No one oversees the Overseers though they do oversee the overseers. The capitalization on the O is important as it gives them the highest ranking. Now someone may watch or monitor them but no one oversees them.
Heh, I have basically my whole bookmark bar filled with webcomics which I check at midnight. Not Schlock's Mercenary though, I check that one around 10 to 11 because it updates around then instead of midnight.
You're all filthy ninjas. Good I checked to see if this thread was made. Also good to know I have fellow travelers up in the early AM checking XKCD as soon as a new comic releases.
There's a "Yo Dawg" joke in there somewhere...
There's a "Yo Dawg" joke in there somewhere...
Like this?
(http://img.ie/6894c.png)
No but I work in Surveillance surveillance, I like my DF 3 layers deep.Big fan of nether-caps I take it?
(http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/dwarf_fortress.png) (http://xkcd.com/1223/)
Anybody here work in surveillance?
Who oversees the Overseers?The OVERSEERS, of course.
Who oversees the Overseers?The OVERSEERS, of course.
Yeah, the TheRapist.Who oversees the Overseers?The OVERSEERS, of course.
Huh not the Therapist?
One of the things that many people don't understand is that the government has been keeping tabs on US citizens since the Hoover era, but only those who are linked to overseas terror/spying. While this hysteria may get to insane extremes, i.e. the Palmer Raids and the Japanese internment, this is by far not something that's exactly news. The NSA works primarily in overseas signals intelligence, and is only allowed to investigate domestically through a lengthy warrant from a federal judge and if there is ample evidence that the case is tied to overseas. However, if it's something crucial and cannot wait for a warrant, then they maybe able to go ahead and tap.This is the exception though, not the rule.
I'm not surprised, considering how vast and sprawling the government is. Having constant infighting and extremely bizarre, autonomous actions is one of those things that will always be around I guess.One of the things that many people don't understand is that the government has been keeping tabs on US citizens since the Hoover era, but only those who are linked to overseas terror/spying. While this hysteria may get to insane extremes, i.e. the Palmer Raids and the Japanese internment, this is by far not something that's exactly news. The NSA works primarily in overseas signals intelligence, and is only allowed to investigate domestically through a lengthy warrant from a federal judge and if there is ample evidence that the case is tied to overseas. However, if it's something crucial and cannot wait for a warrant, then they maybe able to go ahead and tap.This is the exception though, not the rule.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
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Weather Underground
COINTELPRO
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The "terror cell" in Florida that was fully led by an FBI or CIA agent (I forget which).
The FBI spying on US Muslim citizens in California, planting "converts" to frame some of them.
^Patriot Act, basically^
The biggest issue here is that the whistleblower is a private contractor. The spying is nothing new. The other issue is how little they are able to sift through because the data mass is enormous. Flimsy connections will be good enough because there's nothing better.
The comic has nothing to do with the NSA leak. It's not political commentary. XKCD doesn't do political commentary. The closest it has are some very detailed pages of charts of various things.
How greatly comforting to one one of us lesser beings (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraordinary_rendition) who don't live in the united states.The NSA works primarily in overseas signals intelligence, and is only allowed to investigate domestically through a lengthy warrant from a federal judge and if there is ample evidence that the case is tied to overseas.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Out of - how many was it? 1650? Warrant requests, zero were denied. A rubber stamp court does not constitute effective checks and balances.One of the things that many people don't understand is that the government has been keeping tabs on US citizens since the Hoover era, but only those who are linked to overseas terror/spying. While this hysteria may get to insane extremes, i.e. the Palmer Raids and the Japanese internment, this is by far not something that's exactly news. The NSA works primarily in overseas signals intelligence, and is only allowed to investigate domestically through a lengthy warrant from a federal judge and if there is ample evidence that the case is tied to overseas. However, if it's something crucial and cannot wait for a warrant, then they maybe able to go ahead and tap.This is the exception though, not the rule.Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Another thing to note is the fact that the NSA, FBI, or CIA does not have the time, money, or resources to continually keep track of 320 million American citizens.Presumably this is why they have a private contractor doing it.
