President Obama praises NSA, offers little in mass surveillance reform

[OhioChick]

Source: NETWORKWORLD

President skirts most reform recommendations made by his appointed panel in December

January 17, 2014 02:06 PM ET

President Barack Obama today said his administration is going to change some aspects of how the National Security Agency and other U.S. intelligence agencies conduct surveillance and hold data collected on U.S and foreign individuals. But his goals fell far short of what was recommended in the 46 proposals for reform of the NSA spelled out last month by the five-member working group he appointed.

In response to the revelations made by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden about NSA’s bulk data collection practices carried out across the Internet around the world, President Obama defended the NSA and its secretive operations as necessary for national security. He praised the “knowledge and professionalism” of those working for the NSA but acknowledged the power of the data-gathering technologies of the current era did hold cause for concern.

“The power of new technologies,” said the President, mean “fewer and fewer technical restraints on what we can do.” But he said it’s also a matter of what “we should do” in terms of data collection around the world. He noted the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S. had led to the NSA to greatly stepping up efforts to detect terrorists through massive data collection.

One of the most hotly-debated topics triggered by Snowden leaking of NSA documents to the media is how the NSA collects and holds a trove of metadata about phone calls, including those of U.S. citizens, in order to mine it for intelligence purposes. The President’s Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies, which included law experts and government veterans Richard Clarke, Michael Morrell, Geoffrey Stone, Cass Sunstein and Peter Swire, advocated in their 400-page report in December that bulk collection of phone metadata continue but that the NSA not be the one holding it. They also said it there should be tougher legal requirements in place to get to this data.

Read more: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2014/011714-obama-surveillance-277844.html?hpg1=bn

[ChromeFoundry]

1. Is this the type of response I voted for?

No.

I expected better from this party.
I guess this is proof that both parties are bought and paid for....

[frazzled]

12. Well, if you're going to take "Network World" as the gospel

and only source on this topic, and the one on which you make your voting decisions—and not, say, listen to Ron Wyden who, while of course calling for continued efforts, said "Make no mistake, this is a major milestone in our longstanding efforts to reform the National Security Agency’s bulk collection program."—you're going to expect a lot of weird things from your party.

But whatever floats your boat. Go vote for another party. Knock yourself out, really.

[roguevalley]

22. for me, the unconstitutional mass collection of information is never

ever going to be right and his lack of real reform makes it easier for fascism to come here and stay. He upholds a bush project. That tells the tale for me. Sadly.

[ChromeFoundry]

26. Wow, you sure read a lot more into that post than was ever stated

Whatever you are smoking or drinking.. looks like it's starting to kick-in.
Do us all a favor and don't get behind the wheel tonight, the objects on the sidewalks are not zombies.




No really, they are not clowns with axes, either.

[lark]

15. No. This is the response of Trojan Obama.

Yes, it if proof that both parties, by and large, are corporatists and $ rules them. They don't care about the working schlubs, with a few wonder exceptions. - Ellison, Warren, Sanders being at the top of the list.

[billhicks76]

18. They Have Dirt On Obama

Wow...I see little difference with respect to results between Obama and Bush now. Yell at me all you want...they are essentially the same and perhaps Obama is worse because his phoney presence neutralizes opposition when people falsely assume he is better.

[Titonwan]

28. I'm really gettin' to appreciate your posts.

And I feel exactly the same way. What better strategy than put a black man in front of this fascist power grab? Ingenious, I say.

[billhicks76]

34. I agree they are smart

And I wonder if Obama justifies it in his own head by not wanting a media spectacle that labels such a successful Black man a moral failure of some kind like they did when they crucified Mayor Marrion Barry. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they had an embarrassing drug or sex video on Obama. What else explains all his horrid flip flops and reversals? Or his inability to even barely fight for us. The crazies think he was groomed early on because of his families CIA connections. I think it's more plausible they let him get elected to neutralize all opposition because of the cult of personality and overcoming of racism. No one protest because they think he's on our side and on our team. Well played. The masters of the universe have a lot of money at their fingertips to manipulate the masses and hoodwink and bamboozle them with misdirection and obfuscation.

[wildbilln864]

38. thank you billhicks76! spot on IMHOOC. n/t

[FiveGoodMen]

2. 2012 was a chance to try again.

And we didn't.

[Dopers_Greed]

3. What were we gonna do? Primary Obama?

[FiveGoodMen]

4. Would have been our best chance to save democracy

[Dopers_Greed]

5. I don't disagree with you.

But, who could we have run?

Hillary probably loves the NSA just as much.

[FiveGoodMen]

8. Agreed.

We needed to get together and back someone who was actually on the 99%'s side.

I don't know who that would have been, but there's over 300 million of us. There should have been someone better than the guy who'd already been selling us out with his 'good cop' routine for three years.

Of course, we would have needed the DNC to get behind him or her...

