John Stossel - Pipe down, NSA is stopping terrorists from hurting us.

[kcchiefs6465]

I agree with everything you say, and I think there's going to be an economic collapse, but it's all relative. I'm not ready to throw Stossel under the bus for it. I still think he's an ally when it comes to freedom. If you get too nit picky you'll end up hating everybody.

Here's a question for you. Suppose you could choose between only one of two options. Either that the federal government would never spend more than it takes in and limit taxes to a flat tax of 1% or that the federal government would never keep track of phone conversations. Which would you choose?

My mind does not work on those terms. It isn't either or. I want personal freedom, economic freedom, etc. We have a fundamentally flawed government if we have to choose between which way we like to get fucked.

In your scenario though I would choose the 1% flat tax. I would then work to get a program to encrypt every aspect of my life. Though perhaps I was naive as a child, but I thought this was America. You know, we were exceptional. It is more apparent day by day that I was mislead if not flat out lied to. Especially when I am proposed hypotheticals of which way I like to be fucked. (not yours.. but the MSM narrative)

 

[jclay2]

Sweet weeping Jesus on The Cross...what do you think they are building this Matrix grid FOR????!!!

You don't honestly think it is for capturing ululating Jihadists do you?

This. System. Is. For. Us.

This system will be used to punish, harshly, incidents of non-compliance with the laws you just mentioned, and millions more that no normal person can comprehend, let alone comply with.

Exactly This. Connect the dots people. Look at the technology they are developing and see the true monster for what it is:

1. Facial recognition algorithms. Check
2. 24 Hour a day drones That can survey a whole city. Check.
3. Databases that merge all communications/financial transactions in your life. Check.

Can't you people see. They are getting to the point where they will know everything about each and every one of us with a 99.99999% accuracy as well as 1 million hours of actual video footage documenting your entire life from 0 to 80 years old. And if you drop out of the system, a flag goes up to take you out. Wake the hell up! 1984 is here and now.

 

[matt0611]

Stossel usually comes from a utilitarian and efficiency type of libertarianism and not the moral / natural rights type of position. So I'm not entirely surprised by this.

Oh well, Stossel is usually pretty good, but he's way off here for sure.

I still respect him for how he has treated Ron Paul, even having him on to mock debate an Obama impersonator.

 

[Anti Federalist]

Here's a question for you. Suppose you could choose between only one of two options. Either that the federal government would never spend more than it takes in and limit taxes to a flat tax of 1% or that the federal government would never keep track of phone conversations. Which would you choose?

No surveillance, without question.

Yeah, sure, my taxes would go down, so I would have more money in my pocket to gild my cage with.

You are not any kind of free person, living in any kind of free society, if your every move is under surveillance.

 

[A Son of Liberty]

No surveillance, without question.

Yeah, sure, my taxes would go down, so I would have more money in my pocket to gild my cage with.

You are not any kind of free person, living in any kind of free society, if your every move is under surveillance.

Correct; although it's a false proposition. There's no way the state wouldn't make use of the money it pilfers from you in spying on you. You've already told them you have no self-respect by submitting to their theft. At this point, there's no moral objection to them zooming in on you during your most intimate, personal moments.

You've already submitted to be their bitch. So lie there and take it, you worthless little slut.

 

[Anti Federalist]

Correct; although it's a false proposition. There's no way the state wouldn't make use of the money it pilfers from you in spying on you. You've already told them you have no self-respect by submitting to their theft. At this point, there's no moral objection to them zooming in on you during your most intimate, personal moments.

You've already submitted to be their bitch. So lie there and take it, you worthless little slut.

Quite right.

Yes sir.

 

[dannno]

Boy it really is on issues like this where the wheat is separated from the chaff.

Isn't Hannity on our side on this one?

Actually, I happened to watch Fox News the other day and I'll tell you: Hannity is at least acting like he is on our side on this one.

I disagree with John, I think he's downplaying it. But he does seem to generally be on our side, he said Rand was correct for fighting this battle he just seems to be making the point that it isn't on his top 5 things that he is worried about. I agree it should be on his list of top 5 things to be worried about.

 

[Occam's Banana]

Can it really be that Stossel and, apparently, even some of us here at RPFs (of all places!) have so quickly forgotten the once-so-hot-now-so-not IRS scandal? You know. The one where a government agency deliberately singled out politically dissident individuals & groups for "investigation" and differential treatment. That one. Ring any bells? Anybody?

Are Stossel & friends so desperately in need of a good hard thrashing with the cluestick that they are unable to grasp the implications & ramifications of the IRS scandal with respect to the the potential for the same kind of abuses by some other government agency - like, oh, say ... the NSA ?!?! (just to pick one agency completely at random)

Say ... speaking of the NSA: hasn't there been something going on in the news about them, lately? What was it, now? Ah, hell, I can't remember! Oh, well. Whatever it was, it was probably nothing important. I'm sure it's nothing we need to worry about at all ...

SMMFH.

Hello, McFly! Hello!!!

Sweet weeping Jesus on The Cross...what do you think they are building this Matrix grid FOR????!!!

You don't honestly think it is for capturing ululating Jihadists do you?

This. System. Is. For. Us.