Tech companies such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, and so on keep a closer eye on American citizens out of the interest of advertising and sales. PRISM is essentially a giant dumpster for data, and simply means they have data on hand so it doesn't expire.Corporations have a clear motive - money. In addition, corporations do not and cannot arrest whistle-blowers, and have no reason to do anything other than target ads at you. While I agree that people should in general take an interest in their own security, google's targeted ads seem a heck of a lot less sinister than this. Of course, it's rather moot since Google and Facebook are both among the nine companies to whose servers these folks have direct access.
The highest irony of this is people who post about how horrible this is on Facebook while on Google Chrome, without using adblock, noscript, or ghostery.
Out of - how many was it? 1650? Warrant requests, zero were denied. A rubber stamp court does not constitute effective checks and balances.
Subpoenas aren't turned down. That's not how things work. I'm talking about the request for warrants, which are made to a court, not the companies. Those are part of the data that Snowden made public.Out of - how many was it? 1650? Warrant requests, zero were denied. A rubber stamp court does not constitute effective checks and balances.
See. The funny thing about secret information requests is that the companies that get them can't even disclose that they turned it down or tried to fight it.
So how many, exactly, were denied? A number greater than -1.
(that is, "at least zero" which while it may be exactly zero is not strictly equal to exactly zero)
Subpoenas aren't turned down. That's not how things work. I'm talking about the request for warrants, which are made to a court, not the companies. Those are part of the data that Snowden made public.
Nobody does that. Do you really think a corporation is going to earn obstruction of justice charges to protect you from what (as far as they know) is an entirely deserved investigation? They're not.Subpoenas aren't turned down. That's not how things work. I'm talking about the request for warrants, which are made to a court, not the companies. Those are part of the data that Snowden made public.
Again, because those documents were secret, secret too are the fights to not turn over information, which hasn't been leaked or disclosed.
Nobody does that. Do you really think a corporation is going to earn obstruction of justice charges to protect you from what (as far as they know) is an entirely deserved investigation? They're not.
I saw it on the news too. Everyone did. But sure, it's true that it's theoretically possible that a corporation would risk criminal charges to illegally protect you from a warrant. It's also theoretically possible that the teller at your bank went on an undercover mission to steal back your taxes from the government and return them to you. But do you really think uninterested people are going to oppose the government to protect your rights? Especially without telling you about it. Not many people even do so to protect their own rights.Nobody does that. Do you really think a corporation is going to earn obstruction of justice charges to protect you from what (as far as they know) is an entirely deserved investigation? They're not.
And how would you know?
I happened to actually hear a news article about it on the radio yesterday driving home. Due to the short clip, I doubt I'll be able to find it again.
And I'll trust my news source over some random guy on an internet forum.
I saw it on the news too. Everyone did. But sure, it's true that it's theoretically possible that a corporation would risk criminal charges to illegally protect you from a warrant. It's also theoretically possible that the teller at your bank went on an undercover mission to steal back your taxes from the government and return them to you. But do you really think uninterested people are going to oppose the government to protect your rights? Especially without telling you about it. Not many people even do so to protect their own rights.
Out of - how many was it? 1650? Warrant requests, zero were denied. A rubber stamp court does not constitute effective checks and balances.
See. The funny thing about secret information requests is that the companies that get them can't even disclose that they turned it down or tried to fight it.
So how many, exactly, were denied? A number greater than -1.
