Hi All, I used to have a TS clearance with the US Navy, during the Vietnam war. I wholeheartedly agree with the tone of what Tim said, in the original post. I'm not privy to any of the details, but it has the very same "feel" of the US Government ~ 40 years ago. Back around 1972 I very seriously considered doing what Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning recently have done. I was young and idealistic. I thought it would make a significant difference to America and the world. Luckily for me, Daniel Ellsberg did pretty much the same thing just before me. Then I saw how he was persecuted, and how very little it really changed things. So, instead, I decided to follow the advice of the wise old man in the brothel, and of Captain Orr, in the movie Catch 22. (I strongly suggest you (re)watch it.) I gave up on America and went somewhere better. I've lived in Australia since 1984, and been a citizen here since 1985. Our standard of living is the 2nd best in the world, while the USA's is the 16th.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index#Inequality-adjusted_HDI
Our democracy is the 6th best in the world, while the USA's is the 21st.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index https://www.eiu.com/public/topical_report.aspx?campaignid=DemocracyIndex12
Sure, Australian governments of both persuasions are embarrassingly sycophantic toadies to the USA (in the MISTAKEN belief that we're accumulating "defence IOUs"), but at least we don't have the destructive power that my native homeland has. I just want to keep my head down, enjoy what's left of my life, and hope that the USA and China neutralise each other -- so the rest of the world can get on with living a good life. Cheers, Carl Turney Bayswater, Vic, AU On 11/06/13 17:10, Tim Josling wrote:
This posting offers some interesting insight into why tech companies seem to have so easily rolled over and given the US government access to their customers' data. ...