[JDPriestly]

23. At this time, there is Bernie Sanders.

He would not be fooled by the NSA.

[24601]

13. Look elsewhere for a democracy. The US is a Constitutional Republic.

[FiveGoodMen]

17. Betrayal by any other name...

[Titonwan]

29. Which is a form of 'democracy'

I could go to Free Republic for such inane technicalities. I'm more for a participatory democracy- like the Six Nations had (the oldest in human history).
I bet yer down right famous over ta RedNeckState way!

[jmowreader]

14. Do you think President Romney would have done anything?

He would have been too busy inflicting austerity on the country and starting wars to do anything positive for the nation.

Make no mistake: Primarying a sitting Democratic president would have led directly to his defeat in the general election.

[FiveGoodMen]

16. Romney/Ryan was terrible. So was McCain/Palin.

But giving them everything they want -- just a little more slowly -- while corrupting the Democratic Party and giving liberals the blame is no solution at all.

If we aren't going to draw a line anywhere, then they'll push us all to the cliff and off of it.

We have to stand for something, and "I'm not (technically) a republican" won't do it.

[JoePhilly]

21. The far left can't find anyone pure enough.

Which is why they spent a couple years moaning about a primary that was never going to happen instead of building up candidates for 2016.

Now where are they ... moaning about Hillary.

Want to take a guess where they'll probably be in 2020?

Wishing for a pure candidate to primary Hillary.

[JDPriestly]

24. We may have Bernie Sanders if not Elizabeth Warren.

Hillary would not get me out of my easy chair. She would be worse than Obama on defending our civil and human rights.

[billhicks76]

19. You're Damn Right

He needs to be challenged by his own party to force his hand.

[vi5]

6. Todays speech had a lot for "The List" of Obama accomplishments

Like that document, today's speech seems to assume people will count things with "Propsed....." and "Pledged to...." and "Committed to......" as actual accomplishments.

And for a sad, pathetic segment of the Democratic party, that is true.

[BlueStreak]

7. When "news" is scheduled for Friday, you shouldn't expect much.

Friday is where news goes to be buried.

[davidthegnome]

9. Much more accurate...

than other headlines (regarding the very same thing) that I have seen today. I wonder if we've reached a point where the NSA actually gives the President his orders.

[Titonwan]

30. Ever hear of Bill Hicks?

You might delve into that dark and true 'humor'.

[struggle4progress]

10. Link to transcript of the President's actual speech:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/101683114

[RC]

11. It is very hard to rein in an agency that has the dirt on everyone, Presidents included.

And having a sister agency that knows how to down and disappear small planes and otherwise suicide people.

[quadrature]

20. a cell phone is a two-way radio.

a cell phone is constantly
sending out its position.

what about that don't people understand?

[blkmusclmachine]

25. Hope

for

Change

[neverforget]

27. My understanding is that these are all executive actions that can be

overturned by the next President.

We need Congress to pass laws reign these guys in. Senator Leahy has legislation to do that. I wonder if the President would support it?

http://www.kmbz.com/Despite-Obama-s-NSA-Reforms-Leahy-Says-PATRIOT-Act/18203214

[PSPS]

31. Obummer. More lies.

I've had quite enough of this charlatan.

"People around the world – regardless of their nationality – should know that the United States is not spying on ordinary people who don’t threaten our national security and takes their privacy concerns into account."

That, of course, is a bald-faced lie. Tracking my phone calls and intercepting/storing my emails, text messages, etc., is any rational person's definition of "spying." Our "constitutional scholar" president is nothing more than a bad joke.

[Cha]

33. Yeah, you have all the President Obama haters' talking points down to a science.. I see the

ignorance all over the net. Better get it out now.. because when we get going into 2014 Campaign Season to oust the fucking republicons out of the House and Senate. Your little "Obummer", "bad joke" "bald face lie" shit ain't gonna fly.

[treestar]

36. Wow, using a right wing nickname

It's not a "lie." There's no evidence of any spying on anyone. Just mining phone company data is all this is about.

[questionseverything]

39. no it is illegal prosecutions

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023406605

http://www.businessinsider.com/dea-agents-cover-up-spying-program-2013-8

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A secretive U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration unit is funneling information from intelligence intercepts, wiretaps, informants and a massive database of telephone records to authorities across the nation to help them launch criminal investigations of Americans.

Although these cases rarely involve national security issues, documents reviewed by Reuters show that law enforcement agents have been directed to conceal how such investigations truly begin - not only from defense lawyers but also sometimes from prosecutors and judges.


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/dea-agents-cover-up-spying-program-2013-8#ixzz2qmr2lSxn

[Indi Guy]

32. k&r n/t

[treestar]

35. What is the big deal about mining the phone companies' data?

Something about that phrasing makes me see this is a tempest in a teapot.

[wildbilln864]

37. k & r! n/t