NSA spying has rippling effects

From the Wall Street Journal:

AT&T Inc.’s ambitions to expand in Europe have run into unexpected hurdles amid the growing outcry across the region over surveillance by the National Security Agency. German and other European officials said any attempt by AT&T to acquire a major wireless operator would face intense scrutiny, given the company’s work with the U.S. agency’s data-collection programs.

This is no different than the problems China would have buying Intel, Microsoft, T-Mobile, or Google. Would you want a country with such a poor record of human rights having the ability to surreptitiously read all your Internet traffic, listen to your phone calls, and even read the snail mail letter you wrote using Microsoft Word?

Guess what. Our country now has a poor record on human rights and is suffering the consequences for it.


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3 thoughts on “NSA spying has rippling effects

  1. I’m less concerned with the Chinese reading my personal correspondence than I am the NSA. At least I’m more unlikely to be visited at 2AM by Chicom JBTs for some perceived malfeasance than I am by some US alphabet agency.

    • Chicom would blackmail you to reveal technical and/or government secrets or to assist in the blackmail of others.

      I suppose that is better than an early morning visit from an US alphabet agency with tall shiny boots. But I prefer neither.

  2. So AT&T can’t buy further into European telephone systems. As Leon Uris reported in Battle Cry, the Russian Marines have a saying that is appropos here: Toughski Shitski.

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