Bullshit Artists

NSA chief Clapper: Data spying debate ‘probably needed to happen’

"'As loathe as I am to give any credit for what’s happened here, which is egregious…' said National Intelligence Director James Clapper, 'I think it’s clear that some of the conversations that this has generated, some of the debate… actually probably needed to happen.' Clapper, speaking at a conference in Washington, said the public discussion examining the balance between spying powers and privacy rights 'perhaps' should have taken place earlier. 'So if there’s a good side to this, maybe that’s it,' he said of the Snowden media leaks. His comments were the first time a senior US intelligence figure had portrayed the leaks as sparking a useful debate." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNSA chief Clapper: Data spying debate ‘probably needed to happen’

6 Whopping Government Misstatements About NSA Spying

"Whistleblower Edward Snowden’s leaks about NSA spying have set off a fierce global debate about security and privacy in the internet age. The revelations of the United States performing mass surveillance on an international scale have also unleashed an avalanche of government misstatements aimed at defending, or even denying, the NSA’s dragnet surveillance. We’ve gone through them and picked out some of the biggest whoppers." Continue reading →

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Australia liberated from their long national green nightmare

"Tony Abbott has won the Australian election in a landslide, and vows to abolish the carbon tax as a first order of business. Abbott has declared Australia is 'once more open for business' in claiming victory in Saturday’s election. It is a huge blow to the Rudd-Gillard labor party and their green goals, which were built on a lie foisted on the Australian people. In 2010 when Gillard said 'no carbon tax' in a videotaped speech that has been seen as the key moment Australians lost trust. Then, shortly after she was elected prime minister, she acted as if those words were never spoken, and implemented a carbon tax anyway." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAustralia liberated from their long national green nightmare

Reid: ‘Anarchists have taken over’ in Congress

"Reid said Tea Party Republicans are preventing progress on an energy efficiency bill by offering amendments on ObamaCare and other unrelated issues. 'They’ve taken over the House and now they’ve taken over the Senate. People who don’t believe in government — and that’s what the Tea Party is all about — are winning, and that’s a shame.' Wait until Reid sees what it is like when the private property society advocates takeover and not just the anarchist-lite Tea Party-types. Then we start to get serious: no minimum wage laws, no taxes, no Department of Education or Enery, and an end to the Fed.....for starters." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingReid: ‘Anarchists have taken over’ in Congress

Napolitano: Obama’s remedy for embarrassment nothing but tough talk

"Mr. Obama is generally firm in his belief that he needs to vindicate the threat he made last summer when he was trying to outdo Mitt Romney on sounding tough. It was then that Mr. Obama threatened to intervene in the Syrian civil war if chemical weapons were used by the government. Nevertheless, hating the international embarrassment visited upon him when suddenly Mr. Putin seems more reasonable than he does, Mr. Obama conceded to my Fox News colleague Chris Wallace that the Kerry-inspired and Putin-pushed idea seemed worth considering. Then the Syrian government agreed." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNapolitano: Obama’s remedy for embarrassment nothing but tough talk

(Surveillance) Times have Changed

"It was only a year ago when the UK Home Office repeatedly made statements about how their capability to collect intelligence was degrading, and how new laws such as the Communications Data Bill were necessary to protect citizens. In hindsight, given the revelations about the UK domestic mass surveillance programs, these once desperate cries for more crime- and terrorism-fighting tools now look like nothing more than attempts to illegitimately spy more on all citizens. Quotes from those debates look rather different now." Continue reading →

Continue Reading(Surveillance) Times have Changed

The U.S. Is Getting “Played” In Syria

"Even if the U.S./NATO is going to wage war, is this how you do it? Do you telegraph your moves days ahead of time? I must have missed that class when I studied at the Naval War College. By comparison, little E-1 Pvt. Bradley Manning (or is it Chelsea?) will rot for many decades in prison (the women’s wing?) after being convicted of releasing a pile of classified emails. And young Ed Snowden is a hunted man because he told the world that the National Security Agency sucks signals out of the ether. I’m shocked to know that! But Obama administration officials are holding press conferences — Press! Conferences! — to offer up the tactical details of any attack that’s set to hit Syria." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe U.S. Is Getting “Played” In Syria

The Selfishness of Virtue

"As life’s cruel realities slowly peeled the scales from my bleeding eyes, I began realizing that many such propaganda machines, despite their eternal claims of uplifting 'the people' in a noble fight against 'the elite,' were themselves the organs of a certain class of astronomically well-heeled elites. They didn’t represent all of the elite, mind you—only a weird segment that seemed to exist in a perpetual state of denial about their own elite status. My disappointment mutated into a lingering resentment as it became clear that such elites’ showboating 'populist' efforts never really seemed to help the poor and the working class." Continue reading →

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Kerry and McCain’s favorite Syria ‘expert’ fired for faking credentials

"A prominent pro-Syrian intervention expert, cited by both Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sec. of State John Kerry, lied about her academic credentials and failed to disclose her ties to rebel groups in the embattled republic. An op-ed piece by O’Bagy published in the Wall Street Journal drew fire over O’Bagy’s failure to disclose her ties to rebel groups in Syria. After the article was published on Aug. 30, it came to light that she is affiliated with the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a lobbying group that facilitates contract negotiations involving the U.S. and British governments and other agencies which provide aid to Syrian rebels." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKerry and McCain’s favorite Syria ‘expert’ fired for faking credentials

Kerry becomes first war casualty

"Much as the strike may (or may not) weaken the Syrian armed forces and diminish its military capabilities, Kerry's capacity to be an effective secretary of state for the reminder of President Barack Obama's term may have been seriously 'degraded' already. The point is, over three full eventful years still remain in Obama's presidency and three years is a lot time in politics. Kerry's tragedy is that he is being called upon to defend an indefensible brief. Three major gaffes within the space of a week is a terrible record for a top diplomat to pile up under any circumstances." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKerry becomes first war casualty