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You are here: Home / The Bullshit Parade Never Stops

The Bullshit Parade Never Stops

by John Cole|  March 25, 20145:46 pm| 93 Comments

This post is in: Blogospheric Navel-Gazing, Clown Shoes

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.@Johngcole @cody_k See, I'm way more concerned about corporations (without oversight) having my personal data. Question is: why aren't you?

— Bob Cesca (@bobcesca_go) March 25, 2014

Obama to Propose the Privatization of NSA’s Metadata Collection Program http://t.co/lsrCzAFg2w #p2 #tcot #Snowden @thedailybanter

— Bob Cesca (@bobcesca_go) March 25, 2014

The contortions people must go through.

I think my favorite thing about this is those are tweets from, you know, a private company, and then I found the link to his post about Obama privatizing (in the second tweet) through my… facebook feed, with their awesome record of privacy.

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Reader Interactions

93Comments

  1. 1.

    Baud

    March 25, 2014 at 5:50 pm

    Jesus H. Christ. Who cares? It looks like we’re heading towards good result here. Everybody should be happy right now.

  2. 2.

    askew

    March 25, 2014 at 5:54 pm

    Yeah, you are just digging to find something to bitch about there. You can think Obama’s reforms are a good thing and still care more about corporations having your data. Not a contortion at all.

  3. 3.

    Turgidson

    March 25, 2014 at 5:59 pm

    If we want to talk about a “bullshit parade,” I’d say Greenwald’s “the NSA is WATCHING YOU RIGHT NOW ZOMG OBAMA DEAR LEADER” style of reporting is the star of that parade in a walk. Just my opinion. But Cesca thinks there’s no difference between an 18-month metadata storage period and a 5-year period? That seems…like bullshit. He has a point that there’s no reason to think telecoms are any more trustworthy with private data than the government, though. If the choice is between companies having it for 18 months or the NSA having it for 5 years, I’ll take the former. Which is what Obama is proposing, so that works for me.

    The “he told me about Obama privatizing via a private company” remark smacks of “Al Gore flew in a plane, so he should shut up about global warming” though.

  4. 4.

    max

    March 25, 2014 at 5:59 pm

    See, I’m way more concerned about corporations (without oversight) having my personal data. Question is: why aren’t you?

    A Noun! A Verb! And Nine One One! SELFIES!

    The contortions people must go through.

    Cesca and Greenwald deserve each other.

    max
    [‘They would be good for a pretty good Star Trek episode remake.’]

  5. 5.

    chopper

    March 25, 2014 at 6:07 pm

    @Baud:

    we’re democrats. the jewish mothers of politics.

  6. 6.

    SiubhanDuinne

    March 25, 2014 at 6:07 pm

    Bloody godsdamned WaPo.

    Supreme Court leans toward argument that religion trumps Obamacare
    Companies say contraceptive requirement restricts religious freedom, and justices seem to agree.

    The headline and summary were enough to make me grind my teeth. I did not, and will not, click through to the story.

  7. 7.

    Baud

    March 25, 2014 at 6:08 pm

    @chopper:

    Well, then, none of you are eating enough. You’re all wasting away!

    ETA: And when is Cole going to get married.

  8. 8.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    March 25, 2014 at 6:09 pm

    I despise Glenn Greenwald

    Somebody remind me who Bob Cesca is?

    I think Obama’s reforms don’t go far enough

    I still think Obama’s easily the best president of my lifetime.

  9. 9.

    Bobby Thomson

    March 25, 2014 at 6:09 pm

    @askew: Except that the reforms directly result in corporations – which are not even nominally subject to the democratic process – having more control over the data.

  10. 10.

    Bobby Thomson

    March 25, 2014 at 6:10 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: Don’t shoot the messenger. Being discussed a few threads down.

  11. 11.

    Baud

    March 25, 2014 at 6:11 pm

    @Bobby Thomson:

    What are you talking about?

  12. 12.

    Cassidy

    March 25, 2014 at 6:11 pm

    Well hell. If corporations get our information for nothing, how are we gonna get free shipping? Thanks Obama.

