It’s true that the NSA started their spying-on-everyone empire under Shrub, but it is also true that members of Congress and the administration have had ample time to investigate and rein the NSA in and have … actually, not a thing. I guess they all assume that it’s okay if the NSA is not spying on them. How do they know that the NSA isn’t spying on them? The NSA told them so.
Everyone knows that if there is another act of terror, there will be a sizable number of people who will blame those in charge because they didn’t prevent it. As a result, the spying program will never reduce, because even with the most intensive snooping, we will not be able to predict everything.
Now that the program is in place, all it can do is grow until we as a society decide that our freedom (which “they hate”, which is why we went to fight them over there, so we don’t have to fight them over here, and which the government has determined must be given up to ensure it continues) is more important than the government’s right to know. Given the “I don’t do anything wrong, so I don’t care” percentage of the population, I don’t see us being able to stop it.
Regardless, there is so much information now stored, and planned to be stored, we will not be able to process the sheer volume. After the next disaster, we’ll be able to say: “We could have known about that.” And perpetuating this sham will continue to cost untold billions.
That’s interesting. That would mean that Chinese is an ergative-absolutive language, in which the experiencer of an intransitive verb is in the same case as the patient of a transitive verb. About 30% of known languages have ergative-absolutive features. English (and most European languages, except Basque) are nominative-accusative languages, in which the experiencer of an intransitive verb is in the same case as the agent of a transitive verb. (But the old “methinks” is an ergative construction.)
AlnicoV over 10 years ago
Joe Heller seems to have forgotten the Bundesnachrichtendienst or BND who doubtlessly are also plugged in now as they have been for decades.
Enoki over 10 years ago
But, we’re the only one with a leader that will cave and stop doing it…
Spyderred over 10 years ago
It’s true that the NSA started their spying-on-everyone empire under Shrub, but it is also true that members of Congress and the administration have had ample time to investigate and rein the NSA in and have … actually, not a thing. I guess they all assume that it’s okay if the NSA is not spying on them. How do they know that the NSA isn’t spying on them? The NSA told them so.
pirate227 over 10 years ago
Word…
I Play One On TV over 10 years ago
Everyone knows that if there is another act of terror, there will be a sizable number of people who will blame those in charge because they didn’t prevent it. As a result, the spying program will never reduce, because even with the most intensive snooping, we will not be able to predict everything.
Now that the program is in place, all it can do is grow until we as a society decide that our freedom (which “they hate”, which is why we went to fight them over there, so we don’t have to fight them over here, and which the government has determined must be given up to ensure it continues) is more important than the government’s right to know. Given the “I don’t do anything wrong, so I don’t care” percentage of the population, I don’t see us being able to stop it.
Regardless, there is so much information now stored, and planned to be stored, we will not be able to process the sheer volume. After the next disaster, we’ll be able to say: “We could have known about that.” And perpetuating this sham will continue to cost untold billions.
lonecat over 10 years ago
That’s interesting. That would mean that Chinese is an ergative-absolutive language, in which the experiencer of an intransitive verb is in the same case as the patient of a transitive verb. About 30% of known languages have ergative-absolutive features. English (and most European languages, except Basque) are nominative-accusative languages, in which the experiencer of an intransitive verb is in the same case as the agent of a transitive verb. (But the old “methinks” is an ergative construction.)
lonecat over 10 years ago
I think the correct form is “Me and her was angry”.