7 ms·

Tepid? The response has been cooler than that.

chongli 13y ago
If you're talking about the media, what did you expect? The mainstream media is just a mouthpiece for the government at this point.
- Jgrubb 13y ago
  Or is it the other way around? I honestly don't know anymore.
- untog 13y ago
  I know that's a popular thing to say, but the mainstream media broke the story. In what way are they a government mouthpiece?
  - chongli 13y ago
    You're right, it is a sweeping generalization. It'd be better to say that most of the mainstream media serves as the government mouthpiece. A few key outlets continue to serve the vital role of breaking important stories such as this one.
  - jessaustin 13y ago
    In what way... When they regurgitate the content of a government press release or briefing without challenging both its basic premises and noteworthy claims, which they all do every single day, many times a day, the popular news media perfectly inhabits the role of "government mouthpiece". This includes the many instances of on-the-one-hand-on-the-other press-release ping-pong between the two allegedly opposed narratives provided by our two allegedly opposed political parties.
  - dhugiaskmak 13y ago
    The media didn't break anything. Snowden gave them the story, which they have mostly ignored in favor of hit pieces against him as a traitor and a coward.
    - untog 13y ago
      Perhaps you need to look up the definition of "breaking a story": "to be the first to broadcast or distribute the story of an event."[1] Snowden provided the information, the media absolutely broke the story. [1] http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/break+a+story http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/break+a+story
- moens 13y ago
  Unfortunately I believe @northernmonkey and all OP's are talking about the "average American" and maybe the "average human". After all, in the US anyway, aren't we-the-people the government? That would make the MSM a mouthpiece for... the average American. I believe that is more or less true as sad as it is. Aware and concerned tech-heads are trying to protect a drunken fool (the public) from a hungry bear (whoever it is that actually runs the intelligence networks). Either one is dangerous enough on its own, trying to save one from the other is like trying to settle a domestic dispute... not sure it can happen. I don't have an answer, just an analysis.
  - rayiner 13y ago
    > Aware and concerned tech-heads are trying to protect a drunken fool (the public) from a hungry bear (whoever it is that actually runs the intelligence networks). What self-important, self-aggrandizing bullshit.
    - sillysaurus 13y ago
      Your comment leaves much to be desired.
      - rayiner 13y ago
        And an attitude of comparing the public to drunken fools doesn't?
        sillysaurus 13y ago
        Not the point. Idiots will be idiots. It's better to hold yourself to a higher standard.
        rayiner 13y ago
        There is something to be desired about an attitude that conflates people having different values and priorities with their being "idiots."
rafcavallaro 13y ago
You apparently missed the fact that the Obama administration had a full scale Democratic congressional revolt on its hands yesterday - a majority of congressional Dems voted to defund the NSA collection of bulk call records under FISA - the White House was seriously afraid the Amash Ammendment would pass - it only failed narrowly - 217 to 205. So in objective terms, the response has been far worse than the administration expected. And this policy tussle isn't over yet.
- mrt0mat0 13y ago
  i think the issue is: 10% of the people are informed enough to realize what's going, and yes, some of them are acting. the majority of Americans don't know what's going on, and many of them don't care, which is sad.
- gcb0 13y ago
  But still, everything continues as usual. Nobody is guilty. Nobody did anything wrong. And money to the program continues to flow.
  - e3pi 13y ago
    >Nobody is guilty. >Nobody did anything wrong. True and true. If I am not mistaken, What we've witnessed from James Clapper and General Alexander, it is legal for representatives from our federal surveillance agencies to openly lie in a Congressional oversight hearing. This of course, if fact, is insane, and will only lead into extralegal catastrophe. Learn to read and reread `Clapperspeak'. When you look for it and know a little context, we see how entrenched and truthfully revealing it is: "And Ye Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Make You Free" - John 8:32, and the entrances of NSA, Fort Meade, Maryland, and the CIA HQ, Langley, VA "Arbeit macht frei" -Auschwitz, and the entrances of other Nazi slave labor camps during World War II
    - raintrees 13y ago
      I think many of us in the United States saw this coming when the current administration stated they would not be addressing the previous administration's law breaking. The law is now "in your face" optional, depending on how much money and/or power is involved. Power has always had undue influence, it is just flagrant now. From what I read, this is fairly common among many countries, so I take it as part of the "human condition."
jwoah12 13y ago
I don't know what would have to happen for you to consider the response substantial. Would citizens need to be forming militias and actively marching in the streets? That's just not how people react anymore. Tens of thousands of people called their congresspeople on a day's notice to express their support for the Amash Amendement. That amendment lost by only 12 votes. A large majority of people polled think that the NSA dragnet is infringing on privacy rights. I think that's pretty good for a notoriously apathetic populace. This issue is far from over.
- Vivtek 13y ago
  Tens of thousands caring out of a population of 350 million is 0.03% of the population. That's kinda tepid. But should Paula Deen have been fired from Food Network? Crisis of epic proportions!
  - jessaustin 13y ago
    You might want to consume different sources of news media. The only times I've heard the name "Paula Deen" was in conversation with my parents and grandparents. I'm sure her travails (whatever they are or were) amount to a crisis for some people, but you don't have to pay attention to those people.
    - sillysaurus 13y ago
      Vivtek's point was that most people don't care about this, and consider the Paula Deen incident far more noteworthy.
      - jessaustin 13y ago
        That may have been true for whichever couple of days the talking heads devoted to the unfortunate Ms. Dean, but it simply isn't borne out over the long haul. If you look really hard, I doubt you can find a single piece about Dean that was produced today, while most outlets have several about Snowden.

