Re:Ninth Circuit rules NSA's bulk collection of Americans' c...
by brobdingnagians on Thursday September 03, 2020 @04:27AM
(#24361928)
I'm not so sure they would go away without a fight. These are people who gave grown accustomed to breaking laws (including US laws), fomenting coups, and even assassinations in order to gain control. If Congress was seriously threatening to abolish them, Congressmen might start having a sharp uptick in "accidents". That's the problem with getting in bed with dubious characters.
Re:Ninth Circuit rules NSA's bulk collection of Americans' c...
by kelnos on Thursday September 03, 2020 @07:30AM
(#24362917)
Oh, certainly. But I find it hard to believe that these agencies would keep the support of the public if they started assassinating Congresspeople. At some point there's too much opposition to make it feasible to continue on.
Really, though, I'd expect them to maintain Congress' support through non-lethal means. Bribery, blackmail, stuff like that. A Congressperson in your pocket is much more useful than a suspiciously-dead body.
But still, if US citizens as a whole really wanted them gone, they'd just continue voting in people who will take a hard line against funding them.
I don't expect something like this to come to pass, mind you, but it's possible.
Re:Ninth Circuit rules NSA's bulk collection of Americans' c...
by spookythrow on Thursday September 03, 2020 @09:37AM
(#24363892)
> Now, if you believe that these agencies have amassed and hoarded enough of the money they've already been given that they now have an endowment that can perpetually fund their activities, then yes, that would mean you really can't stop them. But I'd find it hard to believe that's the case; what they do is not cheap, and I'd be surprised if there's all that much left over after they spend their yearly budget on regular operations.
What do you think In-Q-Tel[1] is for? It's about ensuring that the TLAs will exist in perpetuity regardless of Congress.
Re:Ninth Circuit rules NSA's bulk collection of Americans' c...
by erikerikson on Thursday September 03, 2020 @04:42AM
(#24362003)
Re:Ninth Circuit rules NSA's bulk collection of Americans' c...
by kelnos on Thursday September 03, 2020 @07:28AM
(#24362909)
Not sure what your point is. Sure, the 3-letter agencies have an investment arm, but the capital used for those investments is a tiny fraction of their operating budget. And that capital still comes from Congress' appropriations.
Re:Ninth Circuit rules NSA's bulk collection of Americans' c...
by erikerikson on Saturday September 05, 2020 @07:04PM
(#24387566)
The parent previously offered that three letter agencies would require an investment arm to sustain themselves. In that context, I offered that they had one. I can't claim any knowledge about the profitability of that group or what portion of funding is provided by that group which is relevant and you have added perspective on. I have personally experienced InQTel as an alternative funding mechanism which argues against it being a serious funding source.
Re:Ninth Circuit rules NSA's bulk collection of Americans' c...
by wholepicture on Saturday September 05, 2020 @11:29AM
(#24384269)
"The money has to come"
And the hope, with all this surrounding us, that somebody must made exclusive findings ? P-:
Now, if you believe that these agencies have amassed and hoarded enough of the money they've already been given that they now have an endowment that can perpetually fund their activities, then yes, that would mean you really can't stop them. But I'd find it hard to believe that's the case; what they do is not cheap, and I'd be surprised if there's all that much left over after they spend their yearly budget on regular operations.
If Congress voted to completely defund these agencies, they'd go away. Not immediately, and I'm sure there will still be some in power who create limited shadow agencies that run on much, much smaller budgets, but they can't operate at the scale they do now without continued funding.