Anymouse

Anymouse's Journal

August 3, 2013

Germany Cancels Surveillance Pact with USA/UK over NSA Revelations

Source: Radio Deutsche Welle (Official Shortwave Station)

Germany has canceled a Cold War-era surveillance pact with the US and Britain. The largely symbolic move comes as Chancellor Angela Merkel's government faces mounting criticism for its complicity in spying programs.

"The cancellation of the administrative agreements, which we have pushed for in recent weeks, is a necessary and proper consequence of the recent debate about protecting personal privacy," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in a statement Friday, referring to the revelations by whistle-blower Edward Snowden.

The move appears to be an effort on behalf of the government to show that it's taking steps to prevent the unwarranted surveillance against German citizens. However, the pact itself appears to have little significance.

Read more: http://www.dw.de/germany-cancels-cold-war-era-surveillance-pact-in-wake-of-spying-revelations/a-16994741

The Federal Republic of Germany has some of the strongest privacy laws in the world; Angela Merkel was elected to the German Democratic Republic's (East Germany) parliament in the only free election held there at the end of that nation's existence.

The German people are quite familiar with dragnet surveillance by government, between the Gestapo and the GDR's Stasi. The pressure on Merkel was overwhelming to end the pact after the revelations of the NSA's dragnet surveillance.

The article is from Deutsche Welle, the official shortwave broadcaster of the FRG. Germany cares more for its people's privacy rights than our own government does about ours, it seems.

Profile Information

Gender: Male
Current location: Broadwater, NE
Member since: Sun May 19, 2013, 11:16 PM
Number of posts: 120

About Anymouse

I am a disabled Navy veteran of seventeen years service (epilepsy ended my career). I live in Broadwater, Nebraska (a town of 127 conservatives and me). It is way over in the empty Panhandly part of Nebraska. I am a village trustee (city councilman), elected in December of 2012 to fill the remaining term of a deceased member. Though an open atheist, a liberal, and with longer hair than anyone else in town, the chairman supported my campaign for the seat, saying I was the least divisive candidate of five. In a special election with five candidates, I was elected unanimously. I also have hobbies: amateur radio, calligraphy, and hammered dulcimer. I am a member of the Disabled American Veterans, the American Radio Relay League, American Mensa, Intertel, the International Society for Philosophical Enquiry, and the Triple Nine Society. -- -- -- APRIL UPDATE: I have filed my paperwork to run for re-election on November 4.