What Does The NSA Know About You? - Comments Page 1

AGREE...Agree ! This is what I have been thinking all along. They can't possibly be interested in the BS that we common every day people carry on. So what if they do?
I would like for them to follow the laws in our constitution which they don't care about.

Thanks, Ken

Hi Bob,

Coming from a country that Americans have such odd ideas about I am pleased that at least one has some sense of reality....

The spooks have done stuff like this since telephones were first used. The magnitude of what the NSA are doing makes the job more difficult not easier. Even number crunching to pattern telephone calls is impossible.

The practical use would be following patterns through from defined 'contact points' i.e. if a number appears on more than a specific number of suspect lists it becomes suspect itself.

It's much like the paranoia about banking details that everyone ***knows*** are so dangerous if they get into the wrong hands. Some are, such as passwords and mother's maiden name etc. but most are only useful for putting money INTO an account. If in doubt just take a look at all the banking information on an importer's letterhead... QED?

If people have such an inflated sense of self importance that they think that any State is going to be reading their private emails to friends, family or even lovers, let alone be interested in it they really need help and there are many professionals who specialise in such cases.....

Life is far too short to worry,

Jon

Much needed and well said Bob. Kudos

Hi!

During a recent investigation into an IP address anomaly, I happened upon this document:-

http://cryptome.org/2013/12/Full-Disclosure.pdf

A most interesting read, which other folk may like to share!

BD

I agree with you. If anyone has anything to hide, then maybe they should be worried about NSA, but if they aren't trying to hide anything, then why should they worry about what NSA does. I think we need NSA, CIA, and FBI to do their job to keep us safe from all sorts of "bad guys" and "bad girls" around the globe.

I have no doubt that they are not interested in most of everyone's every day baloney. But that doesn't mean I want to leave them with the ability to run roughshod over my constitutional rights should they decide to go after any citizen. Our privacy should be protected. The same privacy afforded landline telephones not that many years ago should govern all communications.

I agree totally and well said Bob!

Everyone seems to look at this issue from their one narrow perspective. Why would the NSA care about most peoples rambling message's anyway? After all, they're the good guys.
What if you're a Google in negotiations with another organization about it's acquisition. Would any of the NSA people be tempted in placing a stock bet on that transaction? Oh that's right, I forgot they're the good guys.

You have not had any privacy ever since you had to tell everyone what your SSN is to pay on time have a phone etc, etc. Unless you are doing something wrong you do not have to worry. NSA has known me ever since I got a security clearance back in the 60's when I was in the Army. There is way too much BS on the internet to be worried that someone may keep my phone or internet records. If you wear a rag on your head you should be careful.

There is evidence that emails-at least international ones coming into the US-are being scanned for key words.

Those who would trade liberty for security will end up with neither.

The sheeple will lay back and say, "The nice folks at the NSA wouldn't do anything bad with my data." They should look at what J. Edgar Hoover did.

I think you're missing the point. It's giving the government the chance to do away with our protections under the Constitution. And when they succeed with that, what do you think the chances are you'd be able to get them back. I'm afraid when the Justice Dept descends on UPI and removes their phone records without search warrants and there's nearly no protest from most news agencies. I'm afraid when a professor fights for over 8 years with legal costs exceeding $3 million to get removed from the govt no fly list that she was mistakenly put on. I'm afraid of the govt's secret courts and judges that you can't find out anything about any of the cases. Too many of our service men have died and been wounded to preserve our rights and I'm afraid when I see them slipping away.

Found this - it may be of some interest to some of you.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/sm-cdn/reports/NSA-Black-Paper.pdf

Thanks for the information, Bob. Although at first the idea of this bothered me, if it saves one life, I hope they continue to do it. Law Enforcement has gotten pen registers allowing them to track phone numbers called since there were phones. Then they got eavesdropping warrants allowing them to listen in on telephone calls. If you're worried about your privacy being protected, give up your citizenship and move somewhere that will protect it more.

Bob, you are a really smart guy & I look forward to your newsletter as info from an expert in his field. However, this article has moved beyond your realm of expertise and as such I consider nothing more than personal opinion (and therefore no smarter than my own). May I suggest another newsletter that I receive monthly from an acknowledged expert in his field, Bruce Schneier. https://www.schneier.com Mr. Scheier uses logic and "fact" more than most, and any person with an open mind and not prejudiced by political or social/peer pressure, will find his articles most interesting.I trust that you will consider his opinions as closer to the "truth" than most.