  13. 13.

    chopper

    March 25, 2014 at 6:14 pm

    replying to someone on twitter while referring to them in the third person reeks of douche, if you ask me.

  14. 14.

    kc

    March 25, 2014 at 6:17 pm

    @chopper:

    Not really. The “why aren’t you” in Cesca’s Tweet was pretty douchey.

  15. 15.

    Baud

    March 25, 2014 at 6:18 pm

    @Bobby Thomson:

    Never mind. I see that it was Cesca who got his facts wrong. Or I’m wrong. But at least I understand the source of the confusion.

  16. 16.

    LT

    March 25, 2014 at 6:18 pm

    @Baud: “What are you talking about?”

    It’s called “making shit up,” wholly, completely, dumbly, desperately.

  17. 17.

    White Trash Liberal

    March 25, 2014 at 6:21 pm

    Ok, so there’s a real story about reforms the president made, but you are on Twitter being a petty dick weasel.

    And aren’t you one of the hobos riding the train of the story isn’t about Greenwald? Yet here you are enabling the very tendency to make that guy the center of attention.

    The float I see in the bullshit parade is yours, made out of pieces of hypocrite.

  18. 18.

    chopper

    March 25, 2014 at 6:24 pm

    @kc:

    yeah, really. talking at someone while referring to them in the third person is pretty douchey. you’re likely to get a douchey or snide response.

  19. 19.

    geg6

    March 25, 2014 at 6:24 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Yeah, that’s kinda where I fall. I really don’t want anyone storing my personal communications, whether corporations or government. This is a step in the right direction, but I’m one who trusts the NSA more than I trust Google or AT&T. That is, I don’t trust any of them but I trust corporations much, much less.

  20. 20.

    Elizabelle

    March 25, 2014 at 6:25 pm

    Well this is pretty early in the evening for you to be commenting, Mr. Cole.

    Even though it is your blog.

    Got snow?

    Did you buy the car?

  21. 21.

    Turgidson

    March 25, 2014 at 6:27 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Seconded.

  22. 22.

    kc

    March 25, 2014 at 6:29 pm

    @chopper:

    It looked to me like the other guy was a douche first, but I could be wrong. Twitter’s hard to follow sometimes (for me, anyway).

  23. 23.

    kc

    March 25, 2014 at 6:29 pm

    @chopper:

    It looked to me like the other guy was a douche first, but I could be wrong. Twitter’s hard to follow sometimes (for me, anyway).

  24. 24.

    Baud

    March 25, 2014 at 6:30 pm

    What is everyone talking about? I don’t trust corporations either, but this was all corporate information to begin with. Corporations transferred their metadata to the NSA, mostly (I think) because the corporations didn’t want to store it for 5 years and the NSA did. Now the corporations will just hold on to their data which was theirs to begin with, and the NSA will access it only through court order.

    At least that’s my understanding. Am I missing something?

  25. 25.

    Culture of Truth

    March 25, 2014 at 6:31 pm

    If GG supports these changes does that make him knee-jerk supporter in the Obama Cult? No, because he credits himself with discernment he doesn’t give to others.

    I’ve long felt this to be the most sensible solution. I mean the phone companies already this information anyway, since they’re the ones who created / compiled it in the first place. Not to mention your local police dept can access this information easily, there still being no expectation of privacy in it.

  26. 26.

    Howard Beale IV

    March 25, 2014 at 6:31 pm

    Since when does Cesca give a flying fuck about free enterprise now all of a sudden having access to all of his data?

    Haven’t you been getting Privacy disclosures mailed to you for the past fucking decade you moron? It’s called The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.

  27. 27.

    Culture of Truth

    March 25, 2014 at 6:33 pm

    My opinion comes from careful objective consideration, yours is driven by knee-jerk reaction and hatred.

  28. 28.

    Anya

    March 25, 2014 at 6:33 pm

    @White Trash Liberal: I hate to do this, but fucking THIS!

  29. 29.

