Yet Another Privacy Service Has Shut Down to Avoid the Feds

Hooray. The opposition to arbitrary authority is growing.

It takes a lot of self discipline to simply walk away. Good for them.

Quoting:It takes a lot of self discipline to simply walk away.

And to give up that customer-based revenue stream. It takes a lot of integrity, too.

It isn't arbitrary authority. Polls show almost 2/3 of Americans support what the NSA is doing, believing it keeps us safer from terrorists. The American voters will support the program. Unless you somehow convince the public that this is wrong shutting down is little more than an empty gesture.

Quoting:Polls show almost 2/3 of Americans support what the NSA is doing, believing it keeps us safer from terrorists.

Link? Citations?

Quoting:Unless you somehow convince the public that this is wrong shutting down is little more than an empty gesture.

Nope. Following your conscience and doing what you believe to be morally right is never an "empty gesture".

> Polls show almost 2/3 of Americans support what the NSA is doing, believing it keeps us safer from terrorists.

Polls show that 60% of Americans believe in God. Statistics are not a very good indicator of what is right, just what is popular.

And they'll continue to believe that the NSA are the good guys, until it affects them directly.

First the came for the .... etc etc

A recent Pew Research poll shows that:

Quoting:A majority of Americans – 56% – say that federal courts fail to provide adequate limits on the telephone and internet data the government is collecting as part of its anti-terrorism efforts. An even larger percentage (70%) believes that the government uses this data for purposes other than investigating terrorism.

Can we keep the comments on topic, please?

Quoting:Polls show almost 2/3 of Americans support what the NSA is doing, believing it keeps us safer from terrorists.

Americans seem to have a different definition of normality than Europeans. Just this morning, german chancellor Angela Merkel has officially protested against the spying of her private cell phone, as French president François Hollande has done earlier this week for the same reason. The European Parliament has also just voted against the continuation of talks for an important commercial treaty between Europe and the US.

On the other hand, the events of the last couple of weeks have shown us that the Republican Party can inflict permanent damage to the United States in ways that Al Qaeda can only dream of. So maybe the NSA should concentrate its efforts on obtaining and leaking videos of various cross-dressing Tea Party members testing their latest butt plugs. This would be a real game-changer for once.

> Americans seem to have a different definition of normality than Europeans.

AFAICT, the reason the European politicians are upset is that it's gone public, as they're all doing the same thing.

Quoting:AFAICT, the reason the European politicians are upset is that it's gone public, as they're all doing the same thing.

I was referring to the vox populi in the respective countries. But then, spying is just one more of the subjects we Europeans are better off not discussing with Americans, like gun control, death penalty, religion or abortion. That's what I meant by "different definition of normality".

> can inflict permanent damage to the United States

Other than continuing to pile on debt, to what are you referring, Kiki?

> I was referring to the vox populi in the respective countries.

Yes, the people are none to happy. And honestly, they shouldn't be.

> That's what I meant by "different definition of normality".

Notice I didn't argue that specific point. :)

Washington Post: 58% support NSA surveillance, 43% support Mr. Snowden: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/polling/postabc-poll-...

Having said what I did earlier, doing a little research shows polls are all over the map and often contradictory.

Quoting:AFAICT, the reason the European politicians are upset is that it's gone public, as they're all doing the same thing.l

This. Exactly.

Quoting:On the other hand, the events of the last couple of weeks have shown us that the Republican Party can inflict permanent damage to the United States in ways that Al Qaeda can only dream of.

While I fully agree, this is a big time TOS violation.

Quoting:one more of the subjects we Europeans are better off not discussing with Americans,

Like anti-Semitism (and the related anti-Zionism), which are very popular in Europe (or should I say Eurabia?) and not at all popular in North America.

Quoting:Having said what I did earlier, doing a little research shows polls are all over the map and often contradictory.

Yeah, lies, d@#! lies and statistics.

Quoting:While I fully agree, this is a big time TOS violation.

Quoting:Like anti-Semitism (and the related anti-Zionism), which are very popular in Europe (or should I say Eurabia?) and not at all popular in North America.

But there's no violation if it comes from you? Pot, meet kettle.

Of course my post was a TOS violation, in response to a TOS violation. I'm frustrated to the point where I've gone back to fighting fire with fire until management steps in.