This should have the ironic tag, since Fox is actually reporting it.

Also, while I do think this is stupid and overreaching, data mining is largely automated. I can't wait for all these goddam old people to die of old age so people who actually know something about technology can start formulating and executing policies that involve said technology.

The irony here is that I've been saying this since the NY Times broke the news. So many people argued that it was necessary to fight terrorism, but now those same people will be yelling about how overreaching it was and how many rights it violated. Sigh.

Hender: So many people argued that it was necessary to fight terrorism, but now those same people will be yelling about how overreaching it was and how many rights it violated.

Ah, but that was under a patriotic inpurebred Christian Republican Amerrrricun, not a treacherous mutt of a Muslim Demoncrat sekret Ay-rab...

Eh, I've been in the "overreaching" camp the whole time, along with "if it's necessary, amend the goddamn piece of paper".

I've yet to hear anything to stop me from voting against that re-amendment, mind you....

Why should anyone even care if they aren't doing anything illegal over the phone? It seems to me like the only people who have been complaining about this the past few years are the stoners who were afraid that W would find out about their regular weekly call to their pot dealer.

Hender: The irony here is that I've been saying this since the NY Times broke the news. So many people argued that it was necessary to fight terrorism, but now those same people will be yelling about how overreaching it was and how many rights it violated. Sigh.

And how it's Obama's fault.

Calmamity: Hender: The irony here is that I've been saying this since the NY Times broke the news. So many people argued that it was necessary to fight terrorism, but now those same people will be yelling about how overreaching it was and how many rights it violated. Sigh.

And how it's Obama's fault.

/facepalm

SpeshilEdjukashin: Why should anyone even care if they aren't doing anything illegal over the phone? It seems to me like the only people who have been complaining about this the past few years are the stoners who were afraid that W would find out about their regular weekly call to their pot dealer.

The "if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to be afraid of" argument is spent, sorry. It got used up since the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act.

SpeshilEdjukashin: Why should anyone even care if they aren't doing anything illegal over the phone? It se

Weak tea, man. Weeeeak juju.

And for the record, I complained about it then, too. If anything, it's a waste of money. Housing useless data is expensive, and useless. And data mining is generally not cool anyway. It's an invasion of privacy, and whoever end up being the lucky 'analysts' for the data have the awesome task of either 'finding the threat' where none usually exists, or being considered unproductive or at fault in the event of a terrorist attack.

Not a smart use of resources.

Transferred power from the FBI to the NSA at Hoover's death, no doubt.

At the risk of being 'the asshole who posts too much,' there is another aspect of this that bears repeating, because I've always found this to be a total waste of everything thrown into it (and I don't have any alts to argue with myself about it).

Real life is not a Michael Bay movie. It's not like if Josef Ahmaterrordad or Hick McVanexplodes calls someone and says "the ranger has left the outhouse" or "bombs away" or "I'm going to kill [redacted]", this information will be automatically processed into HYPERCOMPUTER EVE ZERO who immediately dispatches Matt Damon to the scene to kill the bad guys.

I say 'WHAT?' so much on my cell phone I sound like a broken episode of teenagers emulating Chappelle emulating Lil John. Even if you can get a halfway decent voice recognition software to identify key threatening phrases with a 50% accuracy rate with a perfect signal, YOU'LL STALL HAVE TWO GET IT TODAY WITH SINGLE ERUPTIONS ... ... ... WON'T NO IF YOU GOT THAT I THING THE SINGLE CUT OUT.

And of course, some stupid percentage of e-mail is spam, SO DO YOU FRIEND NEED OBAMA TO SEND YOU FREE VIAGRA TO MAKE PENIS REIGN FIRE HOT DEATH ON THE FOMALES VIRGINAS?1!?

And then, of course, since there isn't a mother brain and Transformers aren't real and such, you collect all this crap garbage and make people stare at it all day looking for the next 9/11.

I'm pretty sure I saw a movie where this made Russell Crowe go insane.

Spying, schmying.

Did you not hear the big news though? The socialists want to tax us and spread the wealth! Good god almighty, they want to raise the highest tax bracket from 36% to 39%. It's fascism I tells ya.

Action Replay Nick: since there isn't a mother brain

That's what the Space Pirates WANT you to believe....

King Something: Action Replay Nick: since there isn't a mother brain

That's what the Space Pirates WANT you to believe....

Out of the blue came a kill-crazy crew
Whose motto was stomp on the weak
With bones in their hair
They was hungry as bears
And their leader was King of the freaks
They was... Space Pirates
The lowest scum of the yellow sun
They was... Space Pirates
Sack a galaxy just for fun
(fire away)
Well now, out of the blue came this wolf pack who knew
That the name of the game was to hate
Perverts and pimps followed one-legged gimps
They was bow legged bastards of fate
They was... Space Pirates
Skulls lie white on the martian sands
They was... Space Pirates
Empires ransom in their hands
(people were scared)
Out of the blue came this mind-blowing zoo
A collection of mutated crud
Death on their hips
There was foam on their lips
And behind them a shadow of blood
They was... Space Pirates
Broken bodies and twisted minds
They was... Space Pirates
Screaming nightmares left behind
Out of the blue came a kill-crazy crew
Whose motto was stomp on the weak
Bones in their hair
They was hungry as bears
And their leader was King of the freaks
They was... Space Pirates
The lowest scum of the yellow sun
They was... Space Pirates
Sack a galaxy just for fun

Calmamity: SpeshilEdjukashin: Why should anyone even care if they aren't doing anything illegal over the phone? It se

Weak tea, man. Weeeeak juju.