    Thlayli

    March 25, 2014 at 6:35 pm

    Here we go again. The most annoying thing about this whole kerfuffle is Cole’s insistence that “Everyone knows Greenwald is right, but some people reflexively attack him because they’re so far up Obama’s butt.”

    It’s unpossible to him that anyone could have a substantive argument with GG.

  30. 30.

    mclaren

    March 25, 2014 at 6:35 pm

    See, I’m way more concerned about corporations (without oversight) having my personal data. Question is: why aren’t you?

    Answer is: Because corporations don’t have drones that can blow your ass up with a hellfire missile if the president decides you’re some vague kind of “threat.”

    Is this Cesca guy really this stupid? Or is it just an act?

  31. 31.

    Elizabelle

    March 25, 2014 at 6:35 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    The Los Angeles Times headline was even worse.

    I wonder if they heard the same arguments others did.

    Being wrong is not a problem with our modern media masters. Not drawing eyeballs: disaster!

  32. 32.

    LT

    March 25, 2014 at 6:36 pm

    @geg6: “but I’m one who trusts the NSA more than I trust Google or AT&T.”

    The profound depth of dumb of views like this – extremely popular here! – just hurts. Comparing the wrongs of corporations – which can do much wrong – to *governments* is a kind of violent and painful ignorance. Just astonishing.

    Daniel Ellsberg, just stepping along some stones in this same stream of thought and politics, revealed wrongs about *war*. About death, killing, maiming, and murder, on a massive scale, over a prolonged period of time – years. These are *government* wrongs.

    And you Cesca fucktuks do your kindergarten tantrum how corporations are just as bad, and ask us to treat you like serious contenders for the truth in this. Just fuck you.

  33. 33.

    Mandalay

    March 25, 2014 at 6:37 pm

    @John Cole

    The contortions people must go through.

    Indeed. The Administration proposes curbing the power of the NSA, so Cesca decides to go on a rant about the power of private corporations. He doesn’t want to mention that if the proposal succeeds:
    – The NSA won’t be routinely collecting your data.
    – Phone companies won’t be required to keep the data for any longer than they normally would.
    – A new form of court order will be required for the NSA to access that data.

    And of course our very own wingnut wackos infest this thread to make it all about Greenwald.

  34. 34.

    Baud

    March 25, 2014 at 6:38 pm

    @Mandalay:

    And of course our very own wingnut wackos infest this thread to make it all about Greenwald.

    You’re referring to Cole, right? Cuz it’s right there in his post.

  35. 35.

    SiubhanDuinne

    March 25, 2014 at 6:40 pm

    @Bobby Thomson: Yes, thanks. I saw your comments over there.

  36. 36.

    BGinCHI

    March 25, 2014 at 6:40 pm

    Corporations are eroding democratic values at every turn and these people are pissing their pants over privacy.

    It’s on the list but it’s not anywhere near the top. Let’s feed some kids and get the fucking rich assholes out of education and also maybe stop wrecking women’s access to healthcare, then we can argue about the intricacies of privacy. Also, too, this is still better than when Hoover was blackmailing everyone.

  37. 37.

    chopper

    March 25, 2014 at 6:40 pm

    @kc:

    far as i can tell, john’s came before the one under it, which was in response.

  38. 38.

    SiubhanDuinne

    March 25, 2014 at 6:41 pm

    @Bobby Thomson: Yes, thank you. I saw your comments over there.

  39. 39.

    les

    March 25, 2014 at 6:41 pm

    @Bobby Thomson:

    Except that the reforms directly result in corporations – which are not even nominally subject to the democratic process – having more control over the data.

    Which might matter, if the corporations did not already have the data. News flash: NSA does not generate data; phone/isp/corporation does. Any limitation (especially the time frame) on NSA is an improvement, because the corps have and store the shit already.

  40. 40.

    Anya

    March 25, 2014 at 6:42 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: Totally, agree with you.

    I just don’t get why we’re shooting at each other when we have an election to worry about. If the case in front of SCOTUS doesn’t scare us into action, then there’s no hope for our side. If the assholes who attacked Gore and proclaimed both sides to be the same had the foresight to think about the ramification of a republican presidency, we wouldn’t be worrying about bunch of reactionaries deciding women’s right to access contraception.