If you're talking about the media, what did you expect? The mainstream media is just a mouthpiece for the government at this point.

Jgrubb 13y ago
Or is it the other way around? I honestly don't know anymore.
untog 13y ago
I know that's a popular thing to say, but the mainstream media broke the story. In what way are they a government mouthpiece?
- chongli 13y ago
  You're right, it is a sweeping generalization. It'd be better to say that most of the mainstream media serves as the government mouthpiece. A few key outlets continue to serve the vital role of breaking important stories such as this one.
- jessaustin 13y ago
  In what way... When they regurgitate the content of a government press release or briefing without challenging both its basic premises and noteworthy claims, which they all do every single day, many times a day, the popular news media perfectly inhabits the role of "government mouthpiece". This includes the many instances of on-the-one-hand-on-the-other press-release ping-pong between the two allegedly opposed narratives provided by our two allegedly opposed political parties.
- dhugiaskmak 13y ago
  The media didn't break anything. Snowden gave them the story, which they have mostly ignored in favor of hit pieces against him as a traitor and a coward.
  - untog 13y ago
    Perhaps you need to look up the definition of "breaking a story": "to be the first to broadcast or distribute the story of an event."[1] Snowden provided the information, the media absolutely broke the story. [1] http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/break+a+story http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/break+a+story
moens 13y ago
Unfortunately I believe @northernmonkey and all OP's are talking about the "average American" and maybe the "average human". After all, in the US anyway, aren't we-the-people the government? That would make the MSM a mouthpiece for... the average American. I believe that is more or less true as sad as it is. Aware and concerned tech-heads are trying to protect a drunken fool (the public) from a hungry bear (whoever it is that actually runs the intelligence networks). Either one is dangerous enough on its own, trying to save one from the other is like trying to settle a domestic dispute... not sure it can happen. I don't have an answer, just an analysis.
- rayiner 13y ago
  > Aware and concerned tech-heads are trying to protect a drunken fool (the public) from a hungry bear (whoever it is that actually runs the intelligence networks). What self-important, self-aggrandizing bullshit.
  - sillysaurus 13y ago
    Your comment leaves much to be desired.
    - rayiner 13y ago
      And an attitude of comparing the public to drunken fools doesn't?
      - sillysaurus 13y ago
        Not the point. Idiots will be idiots. It's better to hold yourself to a higher standard.
        rayiner 13y ago
        There is something to be desired about an attitude that conflates people having different values and priorities with their being "idiots."

rafcavallaro 13y ago

You apparently missed the fact that the Obama administration had a full scale Democratic congressional revolt on its hands yesterday - a majority of congressional Dems voted to defund the NSA collection of bulk call records under FISA - the White House was seriously afraid the Amash Ammendment would pass - it only failed narrowly - 217 to 205. So in objective terms, the response has been far worse than the administration expected. And this policy tussle isn't over yet.

mrt0mat0 13y ago
i think the issue is: 10% of the people are informed enough to realize what's going, and yes, some of them are acting. the majority of Americans don't know what's going on, and many of them don't care, which is sad.
gcb0 13y ago
But still, everything continues as usual. Nobody is guilty. Nobody did anything wrong. And money to the program continues to flow.
- e3pi 13y ago
  >Nobody is guilty. >Nobody did anything wrong. True and true. If I am not mistaken, What we've witnessed from James Clapper and General Alexander, it is legal for representatives from our federal surveillance agencies to openly lie in a Congressional oversight hearing. This of course, if fact, is insane, and will only lead into extralegal catastrophe. Learn to read and reread `Clapperspeak'. When you look for it and know a little context, we see how entrenched and truthfully revealing it is: "And Ye Shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Make You Free" - John 8:32, and the entrances of NSA, Fort Meade, Maryland, and the CIA HQ, Langley, VA "Arbeit macht frei" -Auschwitz, and the entrances of other Nazi slave labor camps during World War II
  - raintrees 13y ago
    I think many of us in the United States saw this coming when the current administration stated they would not be addressing the previous administration's law breaking. The law is now "in your face" optional, depending on how much money and/or power is involved. Power has always had undue influence, it is just flagrant now. From what I read, this is fairly common among many countries, so I take it as part of the "human condition."

jwoah12 13y ago

I don't know what would have to happen for you to consider the response substantial. Would citizens need to be forming militias and actively marching in the streets? That's just not how people react anymore. Tens of thousands of people called their congresspeople on a day's notice to express their support for the Amash Amendement. That amendment lost by only 12 votes. A large majority of people polled think that the NSA dragnet is infringing on privacy rights. I think that's pretty good for a notoriously apathetic populace. This issue is far from over.

Vivtek 13y ago
Tens of thousands caring out of a population of 350 million is 0.03% of the population. That's kinda tepid. But should Paula Deen have been fired from Food Network? Crisis of epic proportions!
- jessaustin 13y ago
  You might want to consume different sources of news media. The only times I've heard the name "Paula Deen" was in conversation with my parents and grandparents. I'm sure her travails (whatever they are or were) amount to a crisis for some people, but you don't have to pay attention to those people.
  - sillysaurus 13y ago
    Vivtek's point was that most people don't care about this, and consider the Paula Deen incident far more noteworthy.
    - jessaustin 13y ago
      That may have been true for whichever couple of days the talking heads devoted to the unfortunate Ms. Dean, but it simply isn't borne out over the long haul. If you look really hard, I doubt you can find a single piece about Dean that was produced today, while most outlets have several about Snowden.