I dunno how much people have been following the recent revelations about just how much the US government has been spying on us, but frankly I think it's rather disturbing. Apparently, they've been recording the details of phone calls of everyone in the US, in secret and without any public knowledge or oversight (although there are secret courts to cover it).
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/06/nsa-phone-records-verizon-court-orderFrankly, I think it's disgusting. It is one thing to argue that the US government needs to get information like this, but that argument should be one to be had in public, not behind closed doors. People have the right to know what is being done in their name, as far as possible. For example, our government is considering making laws to allow this sort of thing, but at least they're doing it in the open, and having a debate over it (which resulted in the law being shelved). The US just does it in private and circumvents constitutional protections and public opinion.
But, what is even
more disturbing from the point of view of someone who isn't in the US, but uses US services (which is probably about 75% of the world) is the way that the US seems to think that people outside of their borders don't have rights, and can be snooped-on at will without any court orders.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-dataThe more I hear about stuff like this, the more it astounds me that most Americans don't understand why the rest of the world hates them. The US attitude seems to be that freedom is a fundamental right if and only if you're American, otherwise we can do whatever we like, and frankly I find that absolutely
disgraceful, and damn hypocritical too. Freedom applies to
everyone, not just to US citizens. And, if you want to do business with the rest of the world you can't treat them like dirt.
The most annoying part of it, though, is that boycotting US companies is simply not an option (hell, even this forum is hosted in the US, due to this country's ridiculously moralistic obscenity laws), however much they have demonstrated they cannot be trusted.
Here is what the guy who leaked the information has to say.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/09/edward-snowden-nsa-whistleblower-surveillancePersonally, I think the guy is a hero. He knows the likely outcome of what he's done, but yet he chose to stand up to the government and hold them to account for their decisions. We need more people who do this, who tell the government they won't allow such abuses.
Finally, I also noticed this:
http://www.chronicle.su/news/anonymous-infiltrates-prism-intercepts-obamas-skype/Apparently, Anonymous has hacked into Prism, and has details of calls made by various US citizens, including Obama. This could get
very juicy. And, frankly, it's what they bloody deserve for snooping on everyone like that.
What I also like about it is the way the US government said "nope, they can't have hacked it, Prism doesn't exist". Which is quite obviously bullshit.