the NSA machine: too big for anyone to understand

[xchrom]

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/nsa-machine-too-big-anyone-understand

WASHINGTON (AP) — The surveillance machine grew too big for anyone to understand.

The National Security Agency set it in motion in 2006 and the vast network of supercomputers, switches and wiretaps began gathering Americans' phone and Internet records by the millions, looking for signs of terrorism.

But every day, NSA analysts snooped on more American phone records than they allowed to. Some officials searched databases of phone records without even realizing it. Others shared the results of their searches with people who weren't authorized to see them.

It took nearly three years before the government figured out that so much had gone wrong. It took even longer to figure out why.

[Waiting For Everyman]

1. Well we had too big to fail.

Then we had too big to prosecute.

Now we have too big to understand.

[xchrom]

2. it's an inglorious list -- for the 'greatest' country in the world. nt

[Downwinder]

3. The NSA is still trying to figure out,

in such a complex system, exactly how Snowden defeated those checks.

"I think we can say that they failed," Inglis said. "But we don't yet know where."

[Octafish]

4. Too Big Brother

Great OP and thread, xchrom!

Secret Goverment is a one-way mirror for the "Money trumps peace" crowd.