    I know, I am going OT but this just depresses the heck out of me and Cole’s juvenile tweets just made me even more depressed.

  41. 41.

    guachi

    March 25, 2014 at 6:45 pm

    I’d rather the NSA store my data than corporations. But corporations already store it now, so it’s not much of a change. The net effect on the NSA will be minimal. But if it soothes the braying asses on the left and right, fine by me.

  42. 42.

    Baud

    March 25, 2014 at 6:46 pm

    @Anya:

    I’m with you.

  43. 43.

    Mandalay

    March 25, 2014 at 6:46 pm

    @LT:

    And you Cesca fucktuks do your kindergarten tantrum how corporations are just as bad

    I agree completely, but FWIW I think that some folks here have that view because they are self-centered. They care that Verizon knows about their every visit to a porn site, but don’t give a flying shit about what the NSA is doing as long as they are left alone, because they know that they are not personally planning to blow anything up.

    They are blinkered, selfish and foolish.

  44. 44.

    les

    March 25, 2014 at 6:47 pm

    @geg6:

    but I’m one who trusts the NSA more than I trust Google or AT&T. That is, I don’t trust any of them but I trust corporations much, much less.

    Hells yeah, ’cause Ma Bell might send you an extra ad or spam. While the NSA, under a repub prez, might get your ass sent to Egypt to find out why you made that call. Now you’re ok, unless you like to fly.
    Jebus.

  45. 45.

    Mandalay

    March 25, 2014 at 6:48 pm

    @guachi:

    The net effect on the NSA will be minimal

    You certainly cannot know that, but if the proposal goes through the impact on the NSA will not be minimal. They will have to start playing by the rules.

  46. 46.

    KG

    March 25, 2014 at 6:51 pm

    speaking of clown shoes… this can’t help Mitch McConnell’s re-election bid.

  47. 47.

    SiubhanDuinne

    March 25, 2014 at 6:52 pm

    @Elizabelle: Yes, exactly right. Also, shouldn’t their job today be to report accurately on the arguments and questions, and not throw in their own subjective feelings and guesses? (I would say the same if the headlines were “Justices lean against Hobby Lobby” or “Court likely to rule Obamacare trumps corporate religious beliefs.”)

  48. 48.

    kc

    March 25, 2014 at 6:53 pm

    @chopper:

    I looked at the whole thing, and you’re right. I think. Sorry!

  49. 49.

    guachi

    March 25, 2014 at 6:55 pm

    @Mandalay:

    No, I’m fairly certain the effect on the NSA will be minimal. They already play by the rules. They will just have to play by new rules.

    And I really, really don’t care that the NSA “knows” these things about me (i.e., my phone call metadata) since I’m positive no one at the NSA actually does. That is, no one has actually searched on it.

  50. 50.

    Russ

    March 25, 2014 at 6:55 pm

    Lets get this out there. The “Lie Of The Year” was said when?

    2010, so if it was a lie it is 4 years old.

  51. 51.

    MomSense

    March 25, 2014 at 6:56 pm

    @Baud:

    Nope, the freakout over metadata is pretty silly actually. It belongs to the corporations that we contract with and isn’t even protected by the 4th amendment.

  52. 52.

    LT

    March 25, 2014 at 6:56 pm

    @guachi:

    I’d rather the NSA store my data than corporations. But corporations already store it now, so it’s not much of a change. The net effect on the NSA will be minimal. But if it soothes the braying asses on the left and right, fine by me.

    Making NSA go to a judge to access data would effect the NSA enormously. Which makes your snotty finish even funnier.

    Note: There are a lot of other issues here: http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/politicsnow/la-pn-obama-nsa-cellphone-records-20140325,0,4809178.story#ixzz2x14i2MmS

  53. 53.

    LT

    March 25, 2014 at 6:57 pm

    @guachi:

    No, I’m fairly certain the effect on the NSA will be minimal. They already play by the rules.

    Yay, Dems.

