vixen99

I'd tear up the memo. Ignore, demolish or be persuaded by a conclusion by all means but don't define who may or may not contribute it on the basis of a fitness-to-participate filter.

Hardly 'supposed'. There are plenty of peer-reviewed studies indicating the benefits of olive oil.

The question also arises: how effective is the mass surveillance recently revealed? Probably have to wait to see but would a group of intelligent news-aware persons with terrorist intent choose to pla…

For what it's worth Britain has around four million adults living on benefits (else they'd starve) who have never had a full- time job in their lives. No idea what they do with their time bu…

And of course the prime example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_and_the_Holocaust Putting aside questions about IBM's complicity, it's certain that Jews were indeed …

Yes, non-UK residents should note that if you, in the UK, only ever want to watch Japanese wrestling on a paid TV channel, you still need to shell out on a BBC annual licence (145 pounds/$220) or…

I just hope you're right about the rearguard action which might now get underway. Apparently the US nomenclatura seems to think that privacy is a privilege only for Americans - and then only in a…

Here is an example though not related to the Snowden/NSA affair. http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/douglas-murray/2013/06/a-gross-... …

I would have thought that going on a catch-all-you-can fishing expedition with the world as your pool is pretty rude as well.

Neither flattering nor patronizing, I can see, merely a description of what the author saw. However a bit of condescension might well be in order from some quarters.

Make clear what you mean by 'nationalism' before you use perjorative words like pest - as if your assertion is axiomatic.

"its Prismlike scheme"

Yes, the four million in Britain who have never had a job in their lives are immensely productive and make an outstanding contributon to cultural life. Five million would be even better.

A 2009 report said that 40% of London's families are on housing support. So these people live there because someone else pays.

Good graffiti style rhetoric but no argument or pertinent observation.

It's not clear that the government has recorded all telephone calls? This interviewee says "All digital communications are ....are..." and uncharacteristically hesitates. Evidently he d…

From Serse? I thought it was Handel.

Especially since I guess the social network of HN users is pretty well mapped out.

If you're going to make perjorative comments like this you should at least provide references/links to what it is you've read and heard that support your view.

He didn't rebut it or claim to. He merely said "it's a bit harsher".

Your corrective is well taken. The "Didn't work, did it!" response obscures the real dangers. These enthusiasts for blanket surveillance should be asked to consider "Who watches th…

Privacy or true privacy (which is it?) is a dangerous illusion? I don't know what you mean. What does 'as human as ourselves' mean? However the gist of your rhetoric could have been tai…

I do not doubt you have good reasons for saying that. But can you share them with us? I contend that isolated opinion from almost anyone is not worth a bag of nuts unless supported by an observation, …

While records of emails, telephone calls and social network connections of Americans' life histories are being categorized and stuffed into an inaccessible repository in Utah, does anyone else ha…

As a non-American I am surprised no one here has commented specifically on this electric call to arms: "Whistle-blowing is the moral response to immoral activity by those in power. What's important he…

We? You're the mâitre d'hôtel are you?

In a flash it's occurred to me that the sharper would-be perpetrators of antisocial acts might now decide not to use the telephone to communicate their dastardly plans. However all is not lost becaus…

But we must take account of the numbers. As Orwell might put it, 'some tax, good, more tax - double plus good'. Not exactly true is it? On the whole, (and this is not a zero tax argument) the followin…

Just my view: reading this is like being harangued by some irate ranter. The style will ensure minimal impact on those who should read it. Small point: why the focus on the Roma as against non-Roma Ro…