Moderators: Elvis, DrVolin, Jeff
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131216/16384425584/tone-deaf-nsa-officials-tell-reporter-its-time-to-reform-first-amendment.shtml
from the how-about-reforming-the-nsa-out-of-existence dept
Daniel Drezner has a fairly incredible short blog post over at Foreign Policy magazine about his experience visiting the NSA as the organization is seeking to ramp up its PR campaign about how it's not actually evil. We've already covered the 60 Minutes debacle, but in many ways this piece is just as enlightening, as he notes just how incredibly tone deaf NSA officials appear to be -- unable to understand why people are upset about what they're doing.
The NSA's biggest strategic communications problem, however, is that they've been so walled off from the American body politic that they have no idea when they're saying things that sound tone-deaf. Like expats returning from a long overseas tour, NSA staffers don't quite comprehend how much perceptions of the agency have changed. The NSA stresses in its mission statement and corporate culture that it "protects privacy rights." Indeed, there were faded banners proclaiming that goal in our briefing room. Of course, NSAers see this as protecting Americans from foreign cyber-intrusions. In a post-Snowden era, however, it's impossible to read that statement without suppressing a laugh.
It might be an occupational hazard, but NSA officials continue to talk about the threat environment as if they've been frozen in amber since 2002. To them, the world looks increasingly unsafe. Syria is the next Pakistan, China is augmenting its capabilities to launch a financial war on the United States, and the next terrorist attack on American soil is right around the corner. They could very well be correct -- except that the American public has become inured to such warnings over the past decade, and their response has been to tell politicians to focus on things at home and leave the rest of the world alone. A strategy of "trust us, the world is an unsafe place" won't resonate now the way it did in the immediate wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.
But, perhaps the most tone deaf of all, was the statement from one NSA official suggesting that it's time to reform the First Amendment, because he's not at all happy about how reporters have covered the NSA recently. As Drezner notes, he's not sure if it's a joke or not, but it really doesn't matter. That seems like something you should not joke about if you're an NSA person, given everything that's going on.
The NSA's attitude toward the press is, well, disturbing. There were repeated complaints about the ways in which recent reportage of the NSA was warped or lacking context. To be fair, this kind of griping is a staple of officials across the entire federal government. Some of the NSA folks went further, however. One official accused some media outlets of "intentionally misleading the American people," which is a pretty serious accusation. This official also hoped that the Obama administration would crack down on these reporters, saying, "I have some reforms for the First Amendment."
It seems that the public might have some reforms for the intelligence community as well. And those would actually be constitutional, unlike what that particular NSA officials had in mind for free speech and the press. There's even more in the Drezner piece that is well worth reading, including the how the NSA was unable to properly manage his own personal information which he had to send them in order to get his pass to come for a visit...
solace » 18 Dec 2013 23:54 wrote:Hmmmm. I googled "when did the truth need laws to protect it," because I had never heard the phrase before and wondered if was from some kind of ideology and here's the first 3 links that came up:
Truth Does Not Need Protection - HugeQuestions.com
hugequestions.com/Eric/Separating_truth_from_lies.htm
The truth can be placed in the open; exposed naked to the entire world. The truth does not need any laws to protect it, and it does not need secrecy to protect it.
You visited this page on 18/12/13.
Holocausts - HugeQuestions.com
hugequestions.com/Eric/Holocausts.html
Amazing holocaust facts ... The truth does not need laws to protect it ... Supposedly this is to protect the Jews from Nazi propaganda. Don't be a sucker! The truth ...
Holocaust Fundamentalism - You WILL Believe - Rense
rense.com/general69/hol.htm
The typical rhetoric goes: "these bigots deny the facts and lessons garnered ... where nearly anything goes, why does the truth need special laws to protect it?
The first 2 are sites of nasty antisemite and Holocaust denier Eric Hufschmid while the third is from Rense by another antisemite and Holocaust denier. Geeze, I hope this is not where slim gets his talking points from but I'm awful wary now.
slimmouse » Thu Dec 19, 2013 1:53 am wrote:solace » 18 Dec 2013 23:54 wrote:Hmmmm. I googled "when did the truth need laws to protect it," because I had never heard the phrase before and wondered if was from some kind of ideology and here's the first 3 links that came up:
Truth Does Not Need Protection - HugeQuestions.com
hugequestions.com/Eric/Separating_truth_from_lies.htm
The truth can be placed in the open; exposed naked to the entire world. The truth does not need any laws to protect it, and it does not need secrecy to protect it.
You visited this page on 18/12/13.
Holocausts - HugeQuestions.com
hugequestions.com/Eric/Holocausts.html
Amazing holocaust facts ... The truth does not need laws to protect it ... Supposedly this is to protect the Jews from Nazi propaganda. Don't be a sucker! The truth ...
