Tag Archives: NSA

A response to Keith Ng on Hobbes’s Leviathan

Posted on March 12, 2015 by lawrence serewicz

Thanks for the post on Hobbes’s Leviathan. As you note, it is a potent symbol and one with many meanings that wax and wane across different eras.[1] In particular, the idea of the Leviathan as a great creature of the … Continue reading →

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How Snowden’s naivety has harmed the NSA in his own words.

Posted on July 20, 2014 by lawrence serewicz

For many people, the NSA’s arguments against Snowden appear hollow as they lack a smoking gun. The NSA has not provided any evidence that the leaks have damaged their ability to collect intelligence and deal with terrorist threats. For some … Continue reading →

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If the NSA suppresses political dissent, why are they so bad at it?

Posted on May 31, 2014 by lawrence serewicz

I came across Barry Eisler’s post Motive, Means, and Opportunity: Why NSA Secrecy Should Worry Us All and I thought he would explain why secrecy was bad for a liberal democracy. Although he never discussed this issue, he did make … Continue reading →

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Surveillance and the experience of technological sin

Posted on March 12, 2014 by lawrence serewicz

Throughout the furore over the NSA revelations, one thing that has remained constant is the way that technology companies and technologists have expressed a certain naiveté over politics. I do not mean that they are unaware of politics. Instead, I … Continue reading →

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Edward Snowden and America’s suicide

Posted on February 12, 2014 by lawrence serewicz

The Snowden revelations are a wakeup call for the United States. He and his promoters have preached a jeremiad, but not the one most people believe they are hearing. Most people will believe they are trying to wake America up … Continue reading →

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Surveillance, conformity and censorship: the reality and the myth

Posted on January 29, 2014 by lawrence serewicz

We have heard from many writers that when the NSA and GCHQ monitor the web and communications across the web they engage in censorship or the surveillance becomes a form of censorship because it chills the freedom of expression.[1] In … Continue reading →

Posted in censorship, Government, privacy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

My response to the NSA public consultation

Posted on December 20, 2013 by lawrence serewicz

  Background note: In response to the Snowden leaks about the National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance program, a review group was created on August 12, 2013. President Obama directed the establishment of a Review Group on Intelligence and Communications Technologies. Their mission … Continue reading →

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Surveillance, Safety and the Rule of Law: Questions and Answers

Posted on December 18, 2013 by lawrence serewicz

We have heard many stories about the surveillance state and its power over the individual. We have heard that the United States has abused its position and its power to its advantage. Many people are outraged at what they believe … Continue reading →

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When the NSA cannot decrypt, the seeds of the electronic state of nature are planted

Posted on September 7, 2013 by lawrence serewicz

When the NSA can no longer decrypt encrypted documents, we will not usher in a new era of liberty or freedom. What we will learn is that our freedom has a dangerous limit. We will wake up to the truth … Continue reading →

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Does the NSA want to collect everything? Let’s check the facts and then decide.

Posted on August 31, 2013 by lawrence serewicz

Over the past several months, we have read headlines and stories about the new surveillance state. We have been told that the United States government, in particular the NSA, intends to “collect, monitor, and store every telephone and internet communication … Continue reading →

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