Does “Phone Sex” Make One a Terrorist?
I personally would not call “phone sex” one of the most wholesome activities.
But, then again, “it’s a free country.” Or is it?
According to an ABC investigative report published today:
Despite pledges by President George W. Bush and American intelligence officials to the contrary, hundreds of US citizens overseas have been eavesdropped on as they called friends and family back home, according to two former military intercept operators who worked at the giant National Security Agency (NSA) center in Fort Gordon, Georgia.
The calls intercepted, and shared among intercept operators, included U.S. soldiers’ “Phone Sex,” according to the report which can be seen tonight on “World News Tonight with Charles Gibson” and “Nightline.”
These disturbing reports are being looked into. Again, according to the ABC report,
The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), called the allegations “extremely disturbing” and said the committee has begun its own examination.
“We have requested all relevant information from the Bush Administration,” Rockefeller said Thursday. “The Committee will take whatever action is necessary.”
Read more about just one more shenanigan possibly being committed in the name of the war on terror, in “Exclusive: Inside Account of U.S. Eavesdropping on Americans.”
15 Responses to “Does “Phone Sex” Make One a Terrorist?”
This is an inevitable consequence of allowing eavesdropping. I imagine this goes on all the time domestically.
In the UK, as folks may know, there are CC cameras on almost every corner. Inevitably, every few months, the media report stories of officers being found using cameras to spy on well-endowed women in the street, or on women undressing in their homes.
It is a sad reality of human nature. In a national security state, however, we empower our police to do this…and we fund their little perversions.
We can only hope that any would-be terrorists are either well-endowed women…or are addicted to long-distance phone sex.
So our country is spying on our own soldiers calling their loved ones. Thank god, really, because otherwise who knows what could happen? How awful would it be if someone put into a desert combat situation by dangerous policies got 3 minutes of pleasure while on the phone? Yeah, they best get on the “taking whatever action is necessary”.
Is this really “an inevitable consequence of allowing eavesdropping. I imagine this goes on all the time domestically.”
That does not speak well of our intelligence gathering and law enforcement personnel. I have a better opinion of them and I would hope that this is NOT an inevitable consequence of trying to make oiur country safer.
This is the inevitable consequence of doing the wrong things — like allowing eavesdropping without oversight — to try to make our country safer.
And to think our “friends” in Congress had their chance. Good grief. And to think they wanted Paulson on top of the $700 billion bailout bill without oversight. I'm not even going to think how much phone sex that amount of money could buy…
While I agree with Chris about the need for oversight . . . I still believe such incidents are inevitable.
I would argue this is a case of power corrupting.
In the UK case, of the officers watching the woman undressing in her apartment, they were only caught because they re-broadcast the video on big plasma screens all over their offices.
Similarly, I recall how Senator Obama's passport files were opened by unauthorized workers. Obama was, of course, on a flagged list of a hundred or so . . . and so this was caught.
How often are peoples' privacy violated every day by figures in authority who have the common sense to slip under the radar?
One wonders how often
Anytime there is increased power without oversight, there is an invitation for abuse. I guess if you scare the pants off Americans, they'll give the government all kinds of power over their private lives.
So tell me Dorian, if you are stop-lossed or on a turnstile deployment and haven't seen your wife or girlfriend or partner for months, how do you seek relief? Text messages?
And to have a pervy Uncle Sam listening in for jollies? That's the real unwholesomeness right there.
and how, exactly, are 'small government' conservatives OK paying an army of people to listen to such phone calls, read emails and letters and IMs, who knows, even watching video webcams in all probability?
Incidentally, this is the only country in the world where the government claims the right to download your computer drive, your cell phone and your camera without cause.
“Federal agents may take a traveler's laptop or other electronic device to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies the Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed. Also, officials may share copies of the laptop's contents with other agencies and private entities for language translation, data decryption, or other reasons, according to the policies, dated July 16 and issued by two DHS agencies, US Customs and Border Protection and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”
RememberNovember:
My personal opinion that “phone sex” may be unwholesome is not the point. The point is the shameful and unconstitutional eavesdropping by our own government on innocent Americans–including our brave troops deployed in combat.
As far as my respect, sympathy and empathy for our fighting troops., I'll let my many posts on truly supporting the troops speak for themselves.
But, thank you for your comment
Dorian de Wind
Your'e welcome. But if it's not the point don't use it as an intro thesis statement.
The whole swath of powers given to this Government in the name of “protecting our Democracy” is hypocritical and scary.
I'm surprised Shaun didn't start another thread on this to accompany his other gems this campaign season.
army small computer…
I can’t believe I missed this! I’m going to have to do some more reading me thinks….
free government grant agency…
It sounds interesting but I am not sure that I agree with you completely….
connecticut passport agency…
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