# Why the persistent political apathy over NSA surveillance? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 1, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632 "2014-03-01T21:57:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/1 "2014-03-01T21:57:43Z")
Yes, on the one hand there does seem to be a lot of pathy, if that’s a word. People rant against NSA surveillance, they blog about it, editors get letters, pundits click their tongues, editorial cartoonists draw anti-NSA toons, comedians snark, every month since the stories began to break. But OTOH, or, rather, at the higher levels – nobody in Congress really seems to be fighting NSA surveillance. And nobody running for Congress this year is running against it (AFAIK and so far; examples would be welcomed). There appears to be some sort of . . . disconnect here. Why? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/2 "2014-03-01T22:14:49Z")
Fear. Nobody wants to be branded as anti-anything dealing with national security, because when the next attack inevitably happens, they don’t want potential opponents to pull up sound bytes of them opposing something that might have prevented or otherwise mitigated the next 9/11. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/3 "2014-03-01T22:16:00Z")
I don’t think there’s much public outrage about it because everybody already figured the NSA was doing stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![Batistuta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58956e/32.png) [@Batistuta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batistuta)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/4 "2014-03-01T22:21:46Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > I don’t think there’s much public outrage about it because everybody already figured the NSA was doing stuff like that. Partly this. Partly, political apathy has been an issue in recent times **not only** over surveillance issues. The invasion of Iraq, the status of Guantanamo or the WikiLeaks releases would have been huge scandals in previous times. Nowadays, they just make us go “oh, that’s terrible. But not entirely unexpected”. Partly, politicians know that this is not an issue that will win or lose elections. The big issues (the economy, gay rights for some, foreign policy) may make people change their votes. Surveillance? Many Americans are not hugely affected by it, and many others already assumed that things were like this before the recent disclosures. Politicians can afford to ignore the issue. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/5 "2014-03-01T23:45:03Z")
IMHO they have not demonstrated themselves harmful yet, they are thieves that will break into your home without damage and take nothing, yes they look around and see things but have yet to cause any actual loss. They are also like insects that may invade your home but not really do much and rarely seen. Once they have really harmed lives it will be publicized and that will severally limit them and I do believe they know that, so they are careful not to cross the line. In short they are limited by us and can only appeal to the use of oppressive force to overcome that. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2014, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/6 "2014-03-01T23:52:33Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Once they have really harmed lives it will be publicized and that will severally limit them and I do believe they know that, so they are careful not to cross the line. In short they are limited by us and can only appeal to the use of oppressive force to overcome that. One does wonder how their surveillance **could** harm lives. I guess it depends on what the NSA does with the information. What are they doing with the information anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hershele_Ostropoler)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2014, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/7 "2014-03-02T01:23:48Z")
No one wants to bemoan surveillance on the record and then be elected President. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2014, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/8 "2014-03-02T01:59:46Z")
> [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](#): > > No one wants to bemoan surveillance on the record and then be elected President. And, of course, every Congresscritter knows in his or her heart that it will happen one day . . . ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2014, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/9 "2014-03-02T10:21:38Z")
My personal view is: I don’t expect privacy on any conversation that is handled by a third party. So I don’t have any outrage at the NSA because I don’t imagine my phone calls to be private. ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2014, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/10 "2014-03-02T16:43:08Z")
> [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](#): > > No one wants to bemoan surveillance on the record and then be elected President. If the American people are stupid enough to reject outright a nuanced argument for controls on surveillance, then we deserve exactly what Orwell predicted. I still cling to some level of faith in humanity. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/11 "2014-03-03T17:01:54Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > If the American people are stupid enough to reject outright a nuanced argument for controls on surveillance, then we deserve exactly what Orwell predicted. Well, bear in mind, a surveillance society is not **necessarily** an authoritarian or totalitarian or oppressive society. It is only a society where you can’t get away wit’ nuttin’ – which many people and all law-enforcement personnel would view as a perfectly legitimate public-policy goal. It all depends on how important privacy is to freedom, which is a matter for debate, in this thread or another. Some might with reason support the position of Scott McNealy: “You have zero privacy anyway. Get over it.” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/12 "2014-03-03T17:12:33Z")
I think it’s care overload-too much shit going on, and not enough time in the world to give the proper amount of shit for each one. ---
**Author:** ![Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hershele_Ostropoler)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2014, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/13 "2014-03-03T17:17:02Z")
I didn’t say “run,” I said “get elected.” As in, “Mr./Madam President, you objected quite strenuously to this program when you were in Congress, why have you not ended it after three years in the White House?” ---
**Author:** ![ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisUsernameIsForbidden)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/14 "2014-03-04T02:27:47Z")
Being part of the military, it is part of the executive. While the President is subject to term limits, the rest of it is firmly entrenched. When has the budget for this sector been cut? We know we can’t do anything about it. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/15 "2014-03-04T02:45:57Z")
> [@ThisUsernameIsForbidden](#): > > Being part of the military, it is part of the executive. While the President is subject to term limits, the rest of it is firmly entrenched. When has the budget for this sector been cut? We know we can’t do anything about it. Well, Congress **could** cut the NSA’s budget. Yes? Please say yes . . . ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/16 "2014-03-04T10:56:33Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > My personal view is: I don’t expect privacy on any conversation that is handled by a third party. So I don’t have any outrage at the NSA because I don’t imagine my phone calls to be private. One might not care if one’s mundane life is exposed to prying eyes, but one might wonder why they are interested in that mundanity. ---
**Author:** ![ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ThisUsernameIsForbidden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisUsernameIsForbidden)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/17 "2014-03-04T12:59:51Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Well, Congress **could** cut the NSA’s budget. Yes? Please say yes . . . They could say no to pork… ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/18 "2014-03-04T14:26:19Z")
Because it’s Obama ultimately doing it. IOKIADDI. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/19 "2014-03-04T21:58:55Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Yes, on the one hand there does seem to be a lot of pathy, if that’s a word. People rant against NSA surveillance, they blog about it, editors get letters, pundits click their tongues, editorial cartoonists draw anti-NSA toons, comedians snark, every month since the stories began to break. > > But OTOH, or, rather, at the higher levels – nobody in Congress really seems to be fighting NSA surveillance. And nobody running for Congress this year is running against it (AFAIK and so far; examples would be welcomed). > > There appears to be some sort of . . . disconnect here. Why? Perhaps because members of Congress tend to be more pro-government than the public at large? Just a thought. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632/20 "2014-03-04T22:31:29Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Because it’s Obama ultimately doing it. IOKIADDI. > > Regards, > Shodan So, if our next POTUS is a Pub and the NSA surveillance continues, Congress will get mad enough to stop it? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-persistent-political-apathy-over-nsa-surveillance/682632.md?page=2)