Bush hits out on eavesdropping leak

[computer_boy]

Bush hits out on eavesdropping leak

President George Bush said he has personally authorised a secret eavesdropping programme in the US more than 30 times since the September 11 attacks and he lashed out at those involved in publicly revealing it

Comments

[kayjayuu]

Hokay, I be the odd man out on this, more than likely.

i've been ranting about encroachments on our 'civil liberties' for fifteen years. Against both sides of the aisle. It falls on deaf ears, until it's useful in an election cycle. And then it's paid lip service only. But not until the voting parts of the country are whipped into a froth over... whatever.

NONE OF THEM MEAN ANYTHING THEY SAY, EVER. NONE. (Well, I'll make ONE exception, Ron Paul of Texas... but he's a libertarian that got elected as a republican. He stands by his principles. For what it's worth. Which is 1/535th of the whole.)

It's all politics. *spits on it* And it's all about power. *spits on that too* And all politics is about power. 'My' power as opposed to 'your' power. Whoever's in office.

*sighs*

*goes back to fandom, where at least a wank is recognized as a wank*

[computer_boy]

Yeah. What really got me was Bush basically said: "I'm spying on you to protect you from the spies."

Who watches the watchers eh?

[missus_paul]

LMFAO, American quotes with Australian/British spelling amuses me greatly.

[computer_boy]

Amusing yes, but y'kinda missed the part where Bush just ADMITTED they spy on you guys to save you from the spys.

[missus_paul]

I missed nothing, homeboy. Puh-lease.

I don't get why everyone's so freaking surprised by this. Governments have been spying on their people for forever. Honestly, it doesn't bother me at all. I rather think that a governement taking a person's identity by putting them in a Witness Protection Program because they can't protect them is way worse.

[computer_boy]

"For their own good" WITH cause is one thing.

"For their own good" while eroding their freedoms is another thing entirely.

[karibu]

This isn't the first I've heard about this. A guy (american military) who was friends with a guy I knew in the Canadian Military said that 90% of all civilian phone traffic is recorded. That's why Patrick and I joke about "Bob". I'm certain that to have something offered so cheaply (landline calls to Australia for $0.12 / minute) has to have a catch. I'm certain that there's a bloke in the middle listening to our conversation. We call him "Bob" and talk to him regularly. He never answers, but then that'd confirm the whole theory now wouldn't it? Because right now I'm just a paranoid whackjob. But I make it a point to tell "Bob" every time Patrick and I talk that I'm not planning on assassinating the president, or any other political / religous figurehead.

But it's a scary thought. People who are supposedly protecting you infringing on your basic rights to privacy. And they always have. At least, according to my sources. It's been ongoing since Korea.

[computer_boy]

"The Price Of Freedom Is Eternal Vigilance."

Funnily I heard that from Wing Commander 4 : The Price Of Freedom. And the people attacking the made up enemy were power hungry bastards too. (This was PRE-1998!) XD

[computer_boy]

Last icon aimed at them, not you too. :)