Why You’re To Blame for the NSA (and So Am I)

[unhappycamper]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/09/06/nsa_surveillance_we_re_all_to_blame_for_the_government_overreach.html



Why You’re To Blame for the NSA (and So Am I)
By Sean Vitka
 Posted Friday, Sept. 6, 2013, at 6:45 PM

Yesterday’s news that the National Security Agency has waged a largely successful war against encryption is a fresh reminder of the NSA’s ongoing reckless and frightening behavior. However, the NSA isn’t just some rogue agency. Its actions are rooted in American failures, and all of us have virtual blood on our hands. The good news is that means we can do better than merely stopping these surveillance programs—we can pre-empt the next ones.

The NSA activities begin with rampant security paranoia. We’d rather kill one terrorist today than avoid creating two from the drone strike casualties. Any terrorist attack on American soil is political murder.

Such pressure is helpful where it holds the state to the highest possible standard and aids us in evaluating costs. But outright “victory” is impossible. There will be more attacks.

~snip~

But the American people are also culpable, because by and large we allowed political security hysteria to thrive, elected unscrupulous and ignorant politicians, failed to oppose laws that provide for violations of our rights, and failed to support laws that would protect or even bolster our rights. In 2003, only 22 percent of Americans said the Patriot Act went too far in restricting civil liberties in the fight against terrorism, 48 percent said it was about right, and 21 percent said it didn’t go far enough. In 2011, 58 percent of respondents to another poll said the Patriot Act was necessary, while only 31 percent said it put too much power in the hands of the government. This long-term support provided for the political foundations for these programs.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. This is exactly what the Bush regime wanted

including the PNAC - they though we wouldn't find out.