Political & Elections

busdriver11 · Guru

RE: Edward Snowden

SamuraiLandshark · Guru

Therein lies the problem.

We are supposed to trust Big Government to do the right thing.

Yet, you add in layers and layers of middle management. Idealistic staff and corrupt staff and you get, well...what's happening now. Contractors and subcontractors able to listen in on phone calls or read emails if given the directive. Or they just have the authority, so they peek at records they shouldn't. A few years ago, a local med center had a scandal where the staff was playing peekaboo on high profile celebrities who were patients

I am sitting in a hospital room right now, looking at what managed care will look like in a few months. It is like the middle management layers, without the politics. Layers of bureaucracy with dumbass rules and regs. No regular soda in cafeteria because it might cause diabetes, but apparently diet drinks with artificial sweeteners are a-ok.

Wait till all those medical records are online. The fun will begin, then.

longprime · Guru

So, Ed as a contractor, was hired by a contractor who did its background checks thru a contractor that had access to the same info that he had as a contractor on contract in a position that can put out a contract on you and me. evileye

So if you wanted to infiltrate the US Homeland Security and other sensitive areas, you really need to be a contractor. evileye

Too easy. Who and Why do we need the CIA? Why did we spend so much $$$$ for DS education when he could have the a high position with more $$$$. The American Way----

-- Edited by longprime on Friday 21st of June 2013 04:51:51 PM

-- Edited by longprime on Friday 21st of June 2013 06:53:14 PM

longprime · Guru

Comments from CC:

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1515030-opinions-nsa-6.html

What the NSA did/does is not really news. What is news is that so many of us are blind to what the NSA does/did and what powers the President got from Congress via the Patriot Act, with the a very high majority of both Parties and the Public's quiescence to the the intent of the Patriot Act to enable the President to defend the USA from within and without. However, the lack of a law never stopped the President and the Government from doing something.

Perhaps I am a little bit more aware of this because there were some big articles in a magazine in 2001-2002 (I think in was in Vanity Fair) about the John Woo, Patriot Act, and Afghanistan/Iraq; In the mid 80's, I was associated with an engineer who was in beta phase of a communication device (CB radios) that had an embedded, very high level of voice encryption-They were awaiting NSA approval for the encryption and NSA's ability to break the code and if not, then a backdoor access must be provided.

I also like movie thrillers.

Of course, All of us read the Privacy Notice and Terms of Use that computer/cell phone users get.

-- Edited by longprime on Friday 14th of June 2013 11:03:53 AM

catahoula · Guru

It's the rare person that can't be repackaged (professionally, that is, by the same kind of people that sold Obamacare as a deficit reducing measure) as a nut job.

Not saying Snowden isn't a self-serving little tool, but his own mum won't recognize what a couple of months will leave on her step.

winchester · Guru

In January 2006, when George W. Bush was president, Pew Research Center asked Democrats how they felt about the NSA's surveillance programs. Thirty-seven percent labeled the spying "acceptable," and 61 percent said they were unacceptable. The reverse is true today, as 64 percent of Democrats believe that Barack Obama's surveillance programs are acceptable and 34 percent say they're not.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/06/13/the_lefts_phony_defense_of_freedom_118795.html#ixzz2W6QpL7LG

longprime · Guru

Flash:

Snowden reveals, USA hacks China.

Yes its secret. but you didn't know this?

This guy is narcissistic.

longprime · Guru

Booz:

"People, this is a Priority 1. I want to him now. Come on people, talk to me. " [frm Bourne I,II, III, starring Matt Damon] evileye

soccerguy315 · Guru

longprime, there is plenty of conflicting info.

at the most basic level, he was identified as a "senior intelligence officer" when the leak first came out.

newspapers throwing stuff around all over the place with little regard for accuracy (not surprising)

longprime · Guru

He's on the run.

Sure hope Booz got a tail on him because he's gonna cost them a lot of money if they lose him. I can visualize this: Booz has put their "experts" in tracking Snowden, Just like the movies. evileye

catahoula · Guru

There are claims his salary was more around 120k, not 200k. Still plush, considering the man, but an 80k pay cut will hurt anyone.

longprime · Guru

Booz, says his salary is $120K.

Guessing:

Another $60K for payroll taxes.

Health Ins $3-4K.

Management supervision 50% of gross, $100K

Profit 20%, $40K to Booz.

Total $350,000 for this low level security agent. Untold hundreds of $billions, and we are undone from within. evileye

-- Edited by longprime on Tuesday 11th of June 2013 06:18:31 PM

soccerguy315 · Guru

There is all kinds of conflicting information about this guy...

high school dropout?
200k salary?
security guard?
some community college courses?
perhaps some military background?

the point of having contractors in the Intelligence Community is that they can be hired and fired with ease (or at least, comparatively).

longprime · Guru

Snowden, is going to find out that he has pissed some of us off.

IMO, HK - China is not going to give him refuge. He's not a political refugee. No government likes its employees stealing. disbelief

State sanctioned stealing is OK but not what Snowden had done. evileye

Congress is going to want some answers from this Administration and from Booze Allen Hamilton & contractors.

Maybe I should rethink the H1-B visas. Maybe USA can get trustworthy employees at lower wages evileye

hope · Guru

This is fascinating...two years older than my older son.

So many super smart kids barely make it through high school, let alone college.

I will try to post long quotes from a desktop, cat. Posting from ipad is a pain.

longprime · Guru

So far, No conflicting info.

And if this guy had a BS and MS in Computer Science, he is over paid even in a high cost of living post.

BTW, we can all find out more about, ES, through the Internet. evileye

-- Edited by longprime on Monday 10th of June 2013 10:05:15 PM

-- Edited by longprime on Monday 10th of June 2013 10:18:25 PM

longprime · Guru

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323495604578535653583992418.html?mod=WSJ_myyahoo_module

Reveals himself as the leak. Also tells us that he had access to areas outside of his pervue. But he really hasn't said anything that a normal person could deduce.

Gets paid $200,000, without portfolio.

Gives hope to those with just a GED.

DS worked for one of those big consulting firms (media related) -always fighting to get a raise. DS & classmates (engineers and CS) in private industry don't get paid like this.

Are we spending too much money in border security and not enough on internal security?

Outsourcing our National Security a good idea?

evileye

-- Edited by longprime on Monday 10th of June 2013 07:37:05 AM