Agreed. Very overdone. I've come to expect better.

Obviously this is only a problem now that dems are in charge.

[TotalFark] Quote 2009-04-16 12:32:06 AM
SpeshilEdjukashin: Why should anyone even care if they aren't doing anything illegal over the phone?

You sound fat like you've been raped in the face by boring and stupid.

These personal attacks make me feel very welcome! Thank you, all!

Shut up SpeshilEdjukashin, you cock.

spidermann: King Something: Action Replay Nick: since there isn't a mother brain

That's what the Space Pirates WANT you to believe....

[Lyrics]

Yeah, that wasn't the reference I was making.

Anyone else care to try?

Action Replay Nick: Shut up SpeshilEdjukashin, you cock.

Ok, I will. Sorry.

/*forwards list of left wing extremeists to DHS*

King Something: spidermann: King Something: Action Replay Nick: since there isn't a mother brain

That's what the Space Pirates WANT you to believe....

[Lyrics]

Yeah, that wasn't the reference I was making.

Anyone else care to try?

May not be the reference, but that is what you got.

These personal attacks make me feel very welcome! Thank you, all!


outstanding.

I'm bored waiting for Japan office to call me and you're exercising an attention seeking mechanism less sophisticated than my niece. (she shiats herself and laughs)

SpeshilEdjukashin: *forwards list of left wing extremeists to DHS*

You know, I'm curious if they have any Fark user names on a list somewhere.

And in one previously undisclosed episode, the N.S.A. tried to wiretap a member of Congress without a warrant, an intelligence official with direct knowledge of the matter said.

From the NY Times article Fox is referencing.

What was that about sacrificing a little freedom for security and getting neither?

SpeshilEdjukashin: Why should anyone even care if they aren't doing anything illegal over the phone? It seems to me like the only people who have been complaining about this the past few years are the stoners who were afraid that W would find out about their regular weekly call to their pot dealer.

I'm not doing anything illegal above speeding 5 mph over the limit - that includes pot, I'm not smoking, don't care if you do - and I complained loudly about that crap.

Then remembered to re-up my ACLU membership.

There's a name for that fault in your logic, but I'm tipsy and my Latin isn't up to par tonight.

SpeshilEdjukashin: Action Replay Nick: Shut up SpeshilEdjukashin, you cock.

Ok, I will. Sorry.

I wouldn't worry about Nick too much. Did you read Action Sloplay Nick's incoherent rant he posted at 12:55:57AM??? At least your comments are coherent and make sense...

/Some people don't want to hear the truth...unless Obama says it - then it MUST be true...

Never give the government more power. The consequences are ALWAYS other than intended.

Damn you John Casey.

I remember the government telling us that if we didn't do anything wrong we don't have anything to worry about.

What happened to that?

If the fgovernment were seriously interested in protecting Americans it would introduce universal health care and crack down on drunk driving.

AngryDragon: Never give the government more power. The consequences are ALWAYS other than intended.

Citation?

ilambiquated: AngryDragon: Never give the government more power. The consequences are ALWAYS other than intended.

Citation?

Every civilization throughout history. You can look it up for yourself, Comrade.

Change we can believe in.

RIGHT, GOP?

ilambiquated: AngryDragon: Never give the government more power. The consequences are ALWAYS other than intended.

Citation?

I should think the article itself is citation enough. Let's use another example: The War Powers Act. How about income taxes? The "Patriot" Act? No Child Left Behind? Real ID?

PC LOAD LETTER: Change we can believe in.

RIGHT, GOP?

I'm not GOP but we all got The Change tm already. Now they're scrambling and stimulating to "Restore and Recover", to re-inflate the bubble with Chinese paper money.

Well if anyone visits sites like Huffpo and Salon, they've been very critical of Obama not reverting the warrantless wiretap program back to the '78 FISA, as many liberal leaning people on Fark. While I've hope that The Obama Administration has a method to their madness with this and the Prisoners rights in Afghanistan, Its fun watching you teabaggers squirm now that that evil muslim, socialist, fascist, communist, etc. has the power now its a problem. Lets see where this goes (the right whining)

/"its chess not checkers″
//obscure?

5_second_rule: Well if anyone visits sites like Huffpo and Salon, they've been very critical of Obama not reverting the warrantless wiretap program back to the '78 FISA, as many liberal leaning people on Fark. While I've hope that The Obama Administration has a method to their madness with this and the Prisoners rights in Afghanistan, Its fun watching you teabaggers squirm now that that evil muslim, socialist, fascist, communist, etc. has the power now its a problem. Lets see where this goes (the right whining)

/"its chess not checkers″
//obscure?