  54. 54.

    chopper

    March 25, 2014 at 6:58 pm

    @les:

    Ah, the left-wing version of ‘Obama is coming to take our guns and bibles away’.

  55. 55.

    LT

    March 25, 2014 at 6:58 pm

    @Mandalay: “They are blinkered, selfish and foolish.”

    Yes, that makes sense.

  56. 56.

    kc

    March 25, 2014 at 6:59 pm

    Cesca’s article says that Obama’s proposal would “force” private companies to maintain data. According to Kevin Drum’s synopsis, they wouldn’t be required to maintain it any longer than they normally would.

    Does anyone know which one of them is correct? Under Obama’s proposal, could a company say “We’re only going to maintain these records for 90 days from now on,” would Obama’s proposal prevent that?

  57. 57.

    chopper

    March 25, 2014 at 7:00 pm

    @kc:

    I know that cole likes to troll. I didn’t know that cesca ended up on his personal enemies list over the issue tho.

  58. 58.

    LT

    March 25, 2014 at 7:03 pm

    @kc:

    Cesca’s article says that Obama’s proposal would “force” private companies to maintain data. According to Kevin Drum’s synopsis, they wouldn’t be required to maintain it any longer than they normally would.

    Does anyone know which one of them is correct?

    As reported so far, Drum is correct. Things could change.

    Charlie Savage has got to be considered the authority so far, I think (unless updates have already come?):

    Under the proposal, they said, the N.S.A. would end its systematic collection of data about Americans’ calling habits. The bulk records would stay in the hands of phone companies, which would not be required to retain the data for any longer than they normally would.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/25/us/obama-to-seek-nsa-curb-on-call-data.html?_r=0

  59. 59.

    Chyron HR

    March 25, 2014 at 7:06 pm

    I’m shocked, shocked, that a former Republican would keep trotting out the “Greenwald Derangement Syndrome” argument.

  60. 60.

    muricafukyea

    March 25, 2014 at 7:06 pm

    You should stick to posting pictures of your cat and talking about your mid life crisis wr0ng way Cole. Your are just embarassing yourself doubling down on your love for Griftwald and trying to argue with actual adults.

    One thing I can guarantee you, if you are putting all your eggs in your Griftwald basket you are going to end up looking really dumb!

  61. 61.

    srv

    March 25, 2014 at 7:07 pm

    Greenwald dudebros and Obama dudebors argue.

    I went to the Youtube and entered “dudebro argument” and this is the first hit.

  62. 62.

    guachi

    March 25, 2014 at 7:07 pm

    @LT:

    My finish may be snotty, but having to go to a judge will not “effect the NSA enormously”. I haven’t seen any evidence to the contrary. Mostly it’s Americans who seem to believe the NSA is all about spying on Americans when that’s not even close to the truth.

    Any target that has significant contact in the US will get a warrant and then the NSA will be home free to search on his metadata. I can’t imagine it’ll be much of a delay. More of an inconvenience while the analyst does something else for a day waiting on the warrant. Oh, noes!

  63. 63.

    LT

    March 25, 2014 at 7:10 pm

    @guachi: Dude, you said the NSA “already play by the rules.” Possibly the wrongest thing possible. Demonstrably. I don’t think you’re dumb, so I think you’re a liar.

    Just to be clear: You are a liar.

  64. 64.

    jamick

    March 25, 2014 at 7:11 pm

    The contortions people must go through.

    since Greenwald has been doing a lot of the Snowden reporting, Cesca and the reactionaries at Little Green Footballs have been having an absolute meltdown the past few months and continuously embarrassing themselves (more than usual).

    fun to watch.

  65. 65.

    srv

    March 25, 2014 at 7:11 pm

    OBAMACARE IS A WAR ON DUDE-BROS!

  66. 66.

    ralphb

    March 25, 2014 at 7:11 pm

    @Bobby Thomson:

    Except that the reforms directly result in corporations – which are not even nominally subject to the democratic process – having more control over the data.

    Not possible since, according to Supreme Court precedent, the telecoms own the call billing metadata now.

