The NSA and me
October 13, 2014 7:09 AM Subscribe
The NSA and Me is an essay by James Bamford, author of The Puzzle Palace, an early book on the agency. It details how he came to write the book, and the NSA's efforts to keep him from publishing it in the late 70s/early 80s.
I was wondering the same thing about the 'birth certificate' for the agency and the charter that no one (supposedly) on the outside gets a full reading of. I was under the impression that it was a tightly controlled agency that had slipped the bit. I'm still trying to figure out what I think it is but it certainly isn't (and wasn't ever) controlled or restricted.
posted by Slackermagee at 7:50 AM on October 13, 2014
posted by Slackermagee at 7:50 AM on October 13, 2014
There is likely to be much ‘buck-passing’ from subordinate to superior, agency to agency, agency to board or committee, board or committee to the President, and from the living to the dead,
When I was a child there were these huge signs in the vicinity of road construction and the traffic delay that said, "YOUR HIGHWAY TAXES AT WORK". and somehow in my still maturing visual cortex I construed that sign as saying "your highway Texas at work". And then I would mull it over. I knew well what a highway was, and what the state of Texas was, but I struggled mightily to interpret the possibilities of a "highway Texas". Eventually I figured it out as a very simple mistake.
I am still trying to figure out how government secrecy, spying, and dirty tricks which were appropriate when the whole damn world was embroiled in Armageddon style warfare became the default standard operation procedure.
posted by bukvich at 8:09 AM on October 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
When I was a child there were these huge signs in the vicinity of road construction and the traffic delay that said, "YOUR HIGHWAY TAXES AT WORK". and somehow in my still maturing visual cortex I construed that sign as saying "your highway Texas at work". And then I would mull it over. I knew well what a highway was, and what the state of Texas was, but I struggled mightily to interpret the possibilities of a "highway Texas". Eventually I figured it out as a very simple mistake.
I am still trying to figure out how government secrecy, spying, and dirty tricks which were appropriate when the whole damn world was embroiled in Armageddon style warfare became the default standard operation procedure.
posted by bukvich at 8:09 AM on October 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
Somewhat dated now, but The Puzzle Palace really is excellent. Recommended.
posted by Chrysostom at 8:42 AM on October 13, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Chrysostom at 8:42 AM on October 13, 2014 [2 favorites]
Thanks for the post. I'm always ready to hear what James Bamford has to say.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 9:07 AM on October 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Lesser Shrew at 9:07 AM on October 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
What an excellent essay, and a reminder of the personal risks and challenges of investigating NSA.
All through the Snowden revelations of the past year+ I've been nodding my head saying "uh huh, of course, this was predictable!". Because I'd read Puzzle Palace a long while back, in the early 90s, when Bamford laid out the case NSA was prepared to bend every rule possible to expand their surveillance power. What they are doing now is the logical extension of the agency, particularly in the Patriot Act era where Americans are so afraid of terrorists we'll give up all civil liberties.
What NSA is doing now is terribly dangerous to our democratic order. I'm thankful to Bamford (and Greenwald, and Poitras) for their work and personal risks.
posted by Nelson at 9:15 AM on October 13, 2014 [3 favorites]
All through the Snowden revelations of the past year+ I've been nodding my head saying "uh huh, of course, this was predictable!". Because I'd read Puzzle Palace a long while back, in the early 90s, when Bamford laid out the case NSA was prepared to bend every rule possible to expand their surveillance power. What they are doing now is the logical extension of the agency, particularly in the Patriot Act era where Americans are so afraid of terrorists we'll give up all civil liberties.
What NSA is doing now is terribly dangerous to our democratic order. I'm thankful to Bamford (and Greenwald, and Poitras) for their work and personal risks.
posted by Nelson at 9:15 AM on October 13, 2014 [3 favorites]
Money quote from the article:
the task force pointed to the likelihood that the NSA would put political pressure on anyone who dared to testify against itposted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:21 AM on October 13, 2014 [3 favorites]
bamford is the authority on nsa history, i highly recommend any of his three books to anyone who is interested in the topic
posted by p3on at 11:33 AM on October 13, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by p3on at 11:33 AM on October 13, 2014 [2 favorites]
That justice memo is a really important document. Pull quote from its conclusion:
"The investigation has not revealed for instance a single case in which intelligence obtained by means of electronic surveillance was gathered or used for personal or partisan political purposes. The participants in every questionable operation, however oblivious or unmindful, appear to have acted under at least some colorable semblance of authority in what they conscientiously deemed to be the best interests of the United States."
That's from the Assistant Attorney General, in explaining why he's ending the current investigation.
posted by NoRelationToLea at 1:43 PM on October 13, 2014
"The investigation has not revealed for instance a single case in which intelligence obtained by means of electronic surveillance was gathered or used for personal or partisan political purposes. The participants in every questionable operation, however oblivious or unmindful, appear to have acted under at least some colorable semblance of authority in what they conscientiously deemed to be the best interests of the United States."
That's from the Assistant Attorney General, in explaining why he's ending the current investigation.
posted by NoRelationToLea at 1:43 PM on October 13, 2014
Huh, so "finding out who my ex is dating now" is in the best interests of the US. Good to know.
posted by rhizome at 2:02 PM on October 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by rhizome at 2:02 PM on October 13, 2014 [1 favorite]
Because I'd read Puzzle Palace a long while back, in the early 90s, when Bamford laid out the case NSA was prepared to bend every rule possible to expand their surveillance power. What they are doing now is the logical extension of the agency, particularly in the Patriot Act era where Americans are so afraid of terrorists we'll give up all civil liberties.
From Foreign Policy:
From Foreign Policy:
[Michael Hayden, the former director of the National Security Agency, says:] "The government needs to be strong enough to keep me safe but I don't want it so strong that it threatens my liberties."posted by MonkeyToes at 5:14 PM on October 13, 2014
Hayden also acknowledged that the warrantless wiretapping program exposed by Risen in 2005 were beset by legal problems. "I knew we were playing up against the line," he said, referring to the warrantless wiretapping program.
The American Government Tried to Kill James Risen’s Last Book
Democracy Now: James Risen Prepared to "Pay Any Price" to Report on War on Terror Amid Crackdown on Whistleblowers
James Risen on NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden: He Sparked a New National Debate on Surveillance
posted by homunculus at 10:44 AM on October 14, 2014
Democracy Now: James Risen Prepared to "Pay Any Price" to Report on War on Terror Amid Crackdown on Whistleblowers
James Risen on NSA Whistleblower Edward Snowden: He Sparked a New National Debate on Surveillance
posted by homunculus at 10:44 AM on October 14, 2014
New Zealand Cops Raided Home of Reporter Working on Snowden Documents
posted by homunculus at 4:33 PM on October 17, 2014
posted by homunculus at 4:33 PM on October 17, 2014
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posted by empath at 7:20 AM on October 13, 2014