Don't really know if this has been posted yet or many people know but I found the story on the BBC today. I'm trying to find a bit more information.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25087627
http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2013/11/23/nsa-infected-50000-computer-networks-with-malicious-software/
Seems they've been installing spyware in addition to just sniffing your packets.
I don't think abolishing the NSA is necessarily the answer...
Well these secrete organizations justify their existence because they offer protection (or so they claim) from rival powers. So it is in their best interest that humanity remains divided. Since they operate in secrecy, they could basically sabotage any attempt at unification. I think that for that reason we will need to abolish secrete agencies.
As for the NSA they have proven to cause more harm then they mitigate. Maybe it would be better to replace the NSA with an agency focused on securing IT infrastructure rather then attacking it.
Also other countries will likely shy away from buying American software & IT solutions for fear of NSA back-doors. They will have to redevelop all that stuff, that-way everybody loses money.
Not to mention all the Computer-Nerds using their time to undo that NSA-nastyness instead of using their time to create awesome new stuff.
The loss of trust causes allot of damage, the only way to restore trust IMHO is to at the very least to defund the NSA mass-surveillance of the Internet.
I worked in "intellegence" for 5 years. It could easily all be gotten rid of, It's all WWII/Coldwar artifacts trying to justify their existence. If we spent 25% of the current (black) budget on humanitarian aid and truly supporting human rights and democaracy around the world, there would be no need what-so-ever for the NSA/CIA/DHS/etc. agencies.
Really this is all about people making easy money from fear mongering. After WWII we where so afraid of another Hitler we felt that we need to be a bigger player on the world stage to prevent the next.
Seems like the norm in this country is every time the public is scared of something. Nazi's Communists, Terrorists. Someone is ready to start a new agency in the name of safety of the citizens. But giving anything such great power is always a determent instead.
We need to have a conversation about what we are willing to risk to keep our freedoms. Instead of what freedoms we will give up to be safer.
I served in Iraq and the fact that we have already started it circumvent the amendments of the constitution. The same thing that the people illegality circumventing had me swear that I would protect with my life makes me sick. And make me feel that friends that I knew in combat that lost there lives supposedly to protect our freedoms really just pissed them into the wind.
@ DerKrieger, I agree. All governments everywhere should be abolished.
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will live as one."