So the story breaks that the NSA has been secretly been collecting or trying to collect a record of every domestic phone call (not the content, just the phone number) made in the United States. Qwest is the only phone company that refused to turn over records. We are talking about billions and billions of calls.
What you are telling me is that when I call for Chinese takeout, the phone number of Lili's Noodle House is added to the database. That's right. Every phone call.
Now the idea is that someone at the Noodle House calls their cousin Jun who in turn calls his friend Mary who works at Walmart. Mary has called her doctor to make an appointment to treat her acne problem.
And on it goes. Eventually, 1 million links later - there is an intersection with another 1 million link trail to a terrorist phone number. The NSA is using a supercomputer to spit out the number and it only takes three months. Oh, the terrorist has long ago discarded the phone, but no matter. I don't see this as efficient.
What they should do is put a video camera in every house and be done with it. If you turn the monitor off - then the homeland security police arrive. Or maybe ankle bracelets so we can track everyone's movements. That would work even better. Sure, you'd have to sacrifice a bit of privacy - but c'mon - we are up against a mortal enemy.
Today's slogan: Data mining = Safety
9 comments:
I swear the so called war on terror is the new war on drugs. It'll never end nor was it ever meant to end. What an amazing way to stimulate the economy.
Remember the US was founded on terrorism. Isn't America great?
I remember a great line from the last Bond flick. Bond is talking to someone in Cuba and Bond refers to somone else as a terrorist. The Cuban corrects him stating that one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter.
Craig - I agree. It is absurd. Since this is the largest database in history, from a tech. point of view - I sort of wonder what database program they're using: Oracle or SQL Server. Knowing the government, it's probably in a collection of Lotus 123 files :)
If Bush's nominee is confirmed - I will be shocked. But of course I was shocked he was re-elected.
Dave
Clustered Oracle servers running on supercomputers. If it was the UK government it'd be Access 97 on a P3.
The idea is actually mind-boggling from a database point of view.
First off, the various phone companies probably use different record layouts. Second, you are talking about millions of calls per day. Third, how long does it take to import these records and how are they even given over to the NSA? Is there a private network between the NSA and the phone companies? Are they filling trucks with DVDs every night? Mainframe tapes?
Then you get into what in the world would the database schema look like.
At some point they'd have to also do a relationship to another database that held addresses and names.
It's just very hard to imagine it being a timely operation. I suppose what I'd do if I was holding hearings is have the database admin explain what patterns / links they've found and how long it took from the time the call was made until the bad guy was identified.
But I agree - its got to be Oracle. It seems to me like trying to setup a database to pinpoint the location of every grain of sand.
Unfortunately for all, Oracle and Ellison are the only ones with the technology to do what you're talking about! MS are way behind. Seriously.
Who said 140 tables in a database!? Don't make me laugh, thats piffle to what I work with! I'm staring at 600 tables in something I'd consider small fry. Come on NSA, hire me!!!
And if the government did nothing and another terrorist act occured you'd all be up in arms about that too. Lets face it nothing short of impeachment will satisfy the left, who cares why? All of this manufactured indignant outrage over the so called violation of our right to privacy is laughable. I'd like one person to tell me how this or the monitoring of international phone calls to Afghanistan/Pakistan some other god-forsaken cradle of terrorism compromises your right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The only thing doing that for liberals is the current occupant at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
"Lets face it nothing short of impeachment will satisfy the left, who cares why?"
Clinton.
The right.
Pot.
Kettle.
So then whats the rationale - two wrongs make a right?
Craig - as I understand it, collection of call records, as opposed to the actual listening to (content) of phone calls, is not covered by FISA and is not covered by 4th Amendment (see Smith v. Maryland 1979.) There may be other *statutory* issued involved - mostly they seem to be aimed at the phone companies, not at the government.
Dave - I was wondering myself about those calls I make to the Golden Dragon being in the database. It now seems that the call records are for *long-distance* calls, and not calls that are totally handled by the local phone company. So my Chinese take-out calls won't make the database, unless I call ahead to Moshe Peking on my way up to NYC from Baltimore.
In any event, these issues over this data collection and selective warrentless monitoring of overseas phone calls are not as cut-and-dry (or is it "cut-and-tried", I never know.) as they are made out to be, either by the Nancy Pelosis or the Rush Limbaughs.
Here's a pop quiz - Who said the following:
"The Department of Justice believes, and the case law supports, that the president has inherent authority to conduct warrantless physical searches for foreign intelligence purposes...and that the President may, as has been done, delegate this authority to the Attorney General."
John Ashcroft, right!? Nah, it was Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick, testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee on July 14, 1994 (that's during the Clinton Administration, folks.)
So that's just one hint that these issues are more nuanced than they may seem on first reading in USAToday.
Extra Credit Essay Question: Given the above 1994 testimony, explain why the issue fo warrentless searches was NOT a widely-reported issue at that time. Please pass your blue books forward upon completion.
As to the database software, SQL Server shill that I am, I must admit that it's most likely on ORACLE. Who knows- I can assure you that this level of detail won't be made public.
BTW, Q: do you know the difference between Larry Ellison and God?...
A: God doesn't think he's Larry Ellison.
Best regards to Dave & all the regulars - even if I disagree with you sometimes I know you're all good Americans (well, except for you wonderful Brits out there...)
-- SteveR
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