  67. 67.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    March 25, 2014 at 7:13 pm

    Is this really an either/or issue? there should be checks on all government power, and the checks on the NSA need to be strengthened.

    And the Koch brothers have and will have a far more direct and dramatic effect on the lives of everyone here than James Clapper and Keith Alexander.

  68. 68.

    LT

    March 25, 2014 at 7:21 pm

    @guachi:

    NSA: not following the rules.

    NSA: not following the rules.

    And before you do the expected assholery fuckery regarding the 2nd link: No. The fact that the NSA found and reported (to themselves) their own wrongdoing does not make those (thousands of) wrongdoings okay.

  69. 69.

    Donut

    March 25, 2014 at 7:22 pm

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    I’m indifferent to Greenwald*, but otherwise agree with you.

    * He likes being despised; he craves it, in fact.I think he’d rather be hated than loved, as a matter of fact. He seems to live for confrontation and getting under people’s skin (or I guess it’s more popular these days to say “contrarianism,” whatever the fuck that means). But really, indifference is really the way to go with him. If you despise him, you’re paying attention to him, which is what he wants and needs. If you just don’t give a shit what he’s constantly on about, then he can’t have an impact on you. YMMV.

  70. 70.

    Cacti

    March 25, 2014 at 7:25 pm

    As pitiful as Cole’s brogressive politics can sometimes be, he hasn’t quite reached mistermix territory of hyperventilating about the NSA gathering intel on a Chinese company.

  71. 71.

    ? Martin

    March 25, 2014 at 7:27 pm

    @LT: There’s a little bit of deflection in there. The NSA is going to pay the phone companies to store the data as long as the NSA wants. The phone companies will gladly do this as the NSA becomes just another paying customer.

  72. 72.

    kc

    March 25, 2014 at 7:29 pm

    @LT:

    Thanks!

  73. 73.

    LT

    March 25, 2014 at 7:33 pm

    Bob Cesca: “Sure, much of NSA’s work takes place in secret…”

    Ow.

  74. 74.

    JustRuss

    March 25, 2014 at 7:34 pm

    @les:

    While the NSA, under a repub prez, might get your ass sent to Egypt to find out why you made that call

    This. Also, with corps holding your data, at least it’s siloed in a number of different places. With NSA, it’s all aggregated in one place with no oversight as to who accesses it or how it’s used.

  75. 75.

    LT

    March 25, 2014 at 7:34 pm

    @? Martin:

    The NSA is going to pay the phone companies to store the data as long as the NSA wants.

    Link?

  76. 76.

    something fabulous

    March 25, 2014 at 7:36 pm

    @chopper: I hate this metadata! And the portions are so small…

  77. 77.

    LT

    March 25, 2014 at 7:38 pm

    Did you notice Cesca took out his aside next to the NYT link?

    http://thedailybanter.com/2014/03/obama-to-propose-the-privatization-of-nsas-metadata-collection-program/

  78. 78.

    Mandalay

    March 25, 2014 at 7:39 pm

    @guachi:

    …the effect on the NSA will be minimal. They already play by the rules

    Thread needs better trolls.

  79. 79.

    chopper

    March 25, 2014 at 7:45 pm

    @JustRuss:

    Why send me to Egypt when secret FEMA reeducation camps will do just fine? Saves gas.

  80. 80.

    Paula

    March 25, 2014 at 7:56 pm

    The same corporations that have your information are the ones that build telecommunications infrastructure to help run those multi-front wars and operate those drones.

    Obviously, when the govt wanted the information the ones in the US were willing to turn it over.

    Not sure what the disconnect is in here.

    Also, those whining at front-pagers are aware that you can leave the blog and participate somewhere else, right? Just abandon ship, the detritus of the Accountability Now! PAC need not drown you.

  81. 81.

    some guy

    March 25, 2014 at 7:58 pm

    No, I’m fairly certain the effect on the NSA will be minimal. They already play by the rules. They will just have to play by new rules.

    damn, this level of absolutely willful ignorance is simply stunning.

  82. 82.

