Comments on: Unmasking, then and now (and Joe Biden then and now)

By: Ike

Ike — Sun, 17 May 2020 20:03:12 +0000

It isn’t the collection of intelligence info on foreign activity that creates the problems. It is the collection of all available information on everyone and the long-term storage of it, available to any person with the authority to see it that is the source of the problems. When, as, and if there is a need to collect communications on Americans, warrants need to be sought in the pre-FISA way (or not as the case may be; they weren’t always sought before FISA for intelligence on foreigners). The storage of and very easy access to NSA’s databases is what enables the bad elements in the U.S. government to corrupt the use of intelligence info. Remember what the FISA Court’s report/order outlined: contractors – not government officials, but contract employees of who?, were given access to the NSA databases, IIRC 85% of the searches via that access were not properly justified or requested. No databases, no temptation no possibility of a repeat of the last three years. The choice is not between having a blinded intel community and having another Mueller/Comey/Brennan/et al seditious conspiracy. The choice is between having a government where officers and agents of that government can be restrained from the kind of evil behavior we have seen evidence of over the last three years. And why, pray tell, is it permissible for the CIA to conduct its operations in the US targeted against US citizens, when the legislation that created it specifically prohibited that activity?? That is enabled too by the NSA’s collection and storage. No more.

By: Texan99

Texan99 — Sun, 17 May 2020 13:54:54 +0000

“Everybody knows who Donald Trump is. Even his supporters know who he is. We got to let him know who we are. We choose unity over division. We choose science over fiction. We choose truth over facts.”

War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.

By: AesopFan

AesopFan — Sun, 17 May 2020 03:55:25 +0000

ymar – I never claim to have figured out everything about anything, but I’m picking up on the clues.

By: Ymarsakar

Ymarsakar — Sun, 17 May 2020 03:02:06 +0000

Aesop, I wonder if you have figured out what all those “secret combination” stuff meant in the bom.

By: AesopFan

AesopFan — Sun, 17 May 2020 02:38:04 +0000

Geoffrey – Biden, then and now.
The senility may have already been on display.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/truth-over-facts-biden-fumbles-during-iowa-speech

August 08, 2019 06:19 PM

Joe Biden, the 2020 Democratic front-runner crowd, left some in the crowd at the Iowa State Fair mystified when he told them: We choose truth over facts.”

The 76-year-old former vice president, who loquacious style and propensity for flubbing his lines endears him to some and draws mockery from others, was ending his speech at the state fairground in Des Moines when he attempted a rousing finish.

“There is nothing we’ve ever decided to do we’ve been unable to do, he said. “Period. That’s not hyperbole. We have never, never, never failed when we’re together. And ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to get up.

“Everybody knows who Donald Trump is. Even his supporters know who he is. We got to let him know who we are. We choose unity over division. We choose science over fiction. We choose truth over facts.”

The Left has always chosen fiction over science.

By: FOAF

FOAF — Sun, 17 May 2020 02:36:59 +0000

“Dems who want the truth”

In mathematics that is called the “null set”.

By: Tom Grey

Tom Grey — Sun, 17 May 2020 01:35:29 +0000

Dems who want the truth should welcome transparency – lists of those who did ANY unmaskings, and when, and how many. With the US citizens who were unmasked getting a report, by the gov’t, of who asked to unmask them, when.

Getting rid of gov’t collection of info is as unrealistic as denuclearization — far too risky for any one Power to stop doing it, when other powers keep doing it. So it ain’t gonna happen.

What are the regulations about using that info? How to end the abuse, or, realistically, reduce the abuse. Jail time would be a good start, but it’s not clear who did the illegal leaking, tho it’s quite likely many took negligent care; probably criminally negligent.
Of course, Dems never have the intent of being discovered actually breaking any law.

By: om

om — Sun, 17 May 2020 01:10:20 +0000

Geoffrey Britain

Yes it would leave the US completely ignorant and vulnerable to foreign threats; the proposed dismantling or neutering the NSA. And of course there is all the data collection performed by Google et. al. for profit, they of course are trustworthy and unbiased platforms and purveyors information (not).

By: Geoffrey Britain

Geoffrey Britain — Sun, 17 May 2020 00:59:19 +0000

Once the concept of objective truth is rejected and subjective ‘truth’ asserted to be the ‘whole’ truth… then might makes right and the concept of hypocrisy no longer has relevance.

By: Geoffrey Britain

Geoffrey Britain — Sun, 17 May 2020 00:55:48 +0000

“forbid the NSA or any other agency from collecting emails, internet traffic, phone calls, etc” Ike

That would hamstring the internal threat America faces.

It would also hamstring America’s ability to counter external threats.