(that is, "at least zero" which while it may be exactly zero is not strictly equal to exactly zero)
According to the 2012 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Report (http://www.justice.gov/nsd/foia/foia_library/2012fisa-ltr.pdf), the Department of Justice submitted 1,856 applications to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), a 6.4% increase over 2011. Of the 1,856 search applications, 1,789 sought authority to conduct electronic surveillance. The FISC did not deny any of the applications, although one was withdrawn by the Government. However, the FISC did make modifications to 40 of the applications, including one from the 2011 reporting period. In addition to the FISA orders, the FBI sent 15,229 National Security Letter requests for information concerning 6,223 different U.S. persons. This is a modest decrease from the 16,511 requests sent in 2011. Almost no information is available about FISA surveillance beyond the figures contained in the annual FISA letter, sent to the Senate each year by the Department of Justice, Office of Legislative Affairs. EPIC has recommended greater reporting of FISC applications and opinions, similar to what is disclosed in the Federal Wiretap Reports.
Well, yeah. You do realize the government is the one making the laws, right? And in fact they've made laws such that not honoring a valid subpoena gets you slapped with obstruction of justice charges.I saw it on the news too. Everyone did. But sure, it's true that it's theoretically possible that a corporation would risk criminal charges to illegally protect you from a warrant. It's also theoretically possible that the teller at your bank went on an undercover mission to steal back your taxes from the government and return them to you. But do you really think uninterested people are going to oppose the government to protect your rights? Especially without telling you about it. Not many people even do so to protect their own rights.
This argument sounds strangely similar to:
"Everything the government does is legal and any attempt do defend yourself against what the government does is illegal."
Well, yeah. You do realize the government is the one making the laws, right? And in fact they've made laws such that not honoring a valid subpoena gets you slapped with obstruction of justice charges.
You might be better off looking up words before you use them. The US government is a democratic republic, not a democracy. And if the government is the sole enforcement of the law, how are they not above it? Not that this is remotely pertinent.Well, yeah. You do realize the government is the one making the laws, right? And in fact they've made laws such that not honoring a valid subpoena gets you slapped with obstruction of justice charges.
Just because government is the one making the laws doesn't mean they are above the law.
That's one of the reasons we live in a democracy and not a dictatorship.
And if the government is the sole enforcement of the law, how are they not above it? Not that this is remotely pertinent.
Just because government is the one making the laws doesn't mean they are above the law.
That's one of the reasons we live in a democracy and not a dictatorship.
If the US wasn't a 'dictatorship', then DF wouldn't exist. So there.
Just because government is the one making the laws doesn't mean they are above the law.
That's one of the reasons we live in a democracy and not a dictatorship.
The US is not a democracy. It is a serial dictatorship with highly pluralised powersharing amongst the oligarchy. This isn't to say that areas aren't given a degree of autonomy, but defiance of the state is met with brutal aggression. If the people were free to rule their own lives, that would not occur.
There was a time when the people were capable of indicting the President. That is no longer possible. The Law is a stick that the rich and powerful use to beat the poor and keep them in their place. Of course, capitalist enterprises also use the law to extort money from one another- although, that is an example of futile and useless legalism is as a means of social organisation.
There was a time when the people were capable of indicting the President. That is no longer possible. The Law is a stick that the rich and powerful use to beat the poor and keep them in their place. Of course, capitalist enterprises also use the law to extort money from one another- although, that is an example of futile and useless legalism is as a means of social organisation.
That makes us an aristocracy, not a "serial dictatorship."Uh.. is that better?
Hey, look! A webcomic and Dwarf Fortress!
Indeed. The most dangerous thing about PRISM is not that they could very easily use this metadeta to blackmail members of congress and single handedly own the political powers of the most annoying country on the face of the Earth nor is it that they can use it to very easily find and destroy political dissent.Hey, look! A webcomic and Dwarf Fortress!Oh, it's all about the US government now. Now you know why you fear the derail!
*gasp*Indeed. The most dangerous thing about PRISM is not that they could very easily use this metadeta to blackmail members of congress and single handedly own the political powers of the most annoying country on the face of the Earth nor is it that they can use it to very easily find and destroy political dissent.Hey, look! A webcomic and Dwarf Fortress!Oh, it's all about the US government now. Now you know why you fear the derail!
No, the most dangerous thing about what the NSA is doing is that they could be attempting to steal Dwarf Fortress all for themselves. Those pricks.