RichF - Very well stated.

All I can tell you is this: Those NSA cats don't even wanna THINK about spying on me! Why? Because they'd risk making me angry. They wouldn't like me when I'm angry!!!

The Preamble Secures blessings of Liberty to the People of the United States, NOT citizens.

Pay Attention To The Words ("PATW")

Citizenship upon birth would constitute involuntary servitude, prohibited by the Thirteenth Amendment; PATW

Citizenship is volunteered into by voluntary application for franchise to use government owned name on birth certificate in order to be issued a driver license; PATW.

No birth certificate can be connected to any specific person; why will government not issue DL without BC?; PATW.

The Fourteenth Amendment negates any application of Bill of Rights to Free People who volunteer themselves into citizenship; PATW.

The Fourteenth Amendment empowers President to do as he wishes to citizens who have volunteered themselves to be "subject to the jurisdiction thereof", without approval of Congress; PATW.

Citizens have no Second Amendment gun ownership protection; PATW.

I am Eric WhoRU, The Radical In The Twilight Zone

Note to Editor, in 1970 I was criminally charged by the IRS with willful failure to file or pay income tax. I went to Federal Court all by myself (no attorney). I walked out in less than five minutes and have never been bothered since by the IRS and have never filed or paid, all because the IRS or Court could not establish I had volunteered myself into citizenship. I was born in California in 1934. Pay attention to the words! You can print this note if you want, edited appropriately - or as is.

Those who say "if you have nothing to hide..." are totally missing the point. Government is supposed to serve the people; today. this is reversed. I absolutely do not trust any government - it must be watched closely 24/7. People are people - if allowed, the scoundrel in them comes out.

If you have nothing to hide, will you let me come rummage through your home? I am honest and a pillar of the community and I won't take anything or tell anybody what you own. No? So why is it OK for bureaucrats to rummage though your (very) personal communications?

Sorry Bob, even though the news media have distorted what is really happening, the gubmint is out of control and the NSA is just one of its many tentacles. Hope your article doesn't cause your readers to go limp when it comes to protecting their rights.

Bob ... Thank you, for some common sense thinking, in this paranoid world, we live in today. I am not worried and never have been, over this whole mess with the NSA. I personally think, for those who "protest" ... Thou protest, too much.

People are forgetting what is behind all of the NSA's "workings" ... Most have honestly, forgotten what truly happened on 9-11-2001 and the "scared feelings" of that day and time. In all honesty, this is how the human brain, protects itself ... allowing memories to 'fade', so it doesn't have to relive those moments, again and again.

The NSA is not looking at the common citizen or person ... But, they are looking at those who have connections to foreign or national individuals, who want to overthrow or harm, the United States of America, the US Government and the people who live here. "Spying" is still done, to this day and is one of the most effective methods, to provide the information needed, to prevent plots of terroristic attacks. Yes, I said, plots of terroristic attacks ... Because, that is what they are ... plans to do terroristic attacks, on USA soil.

Note to Eric Williams:

Next time, you choose to use the US Constitution, please be sure you know which Amendment, you are talking about and referring to. You may sound smart, but, in researching your "claims", they are "some truths to half-truths to no-truths."

Why am I saying this to you? Honestly, there are a LOT more experts on US Constitutional Law, than you and me, so don't presume to be all that knowledgeable and think that you can interpret the US Constitution better than the experts ... Who happen to "argue" the fine points, daily.

Thank you. Mr. Rankin (and those who posted replies) for interesting perspectives.
Part of me can't blame NSA for data/information gathering.
Every job well done needs tools.
More the tools better the outcome.
Similarly, I just can't stop buying tools.
And similarly, NSA just can't have enough data/information.
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During a speech to a group of reporters and analysts Monday night (Jan. 26, 1999) at an event to launch his company's new Jini technology. The chief executive officer Scott McNealy of Sun Microsystems said that consumer privacy issues are a "….. red herring." "You have zero privacy anyway," >>>>> "Get over it."

THANKS! This is exactly what I have said to others - there aren't enough people to read and/or listen to every communication. All of the hoopla is politically motivated and is BS.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I don't agree that the hoopla is politically motivated. There are plenty of voices -- Democrat, Republican and Libertarian -- who object to the NSA spying programs, and for reasons that are sound. I don't think anyone denies that there is the possibility for abuse.