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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jun/25/prism-surveillance
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
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| Comment of the week: on Prism's international reach | Comment of the week: on Prism's international reach |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| In a new series, Comment is free writers and editors want to highlight some of the best comments on the site. Each week, either an editor or the author of a recent piece will pick a comment that they think contributes to the debate. Hopefully, it will give staff and readers an opportunity to see how thought-provoking such contributions can be and allow great posts the chance to be seen by a wider audience. | In a new series, Comment is free writers and editors want to highlight some of the best comments on the site. Each week, either an editor or the author of a recent piece will pick a comment that they think contributes to the debate. Hopefully, it will give staff and readers an opportunity to see how thought-provoking such contributions can be and allow great posts the chance to be seen by a wider audience. |
| In our fifth instalment, Antony Loewenstein, who recently wrote about the Prism surveillance scandal and the lack of outrage that followed in Australia, has picked a comment by rustyschwinnToo: | In our fifth instalment, Antony Loewenstein, who recently wrote about the Prism surveillance scandal and the lack of outrage that followed in Australia, has picked a comment by rustyschwinnToo: |
| Where is the outrage over Prism in Australia? In the same place as Australian outrage over Echelon. Next to the US, Australia is probably the second most insular "western" democracy in the world. And even more ready to believe that it's all about foreigners, which doesn't include them but does include anybody slightly brown tinged or with a funny accent on the continent, than the Americans. | Where is the outrage over Prism in Australia? In the same place as Australian outrage over Echelon. Next to the US, Australia is probably the second most insular "western" democracy in the world. And even more ready to believe that it's all about foreigners, which doesn't include them but does include anybody slightly brown tinged or with a funny accent on the continent, than the Americans. |
| I was talking to a (typically) frighteningly casual racist Australian yesterday. And he was genuinely convinced that NSA would only be spying on "immigrant darkies" in Australia. He couldn't grasp the concept that TCP/IP and the ISO communications model don't have an ethnic identification layer. And the NSA don't (can't) racially profile meta data. | I was talking to a (typically) frighteningly casual racist Australian yesterday. And he was genuinely convinced that NSA would only be spying on "immigrant darkies" in Australia. He couldn't grasp the concept that TCP/IP and the ISO communications model don't have an ethnic identification layer. And the NSA don't (can't) racially profile meta data. |
| Antony explains why he picked this comment: | Antony explains why he picked this comment: |
| One of the constant refrains about the Snowden revelations, from supporters of unaccountable surveillance, is that the state and authorities would never peek into lives that have no connection to terrorism. Or that Washington has a watertight court oversight (Glenn Greenwald demolished that lie recently). The commenter understands that the post 9/11 world has seen development of a massive, privatised system of monitoring and gathering metadata on us all. Alas, I have to agree that insularity is an Australian speciality (not unique to us, alas). These Prism revelations should alarm politicians and media but far too many of them are sucking on the drip-feed of sanctioned US government and intelligence leaks and information to care. The online rage against the Obama administration recently shows that many in the public are demanding action. | One of the constant refrains about the Snowden revelations, from supporters of unaccountable surveillance, is that the state and authorities would never peek into lives that have no connection to terrorism. Or that Washington has a watertight court oversight (Glenn Greenwald demolished that lie recently). The commenter understands that the post 9/11 world has seen development of a massive, privatised system of monitoring and gathering metadata on us all. Alas, I have to agree that insularity is an Australian speciality (not unique to us, alas). These Prism revelations should alarm politicians and media but far too many of them are sucking on the drip-feed of sanctioned US government and intelligence leaks and information to care. The online rage against the Obama administration recently shows that many in the public are demanding action. |
| Rustyschwinntoo explains his reasons for commenting on Loewenstein's piece, and tells us a bit about himself: | |
| Have you commented on Cif before? Yes, but I try to say nice things about it. | |
| For how long have you commented on Cif? Since 2010. | |
| How would you describe the community of commenters you find here? All human life is here (including the holy ghost, allegedly). It turns up occasionally with invective, quite often with humour, and sometimes with (illuminating) fact. And with, at least in the conversational eddies, quite a sense of community. | |
| Why did you feel motivated to comment on this piece? I'm interested in the NSA story. Mind you, it doesn't take much to motivate me to post. It's time, not motivation, that's the challenge. | |
| In regards to your comment highlighted here, do you feel you changed the conversation or moved the debate on? I always hope to, but don't know if I did. | |
| Where are you in the world? The UK currently. | |
| • Let us know your thoughts on this exchange in the comments below, and tell us whether it has given you a new insight into the issue. | • Let us know your thoughts on this exchange in the comments below, and tell us whether it has given you a new insight into the issue. |