COULDN’T STOP THE TSARNAEVS AND THE RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE WAS A SURPRISE

[roo_ster]

http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/184859/

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140227/14404426381/aclu-report-metadata-details-law-enforcement-abuse-shows-theres-no-clear-cutoff-between-content-data.shtml

Title refers to the ACLU report on how NSA & other gov't agencies abuse data collection, how "metadata" can morph into content, and how despite hoovering up all this data, gov't still was unable to stop the Tsarnaevs from bombing the Boston Marathon and Putin's invasion of Ukraine was a surprise.

There's no such thing as "just metadata." Given enough data points, anyone's life is an open book -- one that can be perused at will by a variety of government agencies. The fact that these agencies rely on outdated decisions and make clunky, dusty comparisons (no more expectation of privacy than the outside of an envelope!) clearly exposes the hypocrisy at play: they love the advantages technological advances give them (and the massive amount of metadata these generate) but they have no desire to update the laws governing these so-called "business records." "Just metadata" is a lie -- a lie that services the surveillance state and makes a mockery of the phrase "expectation of privacy." 

It is almost as if actual terrorists and threats to the well-being of the country are not the intended targets of all this surveillance. 

[Perd Hapley]

I remember the NSA wire-tapping really blowing up at about the same time the Boston Marathon did. I thought it was grimly ironic at the time.

Didn't make that leap:

It is almost as if actual terrorists and threats to the well-being of the country are not the intended targets of all this surveillance. 

Funny, idn't it?

[Gewehr98]

Something wrong with the Caps Lock key on Rooster's keyboard, I'd wager.

[charby]

[Ned Hamford]

I think this parallels day to day law enforcement.  It is not only far easier to give a ticket to that out of town college kid for going a few miles over, but it is far safer than chasing after that scary looking guy driving recklessly in a junker. 

Hard jobs take hard men and independent thinkers.  Number crunchers? Now that is a much more comfortable bureaucratic satrap. And its much easier to argue numbers and trends, data points, than direct field experience.  People not in the field also have much simpler records.   No risk of a complaint when no one knows they were even being investigated. 

Everything and everyone has its place; but you don't put the cart in front of the horse. 

It is fun to watch folk's eyes glaze over when you do such fun tricks as point out how reported numbers take sudden turns mysteriously linked to such things as funding tied to specific report numbers.  Much like how when facing the death penalty IQ assessments drop down to protected by law numbers.  Knowing flunking a test saves your life, how hard would you try on it?

[cordex]

I think this parallels day to day law enforcement.  It is not only far easier to give a ticket to that out of town college kid for going a few miles over, but it is far safer than chasing after that scary looking guy driving recklessly in a junker. 

But far less interesting.  From what I've seen, minor violations are a way to a) fill the slow time and b) look for more interesting violations.  In your example, every cop I know would gladly ditch a sure-thing speeding ticket to chase your "scary looking guy driving recklessly in a junker."

I think there are valid parallels, just not the way you think.

[roo_ster]

Something wrong with the Caps Lock key on Rooster's keyboard, I'd wager.

Copypasta pastas what it copies.

[brimic]

It is almost as if actual terrorists and threats to the well-being of the country are not the intended targets of all this surveillance. 

The data/metadata/content makes for great soundbites and propaganda after a pesky constitutionalist trrrist is gunned down in cold blood killed while resisting arrest. I also has great potential for political and social blackmail, that's assuming that that potential isn't already being used, at least at high levels..

[RevDisk]

*shrug* 

Tracking terrorists is hard. You're talking a needle in a field of needles. While I don't think the NSA is completely geared towards monitoring Americans, I do think it has that capacity and is merely a matter of tasking priorities.

[Tallpine]

Who is going to support all this NSA snooping if we don't have a terrist attack now and then ?   

[Jocassee]

What difference, at this point, does it make?

Sorry. Couldn't help myself.

[SADShooter]

What difference, at this point, does it make?

Sorry. Couldn't help myself.

Insight into the next round of explanation/justification.

[Tallpine]

What difference, at this point, does it make?

Sorry. Couldn't help myself.

Opportunity for tsnark...?   

[Ned Hamford]

But far less interesting.  From what I've seen, minor violations are a way to a) fill the slow time and b) look for more interesting violations.  In your example, every cop I know would gladly ditch a sure-thing speeding ticket to chase your "scary looking guy driving recklessly in a junker."

I think there are valid parallels, just not the way you think.

I think you know more consistently good cops.  It may be the defense work, but my exposure varies wildly.  My home town, great folks. two towns over, not so much. 4 towns over... I don't even visit or drive through that area.   

[cordex]

I think you know more consistently good cops.  It may be the defense work, but my exposure varies wildly.  My home town, great folks. two towns over, not so much. 4 towns over... I don't even visit or drive through that area.   

That very well could be.  I do have a hard time believing that I happened to plop down in the only community in the US with reasonably decent cops, though.

[Ned Hamford]

That very well could be.  I do have a hard time believing that I happened to plop down in the only community in the US with reasonably decent cops, though.

Well, do you live in Chicaco? 
Location, Location, Location

[Scout26]

That very well could be.  I do have a hard time believing that I happened to plop down in the only community in the US with reasonably decent cops, though.

Wait ?!?!  What ?

I thought IMPD stood for "I Must Patrol Drunk"?  (Although I preferred Greater Indianapolis Metropolitan Police - GIMP  )  Anywho.  No, I think Indy has more than their fair share of bad officers.

[cordex]

Wait ?!?!  What ?

I thought IMPD stood for "I Must Patrol Drunk"?  (Although I preferred Greater Indianapolis Metropolitan Police - GIMP  )  Anywho.  No, I think Indy has more than their fair share of bad officers.

Good thing I don't live in Indy! 

[Blakenzy]

http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/184859/

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140227/14404426381/aclu-report-metadata-details-law-enforcement-abuse-shows-theres-no-clear-cutoff-between-content-data.shtml

Title refers to the ACLU report on how NSA & other gov't agencies abuse data collection, how "metadata" can morph into content, and how despite hoovering up all this data, gov't still was unable to stop the Tsarnaevs from bombing the Boston Marathon and Putin's invasion of Ukraine was a surprise.

It is almost as if actual terrorists and threats to the well-being of the country are not the intended targets of all this surveillance. 

But Roo-Roo! are you saying Dear Government doesn't have our best interest at heart?

Do you hate America? Do you?

I'm just glad to know that all criticism is being recorded and that those who speak against the Homeland will get reeducated.

[Perd Hapley]

Ed Snowden concurs:

http://reason.com/blog/2014/03/10/edward-snowden-nsa-too-busy-spying-on-am