Give me a break... Barack loves extrajudicial powers.
This is the problem with large, powerful governments. Sooner or later, the other guys will have the power.
If you voted for Obama (ESPECIALLY twice) and you're worried about Trump having power over the NSA, I am laughing at you.
The problem is that Trump might be less responsible with the powers given to him.
It's ironic to fear monger Trump who is not even in the office when the last, approved guy, created this mess and possibility in the first place.
"Take action to dismantle the NSA"
which shouldn't be too difficult, just revoke the 1952 Presidential Order and defund them from the intelligence budget.
Then:
"The NSA has turned the Internet into a weapon, collecting everything it can. "
OK going steady so far, still on-message. All n-billion people on the Internet are in the dragnet and we're all nodding in agreement.
But then, when they enumerate their actual action-points:
"Delete the data stored on Americans, and demolish the physical infrastructure needed to collect this data. "
So it's not dismantling they actually want but blunting. Still want to keep the NSA to spy on those nasty non-persons abroad.
Look I don't have a problem with Americans calling for the NSA to stop spying on Americans, that's your internal problem. But please don't wrap it up in hyperbole about 'dismantling' the NSA if you don't actually mean that.
"Oh God! Please give us back the situation where government overreach is back in the hands of career politicians!"
How about you instead focus on petitioning to the new President who might actually be swayed into doing something about it if conservative and liberals come together and push for it. He's a populist, make it the cool thing to do...
Like I get it, I was in the streets during Clinton's terms and during Bush's terms and I strongly opposed the expansion of the shadow surveillance state under Obama.
But pretending that handing it over to Trump is a normal handover to a Republican administration is whistling past the graveyard.
Either enact the powers or don't. Assume anyone can become President.
Curious how Trump is "autocratic" and Obama is not. Was Obama not autocratic when he drone-killed US citizens without due process? I'm not even sure what the word means. Obviously the President is entrusted with some powers that are autocratic and some that are checked by the other branches.
It's really telling about intentions, particularly in view of registries, or lists, where it's perfectly ok to keep a master list of gun purchasers, but not illegal aliens (or apparently, even visa holders). We were told "what's the harm in a list". Looks like we knew what what your intentions were the whole time for the list... Action against those people when possible or politically expedient...
