Obama: If You Trust Your Congress, Trust in the NSA Data Collection

[Harry Monroe]

On Friday afternoon, President Obama responded for the first time to the revelations of various National Security Agency data gathering programs—from recording all call records in and outside of the United States, to the PRISM program, which reportedly taps into the data streams of some of the largest data hosting companies in the country.

Here's the gist: Although you, the citizens, have not heard of this, we have substantial oversight on these programs involving every branch of government. Legislators have been briefed (in regards to the telephone data, he said all members knew), and "if anybody in government wanted to go further than that top-line data … they would have to go back to a federal judge," Obama said.

Basically, if you trust the system, you should trust us.

"In the abstract you can complain about Big Brother and how this is a potential program run amok," the president said. "But if you look at the details ... I think we have struck a nice balance."

http://mashable.com/2013/06/07/president-obama-nsa-response/


Anyone with half a brain should know that "trust me" in government speak translated into ordinary English, means "fuck you". I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

[niyad]

1. but I don't trust congress.

[Laelth]

2. Exactly. +1 n/t

-Laelth

[Autumn]

3. Trust Congress????? I wouldn't trust Congress

to clean up my dogs shit from the yard.

[premium]

4. That's hilarious.

Approval ratings for the Congress are at 6%, and he wants us to trust the govt?
Here's what I've got to say to that.

[MannyGoldstein]

9. +1 nm

[Harry Monroe]

5. Same shit, different day (or Administration).

Anyone who is now displaying their misplaced "outrage" over this has not been paying attention, or just thought it was OK when Bush was doing it. So why the sudden "outrage now that Obama is simply continuing this reprehensible practice started by his predecessor, under the legal blanket of the "Patriot" Act?

Frankly, I was pissed and outraged then and I am pissed and outraged now. Once government gets the power of surveillance via the "Patriot" Act (and the time to be outraged was in 2001 when this abomination became law), it is very hard to put the surveillance and spying genie back into the bottle. Unfortunately, this creep to fascism has been the new normal since the last decade.

What needs to happen is the complete repeal of the Orwellian named "Patriot" Act. Sadly and frankly, I don't see that happening. I do see our slow and steady march into a "Big Brother" society, no matter which party is in control. Once government has our permission to spy on us, it is hard for them to relinquish that power.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-05-10-nsa_x.htm

An article from 7 years ago. The more things change, the more they remain the same.


"Same as it ever was."

Talking Heads

[HeroInAHalfShell]

6. Did he really say something that stupid? wow...

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. The people aren't supposed to "trust" their government in a democracy.

The government is (allegedly) our servant and we pay them to do our bidding. Not vice-versa.

[stillwaiting]

8. 6% of Americans think Congress is doing a good job.

How could most Americans trust an institution they don't think is doing a good job?

Seems pretty silly to me.

[ProSense]

10. The President did

"If You Trust Your Congress, Trust in the NSA Data Collection"

...not say that.

That's not to suggest that you just say, trust me; we’re doing the right thing; we know who the bad guys are. And the reason that's not how it works is because we’ve got congressional oversight and judicial oversight. And if people can't trust not only the executive branch but also don't trust Congress and don't trust federal judges to make sure that we’re abiding by the Constitution, due process and rule of law, then we’re going to have some problems here.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/06/07/1214491/-President-Obama-s-statement-on-ACA-and-answering-question-on-NSA-in-San-Jose-CA

[Union Scribe]

14. And what is the difference there?

More words? It's the same argument, but perhaps a little more insulting because it assumes we aren't now hearing from lawmakers who say that the NSA straight-up lied to them and that we don't know the murky nature of "judicial oversight" in this arena.

[Ed Suspicious]

16. Well then... Houston, we have a problem. nt

[Iliyah]

17. That is to say

if you don't trust your congresscritter and if that creature is up for re-election, vote for someone you think will try and make a POSITIVE difference.

[premium]

19. It's basically the same damned thing.

He's saying trust us, we know what we're doing.

[tularetom]

28. Oh, now I feel better because "we've got congressional oversight"

Congress doesn't have any time for oversight. They're too busy repealing Obamacare, denying climate change, and trying to find a reason to impeach the president for them to oversee anything.

For a smart man, this guy is really out of touch.

[Logical]

35. Lol, pure fucking spin. The OP was 100% correct! n-t

[jwirr]

11. If he does not understand the irony of that statement then I no longer trust in him either. We

stopped trusting in Congress a long time ago.

[Arkansas Granny]

12. I can't believe he made that statement.

Who trusts Congress?

[Skittles]

13. LOL

I think Obama is an intelligent man, but he is not smart enough to realize thinking people know that is utter nonsense

[Ed Suspicious]

15. Ha! I sure as hell don't trust my congress.

[kenny blankenship]

18. "Trust Congress"? Is this the Onion?

Yeah, that's clearly what the founders of this country and the authors of the Constitution intended. The upshot of their Constitutional Convention and the subsequent back and forth in the Federalist Papers basically boiled down to this : "Providence has selected certain men for Rulership, trust in them as you would trust in the Lord. Question them not nor question the acts of the Lord." That was pretty much it, or words to that effect.

[MisterP]

20. wait, I thought Congress was Obama's only obstacle to creating a New Dealer paradise?

that's what I keep hearing
now they like each other?
actually, I feel something slipping
good

[PD Turk]

21. Umm...no

The whole Iraq debacle and a bunch of other stuff over the last 10-12 years leaves me not trusting congress as far as I could throw the whole sorry lot of them

[sibelian]

22. That was the WROOOOOOOOOONG thing to say.

Well, well.

[Politicub]

23. Deceptive title - link bait

Obama did not say that.

[Cha]

29. Exactly. But, the OP got a lot of little fishes on his hook.

[ProSense]

31. Who cares? It's fine to make up Obama quotes to fan outrage.

OMG, did he really say that!!!

[Iliyah]

24. If these people are up for

election in your district and there is a better candidate running, VOTE!

[Corruption Inc]

25. Sure thing, trust some Bush-appointed judge and a 6% approval Congress

But the most illogical part of it is the idea that the spy agencies aren't spying on us even after collecting all our data.

[dkf]

26. After this how do we trust any of those institutions?

[Life Long Dem]

27. Taken out of context.

if people can't trust not only the executive branch but also don't trust Congress and don't trust federal judges...

[Cha]

30. Wtf do these people care?

[ZombieHorde]

32. How does that context make it better, in your view? nt

[Life Long Dem]

33. Congress in itself may not be trusted.

Congress in itself may not have the trust as 3 branches overseeing this as a whole. Which is better than the 1 the op posted.

[ZombieHorde]

34. Ah. I see now. nt