So basically, his legacy is going to be as a well-intentioned guy who wanted to get things done (I mean, it's a great benefit for law enforcement, but nominally law enforcement needs warrants before spying on people), but gave his insane successor a bunch of tools that he really shouldn't have at his disposal. So, uh, thanks Obama.
That's one spin. Another is that by finalizing a process that began before Obama came into office, it makes it more difficult for Trump to extend the surveillance state even further.
On Thursday, the Obama administration finalized new rules that allow the National Security Agency to share information it gleans from its vast international surveillance apparatus with the 16 other agencies that make up the U.S. intelligence community.
With the new changes, which were long in the works, those agencies can apply for access to various feeds of raw, undoctored NSA intelligence. Analysts will then be able to sift through the contents of those feeds as they see fit, before implementing required privacy protections. Previously, the NSA applied those privacy protections itself, before forwarding select pieces of information to agencies that might need to see them.
The updated procedures will multiply the number of intelligence analysts who have access to NSA surveillance, which is captured in large quantities and often isn’t subject to warrant requirements. The changes rankled privacy advocates, who oppose a broadening of surveillance powers—especially on the cusp of Donald Trump’s inauguration. Trump and Mike Pompeo, the president-elect’s nominee for CIA director, have made it clear that they think overzealous civil-liberties protections should be cleared away in favor of stronger surveillance laws.
But while the changes may subject more Americans to warrantless surveillance, the last-minute timing of the announcement actually might have been designed to cut future privacy losses. Susan Hennessey, a Brookings fellow and the managing editor of Lawfare, says firming up the changes before Trump takes office makes it harder for the incoming president to encroach even further on civil liberties.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
At any rate, Obama didn't "create" any tools, he just signed off on a policy that sets rules for their use. The tools were created by the intelligence agencies and would be there for the Trumpistas to use and abuse regardless.
"What? What?What?" -- The 14th Doctor
It's not enough to be a good player... you also have to play well. -- Siegbert Tarrasch
"The world is suffering more today from the good people who want to mind other men's business than it is from the bad people who are willing to let everybody look after their own individual affairs." - Clarence Darrow
In President Barack Obama's last major military attack against al Qaeda, more than 100 members of the group were killed in a US airstrike in western Syria on Thursday, according to a defense official.
Black Lives definitely Matter Lorini!
Also: There are three ways to not tell the truth: lies, damned lies, and statistics.
Whoa there. Careful with that fake news. Remember Obama rolled over and let the terrorists install Sharia law here. Definitely did not fight them.
Ah, so he has retractable metal claws that punch through his flesh, just like a real wolverine.
Right, just like a real wolverine.
Ah, and his metal retractable claws can easily cut through hardened steel, just like a real wolverine.
Just like a real one, exactly.
Throughout his presidency, Obama made a point of reading 10 letters a day from the flood of mail coming to the White House. This is the story of the team that read all the mail and how they decided what made the cut.
C-SPAN asked a bunch of historians (I read 91 somewhere, but that's not in either link) to rank all of the former US presidents. Obama came in 12th. Not too shabby for his first time on the list.
The presidents were also ranked on their individual skills. Regarding Obama, Medford wrote: "I am especially surprised that he was ranked at 7th in moral authority (despite heading a scandal-free administration); 19th in administrative skills; and 8th in economic management (despite having helped to save the auto industry and significantly reducing unemployment)."
Also read elsewhere that Obama's biggest negative score was his relationship with Congress. Of course that's partly on Congress, but Obama did run an imperial presidency with limited outreach even while he enjoyed a friendly Congress.
Complete list here. I mostly agree, although I would have put Reagan at least five slots lower (certainly below Clinton) -- his voodoo economics led to the income inequality underlying so many of today's problems, and he got an undeserved pass on Iran-Contra. I also would have ranked W. lower, but that's probably my recency bias...at least he's soundly in the bottom tier.
That's a fascinating site. I look forward to seeing what historians think about Trump. Reagan ranked 33rd in "Administrative Skills" but relatively well in other areas, landing him a high spot (9th place). I can only imagine Trump will bottom out several categories based on his performance so far, "Administrative Skills" being the least of it. I mean, it'll be strange to see Nixon and Buchanan pushed up the list in "Moral Authority"
Black Lives Matter
2021-01-20: The first good night's sleep I had in 4 years.
I meant to post it in the Grade Obama! thread -- I kinda forgot we had two threads for that. It's interesting that his rating in that poll matches the historians' ranking pretty closely.
