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Thread: Domestic surveillance

  1. #41
    retired American
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    Before I retired I worked in counter-terrorism and so there is a good chance someone monitors my communications, but who cares? The fact is, as I learned during the aforementioned career, there is not enough people, time or money to watch all of the serious terrorism subjects. Noone has the time or inclination to find out if one of us old guys bought a new hatchet or is storing up on 9-volt batteries.


  2. #42

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    Quote Originally Posted by chiangmaimav View Post
    Before I retired I worked in counter-terrorism and so there is a good chance someone monitors my communications, but who cares? The fact is, as I learned during the aforementioned career, there is not enough people, time or money to watch all of the serious terrorism subjects. Noone has the time or inclination to find out if one of us old guys bought a new hatchet or is storing up on 9-volt batteries.

    That's absolutely hilarious to me, since I work in technology and know for a fact that the processing power to do that is already in the NSA's hands and they are clamoring for the "responsibility" to handle the nations "cybersecurity" legitimately. You can choose to turn a blind eye if you want, and not believe it's happening. Whatever. I personally don't care if they monitor me, but at least I am aware that it is most likely happening. I mean, once you post one thing (like the clandestine gardening tips yesterday), all they gotta do is grab your IP and tell the ISP to trace the MAC that is associated with your IP at that time. Anytime you logon, whether it's an always on connection like broadband, or even dialup where your IP changes evertime, because they are tracing your MAC, your hosed. The only way to get around it is to use a laptop with a throwaway NIC (read: stolen) so the MAC address is unkown to them. But then you have to piggyback off of someone else's wireless connection, which isn't really all that hard.

    So while they can be circumvented, and YOU may have nothing to worry about, maybe you should rethink telling everyone else it's NOT possible, because it is easily do-able, and it IS happening.
    If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.
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  3. #43
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
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    Way to go, guys. Now I'll probably have to buy a permit for my hatchet...I mean...I don't HAVE a hatchet...but...uh....if I did...Now look what you've done!
    Tracks Across the High Plains...Death on the Bombay Line...A Touch of Death and Mayhem...Dead Rock...The Griswald Mine Boys...All On Amazon Books.

  4. #44
    Colorado Springs, CO wildography's Avatar
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    From what I have seen, read, and studied over the years... the various 3 letter agencies, and others, tend to focus on the "squeaky wheels" (aka less professional/less intelligent/less trained/less focused) that may potentially cause trouble.

    The real worry are those individuals with military (or law enforcement) training that are semi-intelligent (or more so) that have a psychopathic personality that they have managed to "hide" over the years.

    I have often maintained that if a trained, intelligent, focused person trully wants to perform a crime or some act of terrorism, it will be extremely difficult to catch them before the act occurs. When they are "caught" it is usually by luck or by a discreet act of God intervening.

    Case in point, I visited Denver the other day with a friend - and we went on an informal tour of the State capital. I walked through the metal detectors, the officers inspected my S.O.G. folding knife (gave it back to me and warned me to keep it in my pocket) and allowed me and my friend to pass on through. During our tour of the building, I witnessed two separate employees exit the buildings through doors that were "supposedly" alarmed (and that could provide entrance to the building for "evil-doers" - thus by-passing the metal detectors and the armed officers). I also spotted how you could make it all the way up to the dome AND get into a closed off area easily... giving you an excellent "sniper's lair". There were also numerous easy-to-access places where an accomplice could have hidden weapons, bombs, tools, etc to await pick-up at a later time. In addition, I - at one point - walked up behind an officer at the metal detector to ask directions to the rest-room. Sitting there with his arms crossed and leaning back in the chair, it would have been ridicuously easy to disarm him and render him unconscious - thus giving me access to his side-arm and his magazines of ammo... as well as his radio.

    The point being, all the surveillance in the world is not going to help if you are not watching, listening to, or aware of the persons who pose a real threat. This post of mine also is "connected" to a "hot topic of today" ex-veterans being potential "right-wing extremists". Good thing I'm such a nice guy... or I could ruin a lot of people's day!

    ______________________________________

    Oh, I forgot to add... the 3 officers at the metal detector, when I first arrived, didn't catch the two "toys" that I always carry in my wallet... 'toys" that could be very lethal in a self-defense situation.
    Last edited by wildography; 04-20-2009 at 10:28 AM. Reason: FORGOT TO ADD SOMETHING...
    all men die; few truly live

  5. #45
    Senior Member Ole WV Coot's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    Way to go, guys. Now I'll probably have to buy a permit for my hatchet...I mean...I don't HAVE a hatchet...but...uh....if I did...Now look what you've done!
    Wonder if I will need to register all the rocks & clubs individually or by the ton? I am a threat to myself and should be monitored at all times And you might have a hatchet??? I guess my soap in a sock will be confiscated now. Computer monitored? Next thing somebody will tell me "THEY" can tap my phone. Nah, impossible.
    Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he's too old
    to fight... he'll just kill you.

  6. #46

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    Quote Originally Posted by wildography View Post
    The real worry are those individuals with military (or law enforcement) training that are semi-intelligent (or more so) that have a psychopathic personality that they have managed to "hide" over the years.
    lol. guess i'm on the list then.
    If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.
    Samuel Adams
    Dogs are not my whole life, but they make my life whole.

  7. #47
    missing in action trax's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by chiangmaimav View Post
    Many people are deluded if they think their lives are so very interesting.
    Whew, thanks man, I can put these binoculars down and walk away from the mirror. I was starting to get dizzy, I'm a hard guy to keep an eye on, but yeah, essentially...boring.
    some fella confronted me the other day and asked "What's your problem?" So I told him, "I don't have a problem I am a problem"

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