**** Elections thread *****

[Jack Sawyer]

It's not the government that's out of control, it's the intelligence agencies that are out of control.

Unelected bodies that truly understand how information is currency nowadays. The true power of information/

[Savy]

It's not the government that's out of control, it's the intelligence agencies that are out of control.

Unelected bodies that truly understand how information is currency nowadays. The true power of information/

Look at the laws that are getting passed (fml) in the UK related to cyber security. It's absolute madness.

[Poopadoop]

Look at the laws that are getting passed (fml) in the UK related to cyber security. It's absolute madness.

Sounds like someone's a bit upset about not being able to look at sheep porn any more.

[Savy]

Sounds like someone's a bit upset about not being able to look at sheep porn any more.

I make my sheep porn viewing habbits very well hidden compared to the average internet user.

[Poopadoop]

I make my sheep porn viewing habbits very well hidden compared to the average internet user.

At least you used to. Right now someone at MI-whatever is jotting down your address.

[Savy]

At least you used to. Right now someone at MI-whatever is jotting down your address.

Tbf my internet browsing history is incredibly vanilla. The most incriminating thing I do is post on FTR. I'm boringly logical and have little to no psychotic traits, wish I did. A mental illness would be the most interesting thing about me.

[OngBonga]

At least you used to. Right now someone at MI-whatever is jotting down your address.

Let's hope the "l" button isn't broken.

(joke only people who know Welsh town names will get)

[OngBonga]

Sounds like someone's a bit upset about not being able to look at sheep porn any more.

Savy is Welsh?

[wufwugy]

It's not the government that's out of control, it's the intelligence agencies that are out of control.

Unelected bodies that truly understand how information is currency nowadays. The true power of information/

Why don't you think the government is out of control?

[Jack Sawyer]

Why don't you think the government is out of control?

Because if the government was out of control, you'd have a situation not unlike Chávez Frías/Castro/The Kim-Jong's/Erdogan/Putin/Pinochet/Afewerki/al-Assad/al-Bashir/Mugabe/Mbasogo/Karimov/Zanawi Asres etc.

It's definitely not like those situations atm in the US, but that corruption though (highlighted by Trump's ironic cabinet picks despite claims of "draining the swamp" during his campaign). Pay to play at its finest

[wufwugy]

Because if the government was out of control, you'd have a situation not unlike Chávez Frías/Castro/The Kim-Jong's/Erdogan/Putin/Pinochet/Afewerki/al-Assad/al-Bashir/Mugabe/Mbasogo/Karimov/Zanawi Asres etc.

It's definitely not like those situations atm in the US, the corruption though (highlighted by Trump's ironic cabinet picks despite claims of "draining the swamp" during his campaign)

"Out of control" only consists of the most extreme scenarios?

When I think of out of control, I think of things like taxes going from the intended ~<5% to ~50% in order to pay people to be less productive. Or regulations increasing by 1000000whateverX and providing little to no real protection. For the Intel Community to be out of control, government itself probably has to be out of control in the first place. Can you think of some other way a corrupt IC would get its funding and legitimacy?

[Poopadoop]

For the Intel Community to be out of control, government itself probably has to be out of control in the first place. Can you think of some other way a corrupt IC would get its funding and legitimacy?

For this example I can think of a plausible scenario arising whereby the 'top secret' nature of their work makes it difficult to hold them accountable.

If the taxpayers knew (e.g.,) that the CIA was planning to dust off some foreign leader ahead of time they'd be all up in their shit. But since that never happens and we only hear about it years later, it becomes a fait accompli by then.

That is until Putinleaks puts out some stuff about the CIA watching you on your own TV.

[Jack Sawyer]

That is until Putinleaks puts out some stuff about the CIA watching you on your own TV.

Yup.

http://www.theverge.com/2017/3/7/148...ndroid-samsung

[wufwugy]

For this example I can think of a plausible scenario arising whereby the 'top secret' nature of their work makes it difficult to hold them accountable.

If the taxpayers knew (e.g.,) that the CIA was planning to dust off some foreign leader ahead of time they'd be all up in their shit. But since that never happens and we only hear about it years later, it becomes a fait accompli by then.

That's a good point and is consistent with factors regarding the deep state.

[Jack Sawyer]

"Out of control" only consists of the most extreme scenarios?


When I think of out of control, I think of things like taxes going from the intended ~<5% to ~50% in order to pay people to be less productive. Or regulations increasing by 1000000whateverX and providing little to no real protection. For the Intel Community to be out of control, government itself probably has to be out of control in the first place. Can you think of some other way a corrupt IC would get its funding and legitimacy?

You asked for out of control.


The intel community is definitely out of control. They are unelected, and really do as they please apparently.


The US has its priorities out of whack though, I give you that. Like how defense spending is more important than education for instance. Like putting the most taxes on those who can’t afford it the most. But it’s not yet out of control. If it was, then you’d have to abandon all hope and move on.

[wufwugy]

Like how defense spending is more important than education for instance. Like putting the most taxes on those who can’t afford it the most.

There is legitimate explanation for both of those.

Smart defense spending (which includes drowning out the competition) leads to less war. The world discovered this the hard way when Britain and France went full blown pacifist, giving a nasty regime (Nazis) an opening. Regarding education, parents should be in charge of what their kids are taught. You wouldn't let the government dictate what you feed your kids, so why give the government so much control over what your kids learn?

The tax thing is a fantastic example of the counterintuitive nature of economics. When tax policy favors poverty and punishes wealth, it actually creates more poverty and less wealth. A society that optimizes social mobility makes it pay to move up, not pay to stay put. Contemporary western tax policies tend to make it pay to stay put. There can be some room for some progressiveness in tax policy, but when a media personality says a particular tax policy hurts the poor and helps the rich, make note that he probably has it wrong.

[Savy]

Smart defense spending (which includes drowning out the competition) leads to less war. The world discovered this the hard way when Britain went full blown pacifist, giving a nasty regime (Nazis) an opening.

I don't know what you learnt about ww2 but we (or preferably I) crushed their dreams.