives governments is intoxicating to say the least.

[Conan71]

Nate is right.  I have several liberal friends who are every bit as outraged at what we have learned about our government's data collection activities as their limited government counterparts.  Unfortunately I think there are far deeper motives than terrorism at work. This is big data and with big data comes the ability to model and in-turn manipulate society on a BIG level, more than what most of us can comprehend.

I'm considering an additional degree right now (MBA Business Intelligence) and as I research curriculums I am learning a lot about how this type of data is used in the corporate world, gathered voluntarily through smart phone apps.

The ability and power this gives governments is intoxicating to say the least.