Recent News Items:
In 2012, after WIRED reported widespread warrantless spying by the NSA on all US citizens, the NSA chief testified before congress denying that it occured.
In 2012, Obama pressured Euro nations to drop an anti-FISA provision in new Euro privacy legislation.
In 2013, Snowden delivered proof that the NSA has multiple warrantless spying systems, both domestic and international working right now. Every US citizen has a file, is being actively surveilled, and has no privacy from the federal government.
The EU today considers cancelling all data sharing with the US because of the NSA fallout.
The EU today is telling its citizens to stop using American internet service providers because all of the have been willingly corrupted by the NSA.
Yesterday, France stated it is starting moves to cancel trade talks with the USA because of the NSA spying scandal.
Yesterday, the European Commission suggested that all Euro companies stop doing business with US internet companies.
Last week, the Guardian revealed that US agencies were caught trying to bug the French embassies, as well of other nations' embassies in Washington.
The incoming president of the EU, Graibauskaite of Lithuania, warned that US cloud companies could be losing all foreign business, because of their close ties to the NSA. She suggested that no euro or asian company would feel doing business or storing data in a US based cloud company. (The US has a huge lead in cloud technology. For now.)
Japan is reportedly reassessing its current Pacific trade talks with the US because of this scandal.
So far, the domestic response to the Snowden leak has been rather muted. Given how the entire talking head class in DC has unified to defend the NSA and attack the messenger, that is of little surprise. The willingness of the "insiders" in the Bloatway to support this serious erosion of our Bill of RIghts is astounding, especially since several of them made their bones in a Watergate era of politics.
As for most USers? the strongest response I read was in today's paper. "If I do nothing wrong, why would I worry about NSA activities here? Especially if they make me safer."
That statement is so wrong, on so many levels, that it will be the subject of an other diarrhee or future sermon. But, given the lack of journalistic integrity, effort, and professionalism these days, it is no surprise. Instead of screaming fucking bloody murder about Snowden's disclosures, they prefer talking and writing about the spectacle in a Florida trial.
On the other hand, the Rude Pundit gets it. His Bolivian Steamer is spot on. (seriously, is there any adult awake in the White House? Is Kerry that bad of a SecState? And why the fuck is he wasting his time in Israel? those talks will never go anywhere. Not this year. Not next. And certainly not until we have better relations with Iran.)
Someone (and I am guessing it was us) managed to fuck up the gauges on the Bolivian president's plane, forcing the Bolivian president to land prematurely in Austria, where folks demanded to search the plane for Snowden. How FUCKING STUPID is that, Mr. President? Have your top foreign aides and advisors lost their marbles, and are they doing a colo-rectal search for them of late? How do like the idea that EVERY SINGLE South American leader is meeting in Lima, to discuss how fucked up the US is at this slice of time? You think this is good news? Are your advisors even telling you about this flesh meet? (or are they reading the transcripts from the microphones they hid there in advance of the meet?)
Temporarily, the clustered fuck that is our current foreign policy is raising few waves here in the Colonies. But, our growing intertube businesses, some of the best in the world, will find themselves locked out of the eurasian, african, and South American markets. That is just suicidal as a business plan. Our best allies wonder if we can be trusted, what with our bugging of embassies, our lies about spying, and our attacks on their governmental, corporate and personal privacies.
They also wonder about sharing data with us. Trading with us. Allowing their citizens and companies do intertube business with us. There is no upside to this scandal, none at all. So far, there is no sign that the bRain tRust in the White House even realizes what a shitstorm it has landed in, simply by continuing (and expanding) Bush policies.
Our own spies are lying to Congress about the nature and extent of their DOMESTIC spying. Warrantless Domestic spying. Approved (maybe) by a kangaroo court called FISA (maybe, not always, and sometimes, after the fact), a court which in its entire existence since 1979, only once said no to a request. Senator Udall believes that the NSA is lying to his face.
Director of Intelligence Clapper admitted to lying to congress about domestic spying. If you and I did that in court, we'd be in jail. If we did that to congress, we'd be in jail. If Clapper lies to congress and to us, he probably gets a raise.
Just think of what these two liars are doing to our credibility across the Atlantic Pond.
In response to these liars being found out, the feds are pulling out all stops. Hayden (former secrutiny chief of the US), said the FISA stats were good news. "We should be asking the court for even more data. The lack of rejections proves just how benign our actions are."
Bullshit, Mr. Hayden.
Last week, we also found out that EVERY SINGLE CALL on a Verizon phone is being tracked by the NSA. For our own good? Are you shitting me?
At some point, this shit storm is going to boil over. When that happens, and when Americans realize the foolhardy extensive intrusion on our lives that happens daily, you can bet that there will be demands for change. I wonder how the Obama team will respond to this mess. So far, their only response has been to lie, to congress, to us, to our allies, to pursue Snowden at all costs, (including the cost of good relations with our southern allies), and to bug embassies here and abroad.
I recall a young President Obama exciting all of us with hope and change. I recall crowds, huge crowds, both domestic and international greeting him. I recall a young President Obama winning the Nobel prize.
Does anyone know if Nobel has a system to withdraw a prize after it has been rewarded?
But back to the original question. Does Europe have bigger balls than us? So far, the EU is rightly concerned and quite possibly taking serious actions against our political leaders. In part, due to a dead or dying journalistic class in the Colonies, the stories are not being investigated, reported on or discussed. Except to parrot US talking points about Snowden being a traitor. In that respect, our media's behavior today is just as bad as when the Bush admin was dictating talking points during our Little Iraqnam Invasion.
Given the poor reporting, the lack of outrage, and the sheeplike response so far, the answer is clear. Euro balls are huge. Ours have been castrated.