[ExI] Web's Reach Binds N.S.A. and Silicon Valley Leaders

[spike]

-----Original Message-----
From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org
[mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Eugen Leitl
Sent: Friday, June 21, 2013 4:17 AM
To: extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
Subject: Re: [ExI] Web's Reach Binds N.S.A. and Silicon Valley Leaders

On Thu, Jun 20, 2013 at 07:42:20AM -0700, spike wrote:

>>... Lesson, especially for Americans: get your friends to post stuff as
you.  Do that early and often.

>...Unfortunately simple statistical analysis will smoke out the real spike,
and arguably even uniquely identify people who helped to try obscuring your
data shadow...

Ja.  Of course the friends may have intentionally used only words and
phrases known to be used by me, such as {8^D just to add to the gag.  Also,
the whole technique is not really about hiding but rather about plausible
deniability.  Posts from your computer cannot really be used against you as
evidence in court if it is known that a number of people used the computer.
Then the burden of proof is on the prosecutor.  

Of course if the prosecutor is the IRS, they need not worry about burden of
proof; their word is proof.  That organization has unlimited power as they
have shown: it targeted and suppressed one side of the political spectrum.
When caught, the former director Lois Lerner testified before congress that
she did nothing wrong, then immediately invoked her fifth amendment rights
allowing her to refuse to testify if she could incriminate herself.  Indeed!
She then walked out of court unchallenged.  Now Lois Lerner is on paid
leave, pending investigation in which she is the defendant and holder of the
evidence, but is not required to testify, as well as being in a position to
extract revenge in the form of a tax audit on any prosecutor or judge.
Remarkable.  

Conclusion: in free America, the IRS holds unlimited power and zero
accountability.  They are free to suppress anyone they choose, without
consequences, and even arrange to imprison their political enemies, such as
libertarians.

We always worried about the president becoming a dictator.  Turns out all
along it was the head of the IRS who had that power, and who promptly abused
it.  That power is still there, waiting for the next person to abuse it.  It
is all just astonishing, appalling.

spike