Holocaust Fundamentalism - You WILL Believe - Rense
rense.com/general69/hol.htm
The typical rhetoric goes: "these bigots deny the facts and lessons garnered ... where nearly anything goes, why does the truth need special laws to protect it?
The first 2 are sites of nasty antisemite and Holocaust denier Eric Hufschmid while the third is from Rense by another antisemite and Holocaust denier. Geeze, I hope this is not where slim gets his talking points from but I'm awful wary now.
Im awfully wary of anyone who can't answer the question. No matter where it came from. Its a few simple and logical words, which make no sense to the rational mind.. Why is saying the truth needs laws to protect it, somehow miraculously turned into "antisemitism".?
If you cannot see and accept that, then Im especially wary.
slimmouse » Thu Dec 19, 2013 5:32 am wrote:Does asking the question turn me into a racist or holocaust denier? I ask since youre obviously happy perpetuatibng that particular nonsensical claim against me.
I dont beileve it does, personally. Nor of course does anyone else in their right mind.
AD. perhaps you can rationalize it for me?
Theres actually a pretty important point to all of this, in case you couldnt tell. It concerns you very much AD, since you appear hell bent on ridding the world of fascist extremism, whilst at the same time remaining it appears unclear on whether truth needs laws.
Then perhaps we might consider who defines them, because if its the state, then I think with very good reason, we should all perhaps "be wary" . Dont you?
slimmouse » Thu Dec 19, 2013 8:51 am wrote:Well , Ive probably read all of your Icke Quotes, about a thousand times already.
Its a frustration that Im sure regular users of this board are all too familiar with, when asking you to engage in any kind of dialogue which doesnt suit your specious claims wrt me.
Does truth need laws to uphold it , AD?
If so, can you articulate why and how?
slimmouse » Thu Dec 19, 2013 9:08 am wrote:What activities are you reffering to.
" ... Icke enthusiastically embraced the classic Nazi conspiracy theory [in Robots' Rebellion], alleging that the world is controlled by a secret cadre of "The Elite." He openly endorsed The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the Tsarist anti-Semitic forgery that informed Hitler's notion of a global Jewish conspiracy. ... "
Some say they were a forgery made public only to discredit Jews, and I use the term "Illuminati Protocols" to get away from the Jewish emphasis. If they were a forgery, something that is quite possible, what were they a forgery of, and by whom?"
slimmouse » Thu Dec 19, 2013 9:30 am wrote:BPH. Would I have Kollerstrom on as a guest, knowing what I now know. The answer is yes, but he wouldnt be talking about 7/7 again, which btw was good information regardless of his personal background. However this time, He'd be asked to defend his views against a holocaust expert. I assume threre are such people.
Jeff » Wed Nov 08, 2006 9:38 am wrote:This is an anti-fascist board. Propagation of fascist, neo-Nazi and "white pride" causes, including sympathetically linking to sites which advocate such, will not be permitted. This includes revisionist histories of the Holocaust.
slimmouse » Thu Dec 19, 2013 9:30 am wrote:Of course we're back in the 20years ago stage here again with AD, I havent read anything Icke wrote recently to see if he's managed to make thie point that they may well be forgeries or with regards to his thinking about this 18 YEARS LATER ( have your views changed much over the last 18 years AD, cos mine sure as hell have?
slimmouse » Thu Dec 19, 2013 9:30 am wrote:OK.
I briefly decided to look at your quotes. Ive stopped after the first.
here is is." ... Icke enthusiastically embraced the classic Nazi conspiracy theory [in Robots' Rebellion], alleging that the world is controlled by a secret cadre of "The Elite." He openly endorsed The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the Tsarist anti-Semitic forgery that informed Hitler's notion of a global Jewish conspiracy. ... "
Here, from your own quotes is what Icke said,Some say they were a forgery made public only to discredit Jews, and I use the term "Illuminati Protocols" to get away from the Jewish emphasis. If they were a forgery, something that is quite possible, what were they a forgery of, and by whom?"
Where do any of your panel of Icke experts you have embedded somewhere, tell me that Icke admits that it is quite possible that they are a forgery?
Of course we're back in the 20years ago stage here again with AD, I havent read anything Icke wrote recently to see if he's managed to make thie point that they may well be forgeries or with regards to his thinking about this 18 YEARS LATER ( have your views changed much over the last 18 years AD, cos mine sure as hell have?
BPH. Would I have Kollerstrom on as a guest, knowing what I now know. The answer is yes, but he wouldnt be talking about 7/7 again, which btw was good information regardless of his personal background. However this time, He'd be asked to defend his views against a holocaust expert. I assume threre are such people.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 153 guests