Jane Mayer begin her report: "On June 13th, a fifty-four-year-old former government employee named Thomas Drake is scheduled to appear in a courtroom in Baltimore, where he will face some of the gravest charges that can be brought against an American citizen. A former senior executive at the National Security Agency, the government's electronic-espionage service, he is accused, in essence, of being an enemy of the state."
Thomas Drake, a former senior executive at the National Security Agency, faces some of the gravest charges that can be brought against an American citizen. (photo: Martin Schoeller/The New Yorker)
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Notes: It was INCOMPETENCE of NSA that let 9/11 happen.
Government does NOT trust people.
Millions are made/wasted by incompetent contractors - now led by ex-government employees. It is closed circle. Corruption is everywhere. The symptoms that destroyed Soviet Union are here - we are sick. Worse than Watergate.
This is very informative article - how much of this gets into the main media?
Thank you for brave journalism.
Naval Critical Communications. You do not get to give anyone classified documents or edited classified documents or other printed material
under any circumstances. Whisle Blower does not excuse breating Security laws. Sure the Branchs of the Government abuse the system to keep friends and waste from Audit but that is the price we pay for bing the largest Military Nation on the Planet. That is your argument! Quit
getting into wars and that problems goes partly away.
The military is a civilian insitution beholden, not to the ambitions of the generals or even the ambitions of political leaders.
We are a nation where enacted law trumps everything but the Constitution.
Legal precedent and Common Law practices that extend back to the Magna Carta recognize the rights of the individual to act in accordance to his/her conscience.
Security laws and practices exist to protect people from harm. Those laws do not exist to protect people that have done harm.
The information provided by Drake points to incompetence of NSA as organization and its CEO. Lot of hierarchy and lot of secrecy, lot of corruption. Leaving agency and becoming contractors and getting contracts from their "friends". What is NSA budget and under what item it is hidden?
Military and like these take over 50% of federal spending. What an opportunity to balance the budget.
This is the cost of outsourcing and/or privitization. It happens all over business and government. Lots of good people lose good paying jobs. And the buyer gets crap that only does 1/2 of what some slick salesman says it will.
Perhaps the Government should lead the way by enforcing contracts. As Activista points out these are the sort of opportunities we should look for to balance the budget, instead of creating virtual death panels like Cong. Ryan proposes.
The book has been altered to satiate nefarious individuals vested interests. Anything or everything might be labeled under the "guise" of National security. If fraud, abuse and malfeasance are rife in the NSA and NOBODY speaks up, we're left with a corrupt entity supposedly protecting ALL our interests. Right is right and wrong is wrong. No ambiguity about it. "A man who stands for nothing, will fall for anything."
The Patriot Act is too broad - allows too many unworthy people to spy and misuse the information they "get."
The biggest Court in the land should impeach Scalia/Thomas for sleeping with the Koch brothers b4 their unconstitutiona l Decision to give corps first amendment rights. They sold us out so that "we have the best govt money can buy" -- and the GOP is handing the wealth to the BIG (social security, medicare, etc)--
Ignoring this concept provides cover to Congress to pass legislation such as the Patriot Act. Preszident's feel conmfortable prosecuting or investigating whomever they choose.
We can see this phenomena in every aspect of American life.
Isn't the fact that we have to take off our shoes at the airport a sign that we are presumed to have a bomb hidden between our toes? When people with good credit are questioned regarding bank deposits of $200 when applying for a $300K mortgage, aren't they being presumed guilty of some crime or financial malfeasance?
If Mr. Drake was not presumed guilty, then the investigation would have been based on harm, not finding "incriminating" information. The presumption was that he was guiilty and the investigators were going to find out what he was guilty of.
No Secrets Allowed.
Than it is very easy to eliminate "internal" opposition. The raids on the "enemy of the state" Drake have so much resemblance of the Seals murder of Osama.
They are mostly from big banks. And their goal is to get as many consumer protection restrictions lifted off them.
They and their lobbying money were instrumental in bring about the absence of regulation that permitted the big banks to come close to failing at the tail end of the G.W.B. incumbency.
This blog is about spooks, but not everything that threatens to harm consumers and bring the economy down is in the shadows.
PLEASE check out what's going on. Some groups are trying desperately to flood congresspersons with pleas to leave the consumer protections alone. If anything they need to be strengthened, not weakened.
If you have no source on this, you can google for PIRG.
No one likes me so I will go get even because...now they can they have so many Laws allowing them to kill, harm.
What goes up comes down...When the bus leaves Saturday I hope all the Schixo/paraoids of Government and Religion is on it. Rest of us can live with ourselves.
NSA made more nonsense to back or upgrade other nonsense to out do someone else's nonsense and so the beat goes on...Only ones who are out to get anyone are those who are making the laws to look into everyone's holes. I do not live in one, too poor. Fear is too expensive, I have nothing and pay for it all.
Consumer Protection is under attack like Buffalos, wolves and everything else in America and we are all too busy looking at what the sign tells us to that we are not seeing what the s_um are doing right out in front....Dems are letting them, not protecting us the consumer so that is already a lost luxury. Welcome to Nazi America..we have been allowing it to happen. For all the people who are so angry...where are you? Certainly not at the Town Halls Protesting, in DC or anywhere but on a computer venting!
Here is the URL --- The GOP tried to give another 1+ Billion to OIL today in a Bill before the Senate. Those against had about 54 votes to 48 for this gift to OIL -- when the GOP filibustered to demand the 60 votes instead of 50+.
Those against this bill SHOULD bring it up again and again until the GOP gets exposed to the FAUX viewers who NEVER know where their money is going.
Vote in 2012 - but not for anyone who is supported ($$) by OIL, BANKS, GE, Koch brothers -- and this you can find out on internet or FROM YOUR REP (who has to give you the URL for this information)
If it's a toss-up -- vote Democrat (we cannot afford another 4+ years of a "W" -- and that is MY OPINION
Forgot the URL about the BANKS --- also the German Bank is involved in "mortages" and foreclosures under false ..... BUT WHO IS GOING AFTER THIS CROOKS?
Phone your Rep/Senators --- I don't think they read their emails.
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