"wacko activists posing as journalists have been out 2 get the #NSA for decades" via billmon

[Luminous Animal]

Good article from 1983 in the NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/1983/03/27/magazine/the-silent-power-of-the-nsa.html?pagewanted=all

THE SILENT POWER OF THE N.S.A.
By David Burnham
Published: March 27, 1983

Using the information thus gathered, the N.S.A. between 1952 and 1974 developed files on approximately 75,000 Americans, some of whom undoubtedly threatened the nation's security. However, the agency also developed files on civil-rights and antiwar activists, Congressmen and other citizens who lawfully questioned Government policies. For at least 13 of the 22 years the agency was building these files, the C.I.A. had access to them and used the data in its Operation Chaos, another computerized and illegal tracking system set up during the Vietnam War. At its peak, the Chaos files had references to more than 300,000 Americans.

.......


No laws define the limits of the N.S.A.'s power. No Congressional committee subjects the agency's budget to a systematic, informed and skeptical review. With unknown billions of Federal dollars, the agency purchases the most sophisticated communications and computer equipment in the world. But truly to comprehend the growing reach of this formidable organization, it is necessary to recall once again how the computers that power the N.S.A. are also gradually changing lives of Americans - the way they bank, obtain benefits from the Government and communicate with family and friends. Every day, in almost every area of culture and commerce, systems and procedures are being adopted by private companies and organizations as well as by the nation's security leaders that make it easier for the N.S.A. to dominate American society should it ever decide such action is necessary.

[MisterP]

1. after Vietnam and the Church Committee, the Cold Warriors swore "never again" and created the neocon

movement in the late 70s--from Team B distorting Soviet ground and missile forces to the hawks getting free rein on domestic spying and Central America under Ronnie, evolving into a key part of the fractious "NWO" starting with Panama and Iraq (and the precedent-setting "humanitarian intervention" of Kosovo, to a degree)