In an unclassified December 11 letter addressed to Oregon Democratic Senator Ron Wyden obtained by the New York Times, NSA director Paul Nakasone confirms the agency buys...

My data is already bought and sold by companies. But when government agencies do it, suddenly we only need to stop them. Stop this madness. It shouldn’t matter if it’s corporations or a government, why not stop the sale of people’s data?

    •  esaru   ( @esaru@beehaw.org ) 
      5•5 months ago

      The fact that the NSA was apparently not breaking the law is actually more infuriating and shifts focus on the need to change the law, which is opposing the government. You see, it’s always better to stick to the facts if you want to change things to the better.

      •  Moira_Mayhem   ( @Moira_Mayhem@beehaw.org ) 
        2•5 months ago

        And I’ve found that facts have been largely irrelevant in nearly every level of social discourse for the last 15 years.

        Especially when it comes to government.

        I know it’s comforting to believe that isn’t the case, that humanity is at base level rational and reasonable.

        Unfortunately this is a lie. The significant majority of humanity only follow rationality as far as it will help them achieve their goals.

        I cannot even count any more how often I have been objectively, factually right and was dismissed for not saying it in a way that they would like, which is abandoning factual accuracy to preserve certain comfortable illusions.

        So I’ve largely given up on wasting my time and effort to bring objective facts to people on the internet and in my government.

        I find that the best way to change things for the better is to get out in the streets and shout a lot.