The spying of the past 500 years (which is the point of the thread) didn't always have to do with terrorists. War time, fear, etc, all of these were reasons spying programs were put in place. But there were massive casualty events far greater in magnitude to 9/11 throughout history, all which could have arguably been avoided with "spying". Terrorists using the internet doesn't have anything to do with governments trying to spy on their citizens. If there was an internet during Stalin's time, he'd have been spying on it back then. The point the OP was trying to make is that governments use any method of spying in order to curb the rights and privacy of their citizens - all in the name of supposedly protecting them. Too bad you missed that.
either the blackmailer or the groups flowing money into their leadership accounts. the mostly dirty bastards sell out americans to special interests almost every time there is a clash. its why we need campaign finance reform and term limits. eventually the blackmail vote will lose out and then congress will just be our crooks again.
In 2010, millions of American tea-party constitutionalists, to include the GOP's Christian base, united in a remarkable grass-roots effort to rein in our unbridled federal government and return it to its expressly limited constitutional confines. As a result, an unprecedented number of counter-constitutionalist lawmakers (read: liberal Democrats) were swept from office. The Obama administration wasn't going to take this lying down. Whether it was by tacit approval or via direct order remains largely immaterial. The president quickly and unlawfully politicized the Internal Revenue Service, using it as a weapon against his political enemies. In an explosive scandal that continues to grow, the Obama IRS was caught - smoking gun in hand - intentionally targeting conservative and Christian organizations and individuals for harassment, intimidation and, ultimately, for political destruction... - See more at: http://cnsnews.com/commentary/j-mat...y-and-permanently-muzzle#sthash.eAK3uLCh.dpuf
That's what I thought, you have no examples of terrorists causing thousands of casualties before 9/11 or them using the internet for their communications, because there was no internet. This new tool that can be used by them must be used by the authorities also to counter them. And the idea that today's USA can be compared to old Russia or any number of other tyrannical govts of the past is absurd as is the idea that spying is ALWAYS used to crush dissent or limit freedoms or that the reason for these programs is to crush dissent and limit freedoms. That's not to say that there is no potential for abuse, and indeed there has been. Fortunately there are brave people with a conscience within the system that speak out about these abuses. Like Manning and Snowden. Let's hope that there are always people like them. Perfect secrecy is dangerous.
But I never said I had. The OP said this: I said this: Had nothing to do with terrorists or the internet. Simply had to do with the fact that governments have used the data they steal to go after their population. Do try to keep up, lad. Why is it absurd? Because you say it is? Can't disagree with any of the last part.