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO

To some of us this has ALWAYS been a problem. "....While I've hope that The Obama Administration has a method to their madness with this and the Prisoners rights in Afghanistan....". No method excuses this madness. The end does not justify the means when it comes to the government exercising power it has been expressly forbidden by the Constitution.

5_second_rule: Well if anyone visits sites like Huffpo and Salon, they've been very critical of Obama not reverting the warrantless wiretap program back to the '78 FISA, as many liberal leaning people on Fark. While I've hope that The Obama Administration has a method to their madness with this and the Prisoners rights in Afghanistan, Its fun watching you teabaggers squirm now that that evil muslim, socialist, fascist, communist, etc. has the power now its a problem. Lets see where this goes (the right whining)

/"its chess not checkers″
//obscure?

No No No.


Liberals are one sided just like conservatives. It's unpossible to vote for a person and then disagree with some of the things they do.

Or not vote for someone and agree with some of the things they do.



That violates the third law.

GaryPDX:

Please tell us how the stock market is going to lose 600 points today.

And you can take the Chinese money talking point back to its proper owner cause It was the Bush administration's bright idea to fight the Iraq war with money loaned from China, Brazil, and India.

We'll be greeted as liberators.

Iraq will pay for its reconstruction with its oil profits.

Stop threadshaiting and stay on point.

"And in one previously undisclosed episode, the N.S.A. tried to wiretap a member of Congress without a warrant, according to a U.S. intelligence official with direct knowledge of the matter.

The agency believed that the congressman, whose identity could not be determined, was in contact as part of a congressional delegation to the Middle East in 2005 or 2006 with an extremist who had possible terrorist ties and was already under surveillance, the official said. The agency then sought to eavesdrop on the congressman's conversations to gather more intelligence, the official said.

The official said the plan was ultimately blocked because of concerns from some officials in the intelligence community about the idea of using the N.S.A., without court oversight, to spy on a member of Congress."

That's just insane. The only reason that the NSA didn't spy on a member of farking congress is that the NSA itself thought it felt just a little too dirty.

Also, the guessing game for which member of congress it was, is open. All guesses must have visited the mideast on a codel in 2005-6.

Anyone wants to bet the Congressman who was spied on --would be Keith Ellison from Minnesota?

Simplest Quantum System Conceivable: That's just insane. The only reason that the NSA didn't spy on a member of farking congress is that the NSA itself thought it felt just a little too dirty.

Also, the guessing game for which member of congress it was, is open. All guesses must have visited the mideast on a codel in 2005-6.

Jesus that's nuts.

penthesilea: And in one previously undisclosed episode, the N.S.A. tried to wiretap a member of Congress without a warrant, an intelligence official with direct knowledge of the matter said.

From the NY Times article Fox is referencing.

Fox, reporting on what the NYT is saying as if it were true?

[giant rift opens in space-time continuum, sucks universe into another dimension]

5_second_rule: Stop threadshaiting and stay on point.

Just because Bush pulled shiat doesn't justify the Liberals out doing him 10 fold. That logic is really really screwed up, 10 fold.

porichoygupto: Anyone wants to bet the Congressman who was spied on --would be Keith Ellison from Minnesota?

I'm guessing 'Baghdad' Jim McDermott.

It makes sense on several levels:

1. He visited Baghdad before the war and proclaimed the Administration's propaganda for what it was.
2. The karma of him being wiretapped after his little problem with the Newt Gingrich tape is a little too perfect not to be true.

I don't know if he went to the Middle East in 2005-06, though.

When was Pelosi in Syria?

GaryPDX: Just because Bush pulled shiat doesn't justify the Liberals out doing him 10 fold. That logic is really really screwed up, 10 fold.

Where are you getting the impression that this overstepping is "the liberals" doing?

This has been going on for 'recent months'. This could very well have started under the last admin.

"The NSA believed that the congressman, whose identity was not revealed, was in contact with an extremist who had possible ties to terror and was already under surveillance. The NSA then tried to eavesdrop on the congressman's conversations, the Times said."

Oh I see, wholesale spying on citizens is OK but ease dropping on their representatives is crossing the line. Get the fark outta here, and take these pseudo representatives with you.

And what the hell does possible ties to terror mean?

porichoygupto: Anyone wants to bet the Congressman who was spied on --would be Keith Ellison from Minnesota?

That is everyone's first obvious guess. Now find where he went to the mideast in 05-6 and prove your religious profiling was justified. I'm not having any luck proving mine was.

Death to New Rome: And what the hell does possible ties to terror mean?

"Is a Democrat"

Once again, you are not important, you are not special, nobody outside of a small circle of people really gives a care about you. You are boring and utterly uninteresting to most people, and you are not worth the time and effort it would take to spy on... And yes, that includes you even if you are "against" the "man" and engaging in what you think is actually behavior the government gives a crap about like anti-war protests or the like.