This system will be used to punish, harshly, incidents of non-compliance with the laws you just mentioned, and millions more that no normal person can comprehend, let alone comply with.

Millions of lives, (million more than have already been ruined by the prison/industrial complex) will be torn apart.

Everybody else will live in constant fear of the hammer falling at any moment, and tip toeing, shut mouth, compliance.

You. Have. Something. To. Hide.

Trust me...we all do, myself included.

When the velvet glove comes off this iron fist, God help us all.

 

[heavenlyboy34]

/facepalm @ Stossel
I am disappoint in your fail, sir.

 

[emazur]

Very disappointing and unexpected. Contrary to the statement in the LRC article, I've always found Stossel to be very much against the police state - watch any clip when he has Radley Balko on and you'll see. This is a definite knock against him and I'll be watching for other statist opinions from him now

 

[Anti Federalist]

Isn't Hannity on our side on this one?

Actually, I happened to watch Fox News the other day and I'll tell you: Hannity is at least acting like he is on our side on this one.

I disagree with John, I think he's downplaying it. But he does seem to generally be on our side, he said Rand was correct for fighting this battle he just seems to be making the point that it isn't on his top 5 things that he is worried about. I agree it should be on his list of top 5 things to be worried about.

Yup.

He'll be back onboard once Team Red is in the lead.

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showth...now-on-NSA-surveillance&p=5076125#post5076125

 

[Anti Federalist]

I disagree with John, I think he's downplaying it. But he does seem to generally be on our side, he said Rand was correct for fighting this battle he just seems to be making the point that it isn't on his top 5 things that he is worried about. I agree it should be on his list of top 5 things to be worried about.

Again, let me post this:

1. Terrorists do want to murder us. If the NSA is halfway competent, Big Data should help detect plots.

That indicates to me a glaring, fundamental failure of understanding of what this is all about.

This is not about building a more lean and cost efficient surveillance state.

It is about not having a surveillance state.

 

[cajuncocoa]

Isn't Hannity on our side on this one?

I wouldn't put it that way. As AF said, he'll be back on Team Red if/when the GOP reclaim the White House.

Hannity's not so much on our side as he is against Obama. Before 2009, he never said one word about all the abuses Dubya was doing.

 

[helmuth_hubener]

[video=vimeo;67889828]http://vimeo.com/67889828[/video]

John Stossel didn't really do much investigative reporting--he was a REAL disappointment to me as well with regards to exposing GMO's.

Monsanto Whistleblower Says Genetically Engineered Crops May Cause Disease
http://www.responsibletechnology.or...ngineered-Crops-May-Cause-Disease-August-2006

Anniversary of a Whistleblowing Hero
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeffrey-smith/anniversary-of-a-whistleb_b_675817.html

Registered Dietitian Dismissed from Panel Researching GMO Nutrition for Pointing out Other Members Ties to Monsanto
http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/re...-pointing-out-other-members-ties-to-monsanto/

BioTech Lies Exposed: Genetically Modified Corn is Loaded with Chemical Poisons
http://www.globalresearch.ca/biotec...ills-its-loaded-with-chemical-poisons/5330747

BioTech Lies Exposed: GMO Corn Contains Practically No Nutrients, Loaded with Chemical Poisons
https://leaksource.wordpress.com/20...ly-no-nutrients-loaded-with-chemical-poisons/

None of these have anything to do with John Stossel, nor the NSA, nor anything else being discussed in this thread. I even skimmed through one of them to make sure. Not a word about Stossel. Thank you so much for going to the effort of doing whatever it is you think you're doing, though. Cheers!

 

[helmuth_hubener]

It's just a strange article to write. If you're just not worked up about it, why go to the effort to write an article about how you're not worked up? I'm not writing Stossel off entirely -- at least he does have the right view on this, technically, that is that it's bad. But boy, why write "yeah, it's bad, and good for those fighting it, but I just don't care." Why not pretend to care and join them in fighting it, if only for the ratings?

I will say that I kind of understand Stossel, the way he is and thinks, and doing stuff like this is just one of those things that's what he does. He is very honest and open in his stands and he likes to take unexpected or eclectic stands based on reason and research. This is one of those surprising stands. But Stossel is still one of the good guys.

The worst thing was definitely the point about Big Data maybe could stop a terrorist. Lame. But I'll bet he'd backtrack on that if someone called him on it. I don't think he really believes that, with all its implications.

 

[bunklocoempire]

 

[satchelmcqueen]

wow im disappointing.

 

[newbitech]

So basically the attitude goes something like this.

The **** is already in my *** so they may as well keep ****ing me, besides if I wasn't tied down here with my face in the floor and my hands behind my back I probably wouldn't have seen the dust bunnies collecting in the corner. Man, I hate dust bunnies!

 

[Anti Federalist]

So basically the attitude goes something like this.

The **** is already in my *** so they may as well keep ****ing me, besides if I wasn't tied down here with my face in the floor and my hands behind my back I probably wouldn't have seen the dust bunnies collecting in the corner. Man, I hate dust bunnies!

Perfect analogy.

 

[Carson]

I wonder if people would take this differently if they lived somewhere else where they didn't have any representation in this matter.

Imagine coming home finding someone from another country sfnifnig through your wife's urnwdeaer darewr in the name of their national security.