liberty vs security

[nelinho]

Amongst all the hype of the Snowden temporary asylum decision by Russia and the Manning verdict and sentencing, what do we make of the current status of unwarranted civilian surveillance?

[nelinho]

Re: liberty vs security

Will post some links to articles that were the catalysts for this question when on a pc (recent guardian ones if that helps)

[Kamal]

Re: liberty vs security

Bradley Manning wants to live as a woman, be known as Chelsea - CNN.com

[Highsteppa]

Re: liberty vs security

I find it amazing about how the government has kept the media on track with the message that it isn't the unlawful surveillance that is the problem here, it's that Snowden leaked that information. Same goes for Bradley Manning - the media is more focused on the punishment (and in Manning's case, the outrageous sentence that gave him more time to serve than soldiers that have murdered civilians) than the actual crimes that went unnoticed until Snowden and Manning brought light to them.

It doesn't help that you now have the U.K. Government ordering The Guardian to destroy the hard drives of the Snowden leaks (although, to The Guardian's credit, they managed to resist turning over the drives like that UK gov't had originally demanded), stopping the partner of a Guardian reporter at Heathrow Airport and trying to intimidate him and threatening him with unlawful detainment. How can the UK call themselves a democracy when they're conducting themselves in no better a fashion than Russia is - and they have the gall to say that they think Russia's barbaric for their anti-gay legislation? Pot, meet kettle - you have lots in common - starting with you're both black in color.

Major news outlets are still following the entertainment angle rather than focusing on actual journalism - they want the story to be ambiguous as to whether Snowden or Manning are the good guys or traitors - it' creates suspense and keeps the story alive. I'm curious why they're not screaming bloody murder at things like who FISA pretty much knew the NSA was conducting illegal activities and FISA pretty much rubber stamped every single request. Probably because it doesn't have a central character that you can drive a narrative with.

[Illuminate]

Re: liberty vs security

I would still feel pretty outraged if someone decided to steal personal info and release it to the world; just saying...

I still feel as if though nothings changed as for the NSA and FISA after all of this.

[nelinho]

Re: liberty vs security

Prevented a few terror plots apparently. One of the benefits.

Still too much cloaks, daggers, smoke and mirrors though.

Modern western society was well fucked before this came along.