Postulator 's Techdirt Comments

Latest Comments (93)

• On the post: Canadian Member Of Parliament, Responsible For Opposition Trade Policy, Denied Access To TPP Negotiations

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 29 Aug, 2013 @ 10:58pm

  It's not as if trade agreements are for the benefit of the people, or that their elected representatives have much say in them.

• On the post: Former US Official: Edward Snowden Was Too Brilliant To Work For The NSA

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 29 Aug, 2013 @ 05:57pm

  Not many people can deal with an employee who runs rings around them in the smart stakes. If this is the case, the smart employee often gets frustrated and bored, and finds things to interest them other than the "main task" (such as building a better toaster, or breaking the NSA's security).

• On the post: No, Snowden Didn't Have Any 'Other Avenues' To Blow The Whistle

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 29 Aug, 2013 @ 05:37pm

  Lex iniusta non est lex. An unjust law is no law at all.

• On the post: NYPD Program Designated Entire Mosques As 'Terrorist Organizations' And Failed To Deliver Useful Data When It Mattered Most

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 29 Aug, 2013 @ 05:15pm

  Is it just me, or does this sound like "reds under the bed" for a new age?
  
  We have to keep the population cowed and fearful, otherwise they might actually ask what the hell we're doing. Last century it was fascism and communism, now it's terrorism, it'll be interesting to see what the next bogey-man will be.

• On the post: DailyDirt: Can We At Least Agree On The Meanings Of Words?

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 28 Aug, 2013 @ 07:45pm

  I cannot accept the new definition of "literally". It goes against all common sense, and removes the ability to actually mean what the word has traditionally meant.
  
  If you mean "figuratively", use the correct word. It's not that difficult, as long as you know the language - and a large proportion of the people who get it wrong earn their living from language. If you are a journalist who does not know the difference between literal and figurative, you're in the wrong job.

• On the post: Latest Addition To Surveillance Review Board Doesn't Address Technology Issue But May Provide Another Adversarial Perspective

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 28 Aug, 2013 @ 07:28pm

  If the money spent on countering "terrorism" was spent on finding a cancer cure, then it would actually save a few lives. Even if the NSA managed to prevent one hundred "terror attacks" per year, then it would still be better spent on cancer prevention and treatment, and would save more lives.
  
  But single "big impact" issues (like preventing another 9/11) are easy to sell and most people ignore the minor side effects (loss of liberties, constant surveillance, control of politicians by the surveillance state...).

• On the post: Former White House IP Czar Immediately Jumps Ship To Microsoft-Driven Anti-Piracy Lobbying Group BSA

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 28 Aug, 2013 @ 07:05pm

  Foxes and chicken coops.

• On the post: Thirty Years Of NSA 'Oversight' And The Only Change Is Better Snooping Technology

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 28 Aug, 2013 @ 02:36am

  As long as the NSA can control the ability of legislators to speak out by saying "it's classified", it will continue to gain power. The whole concept of this assault on freedoms is just ridiculous - a democracy's elected representatives are expected to follow a government agency's instructions. Even their staff can't see some things!

• On the post: Former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Says Anti-Terror Laws Should Be Used To Stop Investigative Journalism

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 27 Aug, 2013 @ 03:03am

  "It's about the terrorists".

• On the post: Why NSA Boss Believes His Agency Is All Good: Intentions vs. Actions

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 27 Aug, 2013 @ 02:57am

  So how do you explain the intentions involved in shutting up whistleblowers and prosecuting dissent?

• On the post: NSA Admits: Okay, Okay, There Have Been A Bunch Of Intentional Abuses, Including Spying On Love Interests

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 23 Aug, 2013 @ 09:03pm

  One has to wonder what exactly the NSA has on Feinstein. It must be pretty juicy to keep her in line.

• On the post: More Confirmation: NSA Analysts Willfully Abused Surveillance Powers

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 23 Aug, 2013 @ 08:28pm

  Is "very rare" based on absolute numbers, or proportion? It may mean thousands out of millions of searches were in violation of law and/or policy. It may mean that "we conducted some very rare breaches in order to get dirt on key politicians".
  
  Context is everything.

• On the post: Vocal NSA Critic Has Dinner With NSA Boss, Explains To Him That Abuses Are Inevitable

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 23 Aug, 2013 @ 03:30am

  Re:

  Two words: cognitive dissonance.
  
  The human mind has an enormous capacity to persuade itself that what it is doing is right and proper and anyone who objects must be crazy.

• On the post: When Even Totally Bogus Copyright Threats Over Court Documents Comes Close To Shutting Down A Site, Something's Broken

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 23 Aug, 2013 @ 03:15am

  Re: Re: Wrote this short retort YESTERDAY, knowing you'd go with this, regardless.

  All takedown requests already are made under penalty of perjury. The problem is that nobody actually cares that the person making the request has perjured themselves, and nobody prosecutes.

• On the post: When Even Totally Bogus Copyright Threats Over Court Documents Comes Close To Shutting Down A Site, Something's Broken

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 23 Aug, 2013 @ 03:16am

  WTF Comcast?

• On the post: Federal Official Declares That Anyone Who Speaks Out Against Lie Detector Tests Should Be Criminally Investigated

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 23 Aug, 2013 @ 03:06am

  The US is practically the only country that has any faith (and yes, that word is deliberately chosen) in lie detectors. They are unscientific to the point that the person behind the machine will admit that they rely on their own judgement rather than the machine that they are allegedly operating.

• On the post: Orders To Destroy Guardian Hard Drives Came Directly From PM David Cameron

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 23 Aug, 2013 @ 02:55am

  So the Liberal Democrats are not exactly liberal, nor democratic.
  
  Go figure.

• On the post: Courts Start Demanding Actual Answers From Team Prenda

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 22 Aug, 2013 @ 01:52am

  These Prenda assclowns may find themselves locked up and facing contempt charges if they continue on their current course. You can't get to live it up in the Caribbean with your hard-earned (I mean, fraudulently earned) money if you're doing time.

• On the post: NSA & FBI Spied On All Emails In Salt Lake City Before & After The Olympics

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 22 Aug, 2013 @ 12:57am

  The US might have difficulty winning another Olympic bid any time soon, what with all the diplomats who normally follow the Olympics around and don't necessarily expect their every word to be listened to.

• On the post: US Official Admits That UK Detention Of Glenn Greenwald's Partner Was 'To Send A Message'

  

  Postulator ( profile ), 21 Aug, 2013 @ 02:49am

  So the US official admitted that anti-terror legislation is being misused? Well done, that fellow.

Next >>