    Nutella

    March 25, 2014 at 8:14 pm

    Since Cesca is “way more concerned about corporations (without oversight)” having his personal data he is of course actively working to support laws to prevent that, right? Right?

    Or is he just flinging words around to obscure the issue?

  83. 83.

    EthylEster

    March 25, 2014 at 8:17 pm

    @kc: thank you. that’s what i often think as i try to decide what is being say. I find the duplication of info in a char limited medium puzzling. but then, i am not a twit.

  84. 84.

    ranchandsyrup

    March 25, 2014 at 8:18 pm

    It has been an interesting process for me to decouple the message from the messenger on this issue. I realize that this says as much about me as it does about the messenger.

  85. 85.

    LT

    March 25, 2014 at 8:22 pm

    @Nutella:

    Since Cesca is “way more concerned about corporations (without oversight)” having his personal data he is of course actively working to support laws to prevent that, right? Right?

    Cole’s point: he’s so concerned that he’s on FaceBook and Twitter and probably with phone companies and who knows what else.

    But it’s all very concerning!

  86. 86.

    EthylEster

    March 25, 2014 at 8:50 pm

    My concern about government knowing this shit is partially related to the chilling effect this has on any attempt of a hypothetical reporter trying to protect his/her sources when investigating the guvmint.

    I guess that the effect would also be chilling if the hypothetical reporter was trying to investigate Google and Google had their info but Google doesn’t have its own NSA, FBI, etc. So MUCH less chilling.

    There will be no investigative reporting in future if it is not credible to expect a reporter to be able keep an informant’s identity secret.

    Cesca is obsessed with GG IMO (a bit like Rachel Maddow is obsessed with Christie or was). I have commented once at his site and IIRC it was in response to a post where he wondered if Greenwald worked for the NSA (or CIA). I wrote that *I* sometimes wondered if he, Cesca worked for the NSA or CIA. one of his minions told me to fuck off, I think.

  87. 87.

    Citizen_X

    March 25, 2014 at 9:04 pm

    The Bullshit Parade includes blogowners trolling their readers, right?

    @White Trash Liberal:

    on Twitter being a petty dick weasel

    New tagline!

  88. 88.

    sensesfail

    March 25, 2014 at 10:51 pm

    @mclaren:

    Answer is: Because corporations don’t have drones that can blow your ass up with a hellfire missile if the president decides you’re some vague kind of “threat.”

    Yeah, because that is certainly a legitimate threat to the average upper-to-middle-class white American who is suddenly so concerned about collection of cellphone meta data. It seems like everyday now that the president is using drones against all those “vague kind of threats”…. It’s perfectly rational and even prudent to spend time and energy worrying about that…

  89. 89.

    Cassidy

    March 25, 2014 at 11:42 pm

    It’s good to know that out long national nightmare that has kept our entitled liberaltarians up at night is almost over.

  90. 90.

    RaflW

    March 26, 2014 at 12:59 am

    If you don’t want a phone company to have your calling records … well, don’t have a fucking phone. Because, y’know, they print your call records on a piece of paper (if you still opt for detailed paper billing that is).

    What a twatwaddle.

  91. 91.

    David Koch

    March 26, 2014 at 1:49 am

    Cole,

    Can’t wait to see how you deal with your conflict between knee-jerk support for Greenwald and your hatred of smears.

    Oh wait… I already have.

    If Leni Riefenstahl were a Griftwald fanatic and had a blog, Cole’s posts on Balloon Juice is exactly what it would look like.

    Griftwald could rape a nun on tee vee and Cole would defend him.

    Cole, you and your fellow Bush and Iraq invasion supporter Griftwald can pretend to be better than everyone else, but we know the truth.

  92. 92.

    LAC

    March 26, 2014 at 10:33 am

    @askew: yeah, I googled the bullshit parade and it goes around Cole’s block frequently. I am waiting for the “Charmin is not really soft and you are all idiots for buying it” post. We are due for one of those.

  93. 93.

    GHayduke (formerly lojasmo)

    March 26, 2014 at 6:40 pm

    i’m going to share some anti NSA shit on facebook. then I can be INDIGNANT! or something.

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