They are keeping you safe and watching out for your privacy and Constitutional rights.

Yep, sure they are.

We can trust ’em.

Just ask them.

There are those who say that Edward Snowden is a traitor.

Perhaps he is.

I think he is not. You may disagree with me. I think he did what he could to right a wrong by “blowing the whistle”.

There are those who say he should have taken a different path to try and stop these practices.

Perhaps he should have. But what path:

Others who tried to inform and stop these practices have been hounded and charged with espionage. Even when going to the Inspector General or the Justice departement, they were ignored. And in at least one instance, the informant wad prosecuted.

For once, the Fourth Estate did it’s job. Sadly, it was not a news organization in the US that did it…that outed this program. That protected the citizens of the US by informing them of what was already suspected by many of us.

These men are Snowden’s peers. And I will take their judgement of him over that of a bureaucrat any day.

Ya gotta ask yerself:

If there was nothing wrong (or, as the NSA states, illegal) about the fact that the NSA was collecting metadata on all of our calls (or, as some folks claim, actually monitoring some of us), then what is the big deal about the fact that the program has been exposed?

I mean, really, what’s he big deal? Why be upset that the program was leaked? They weren’t do anything wrong….right?

Or is the Government angry because their actions are deemed ….wrong, by both the media and the populace once it came to light. One would wonder if they too felt that it was wrong (or would be judged as such) by everyone.

Yes, I know that their special kangaroo court has determined that the data collection and/or monitoring was legal, constitutional, and correct, but obviously SOMEONE decided that it wasn’t right, and decided to keep it secret, lest they anger the sheep populace.

of failed policies.

Detroit defaults.

In 1930, it was the fastest growing city in the country.

In 1950 it was in the top 10 fastest growing cities in the country.

in 2012, it had over 100,000 abandoned homes.

Today, it has defaulted on almost 18 Billion dollars of debt.

one can point to many sources of the city’s failure, but nearly all of them are liberal policies or liberal supported causes like unions and affirmative action.

That there is a stairway to heaven..

But a highway to hell?

Must be more traffic going down.

That Obama and family (and entourage) can find the money (that is your and my money…..or really China’s money that we will somehow have to repay someday) to fly to Africa on what is, essentially, a sightseeing trip. Something on the order of $100 million….yes, you read that right One Hundred Million dollars.    $100,000,000.

Yet there isn’t any way for us to pay for our military, requiring cuts to the Navy’s readiness, to the Army’s and Marine’s ability to react and to have available forces, and for the Air Force to cut many programs.

We don’t have the money to pay for the Blue Angels to fly over Baseball games or auto races, we have to cancel airshows and most military exhibits….

Our deployed troops don’t always get 3 hot meals a day.

We had to scramble to find some way to pay for our Air Traffic controllers and other essential services like USDA inspectors and FAA inspectors.

We can’t find enough money to repair or maintain our bridges.

We had to cut services at National Parks.

But the HNIC somehow can find enough of our money to pay for his African Safari vacation.

It’s what you’d expect from the president of….say, Zimbabwe.What you would expect from a ruler rather than a president.

But the real question is why Congress and the Representatives allow him to waste OUR money this way.

WHY?

Flag Day here in the US

Celebrate it as you feel appropriate.

I’d post more, but I’m busy cleaning up the mess Mother Nature left behind the other day.

I was unable to participate:

I really wanted to participate.

I did send several highly suspicious texts, but that was after the storm had vented it’s fury upon my property. Maybe I’ll have internet tonite

Up most of the night dealing with the aftermath of the storm.

about a 6 out of 10, but bad enough.

Rained so hard, I got lost on roads I drive every day. Had to stop

Dime sized hail.

Winds exceeding 70 MPH.

It appears that the new roof handled the wind better this time though. No apparent damage at first glance.

Generators make a big difference when the lights go out.

(good thing I exercise them every 90 days.)

No Free Ice Cream today though. Too Busy.
Check back later

But then again, it is not outside of the realm of possibility.

Especially now that we KNOW that emails, phones and cell phones are vulnerable.

Did NSA and DOJ tap Robert’s phone to get information they could use against him?

Maybe. Who knows?

But his change of heart regarding Obamacare was…..shocking and quick.

Many of us speculated what the government (and the Obama Administration and the DNC) had on him to make him change his mind so rapidly and completely.

Likely, we will never know.

But here is and interesting article regarding the methods that may have been used to gather information.

Points to remember:

NEVER, ever put anything incriminating in an email, or use email to send information you want to keep secret. Always assume that emails will be read. Treat them as if they were as private as a postcard.

NEVER, ever, say anything on a cell phone that you don’t want overheard.

NEVER, ever call or email someone you don’t want anyone else to know you have contacted.

Remember: Big Brother IS watching you.

3 people CAN keep a secret….if two of them are dead.