The NSA’s mass surveillance programs are the subject of continued legal and political challenge–but there remain serious problems with how some in the media are covering the issue.
Take the December 22 episode of NBC‘s Meet the Press. Viewers heard Republican politician and ardent NSA defender Peter King claim that if the NSA had phone metadata program in 2001, the 9/11 attacks “probably wouldn’t have happened.” That’s a remarkably provocative claim; is it true? One wouldn’t have known from watching the show, but ProPublica‘s Justin Elliot has looked into this (6/20/13) and finds no evidence for such an assertion
New York Times columnist David Brooks was on the Meet the Press panel to say that there’s probably a need to rein in some of the NSA’s activities. But he made clear that this should not “legitimize” whistleblower Edward Snowden, who Brooks derides as a “narcissist”– a familiar media smear against Snowden.
But then, later on in the show came this from host Gregory:
I should mention… my wife who is in law enforcement who you know well, said the fact that it is so broad, that this bulk collection is so broad, is what makes it safer. Because the government is not concerned about who is looking at what website. They are really just collecting data to be able to protect the country.
So the mass collection of everyone’s phone metadata is actually a good thing. because the government is grabbing everything in order to protect us. At least, that’s what Gregory’s high level source tells him.
I wonder who works on their hair more, David Gregory or Edward Snowden? I mean this is important and not just narcissistic. How is one to attract these “high level sources” if one doesn’t look good–and of course make her laugh?
We obviously live in a time when conscience has become criminalized; I did not know that it was also a cover for egocentricity and narcissism. I have Mr. Gregory to thank for that penetrating insight. None dare call it cynicism, eh? JWC
Funny how white collar attorneys are “in law enforcement” these days.
We can all relax; it looks like Gregory is about to get the boot. http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2013/12/22/will-david-gregory-be-bumped-meet-press-replaced-joe-and-mika
OTOH, Joe and Mika… idk
It’s not the host, it’s the content. Who can stand to watch the same old white men discuss the same issues, making the same arguments and coming up with the same (wrong) conclusions over and over again for 30 years. Eventually someone is going to start to notice the pattern. Get some fresh blood in there. Someone who is not afraid to ask real questions and won’t let fear of losing access prevent them from actually getting a real answer. It’s 30 minutes of politicians dodging questions and another 30 minutes of industry insiders speculating about what they really mean. No wonder no one wants to watch it.
Law Enforcement? His wife is a Partner at a white shoe law firm in D.C. They are some of the most stalwart defenders of corporate criminality in the world. Trust me, I work for their competition.
So remember this folks, when they begin massive arrests of everyone, you don’t need too worry: you didn’t commit any real crime and the government won’t be worried about what actual crime you committed, they are just making you safe from terrorist attacks by taking all your freedoms.
Did we hear the same crap in GWB’s day , they have to steal our rights to save us?
It’s no surprise that the two Davids of media deceit, Gregory and Brooks, say in essence that National Security Agency excesses are okay. What’s more remarkable is that no one in the major-market punditry has any idea how this could be done.
Secrets are just that, and it is doubtful that the Congress, the courts, the White House or any new regulatory arrangements could uncover, much less curtail, the appalling excesses of the current national security community.
President Obama’s recent insistence that there was no evidence of the phone surveillance program being abused illustrates an even more disturbing problem. It it hard not to reach the conclusion that the President is not being sufficiently informed by his advisors and has been largely reduced to assuring the public that everything okay.
Yet again, my comment here popped up on the site before I could proof read it. Okay, I’m inept. I’m also out of here.
Bulk collection is what makes it unconstitutional — and, ipso facto, gives every American legal standing. Does Mrs Lawyer Gregory not get that?
David Gregory is trying to sell the false official 9/11 story. NSA has worked closely with Israeli agency, therefore, NSA surveillance could not have stopped 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Israeli Zionist author and radio talkshow host, Barry Chamish, admitted last year that 9/11 was another of Israel’s false flag operation.
http://rehmat1.com/2012/08/22/israeli-jew-author-zionists-did-911/
Didn’t George Orwell use this same reasoning in his book 1984?
@ No difference
I was rooting for “cancel it” as I reads that little write up you linked…The country is no longer “center right” if it ever was. Will be interesting to see how the 1% propaganda outlets respond as right wing hacks like the repulsive David Gregory continue to drag them down like boat anchors
David Gregory is sad, just a very sad person. We have politicians asking the great questions because it seeems that the “journalists’ are bot clear as to what they should be doing! : )
Senator Bernie Sanders asked the important questions of General Alexander.Great questions, because most people in America would like to know if the NSA is listening NOW to people in Congress and other elected officials, or if it has done so in the past.
Yes, we would like to know that because really, the spy people are supposed to work for the nation and not against it. It does appear that there is no difference between General Sisi and General Alexander. I don’t think the Founding Fathers had the spooky NSA in mind when the Preamble came about. If fact, NSA, you are so very……..well George the III, and yes that is very UN American. No one, after all voted for you : )
In all the stories about Watergate, it seemed that the democratic republic triumphed against plumbers and the creeps and the slugs…..guess not. I guess in all that time they just went underground and kept on working. Now though, the spooky people have big job titles and really big budgets, and they have a cheer leading section of overpaid pretend journalists too.
Langston Hughes once wrote that America wasn’t America yet…but that it WOULD be! I am having a hard time believing that today.
How David Gregory got past the most basic vetting process is beyond understanding. He is truly an imbecile.
Meet the Press is a shadow of its former self, and David Gregory is just another stenographer for the corporatocracy. Wouldn’t it be great if Katrina Vanden Heuvel was the host?
“that this bulk collection is so broad, is what makes it safer.”
You gonna go with THAT?
Reminds me of the commercial “they’RE giving it away FREE? It must be good!”
Because it’s just logical.
Rehamut and Frank were somehow able to turn this to an anti Jewish Tirade because that is what they do.Here is your home work tonight boys.Why did the New Orlean Saints beat the Phila. Eagles,and how was it the Jews fault?Moving on I do not see the government having massive powers to keep tabs on all of us without warrant as a good thing .Even if a Bush or an Obama did not usurp that power….the next might.