• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Merkel compared NSA to Stasi in heated encounter with Obama

US Conservative

US Conservative

Banned
DP Veteran
Joined
Nov 11, 2013
Messages
33,522
Reaction score
10,826
Location
Between Athens and Jerusalem
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Conservative
Merkel compared NSA to Stasi in heated encounter with Obama

German chancellor furious after revelations US intelligence agency listened in on her personal mobile phone

Merkel compared NSA to Stasi in heated encounter with Obama | World news | The Guardian

In an angry exchange with Barack Obama, Angela Merkel has compared the snooping practices of the US with those of the Stasi, the ubiquitous and all-powerful secret police of the communist dictatorship in East Germany, where she grew up. The German chancellor also told the US president that America's National Security Agency cannot be trusted because of the volume of material it had allowed to leak to the whistleblower Edward Snowden, according to the New York Times.

Livid after learning from Der Spiegel magazine that the Americans were listening in to her personal mobile phone, Merkel confronted Obama with the accusation: "This is like the Stasi."
 
Merkel makes some great points. Obama's NSA is making a real mess of the constitution. The Snowden investigations are going to really sting, and can't help the presidents approval numbers.
 
Merkel sure is good at blowing a lot of hot air. If she wanted to put her money where her mouth was she would offer Snowden asylum.
 
Khayembii Communique said:
Merkel sure is good at blowing a lot of hot air. If she wanted to put her money where her mouth was she would offer Snowden asylum.
Click to expand...

You dont think she has a right to be pissed? She has to meet your arbitrary demand why exactly? This is a huge diplomatic and political nightmare for all sides involved.
 
I cheered when I read this. Merkel has every right to be upset. We've far overstepped constitutional and diplomatic bounds with the NSA snooping.
 
Khayembii Communique said:
Merkel sure is good at blowing a lot of hot air. If she wanted to put her money where her mouth was she would offer Snowden asylum.
Click to expand...

I don't think it's hot air, but your point about Germany offering Snowden asylum is right on.
 
US Conservative said:
Merkel makes some great points. Obama's NSA is making a real mess of the constitution. The Snowden investigations are going to really sting, and can't help the presidents approval numbers.
Click to expand...

Ok, true but, the NSA was about this long before Obama. He gets criticism to be sure, but as Sandra Day O'Conner (Reagan's pick) said when we all just thought it was illegal (warrantless wiretapping) such things are what can cause a country to degenerate into dictatorship and must be nipped to avoid that end. And Jimmy Carter in reference to same (and other issues) has stated that we no longer have a functioning democracy.
 
brothern said:
I cheered when I read this. Merkel has every right to be upset. We've far overstepped constitutional and diplomatic bounds with the NSA snooping.
Click to expand...

Yep! I hope the pressure keeps up.
 
Merkel grew up in East Germany, so I can't blame Obama for wanting to keep an eye on her.
 
US Conservative said:
Merkel compared NSA to Stasi in heated encounter with Obama

German chancellor furious after revelations US intelligence agency listened in on her personal mobile phone

Merkel compared NSA to Stasi in heated encounter with Obama | World news | The Guardian

In an angry exchange with Barack Obama, Angela Merkel has compared the snooping practices of the US with those of the Stasi, the ubiquitous and all-powerful secret police of the communist dictatorship in East Germany, where she grew up. The German chancellor also told the US president that America's National Security Agency cannot be trusted because of the volume of material it had allowed to leak to the whistleblower Edward Snowden, according to the New York Times.

Livid after learning from Der Spiegel magazine that the Americans were listening in to her personal mobile phone, Merkel confronted Obama with the accusation:
"This is like the Stasi."
Click to expand...
Click to expand...





Wrong.

The NSA is worse than the Stasi.

The Stasi didn't spy on everyone in East Germany like the NSA does on everyone in the USA.
 
shrubnose said:
[/COLOR]




Wrong.

The NSA is worse than the Stasi.

The Stasi didn't spy on everyone in East Germany like the NSA does on everyone in the USA.
Click to expand...

Yes they did.


Does the NSA also have secret prisons with torture chambers?
Does the NSA blackmail family members and friends into spying on those close to them?
 
Likening the NSA to the Stasi is making her look like a world class idiot.

The NSA frequently oversteps boundaries and makes FISA look like a standing joke, but the Stasi? Retarded.
 
The German said:
Yes they did.


Does the NSA also have secret prisons with torture chambers?
Does the NSA blackmail family members and friends into spying on those close to them?
Click to expand...

They're secret, we don't know. Perhaps that information is in the other 1.5 million documents that Snowden has released yet!
 
Montecresto said:
They're secret, we don't know. Perhaps that information is in the other 1.5 million documents that Snowden has released yet!
Click to expand...

And you believe these documents contain proof of widespread torture, secret prisons and blackmail?

It might be a bit differnet for you, but here we know pritty well what the Stasi was.

And the NSA is certainly not a Stasi.
 
The German said:
And you believe these documents contain proof of widespread torture, secret prisons and blackmail?

It might be a bit differnet for you, but here we know pritty well what the Stasi was.

And the NSA is certainly not a Stasi.
Click to expand...

No, I would prefer to doubt none of that would be true, I was trying to be a wee bit cheeky with that. However, things start somewhere, and as the outspoken SCOTUS judge said during Bush's administration, concerning illegal (warrantless wiretapping) these are the sort of things that can cause a country to degenerate into dictatorship, and we should avoid that end, by avoiding this beginning. As to Merkel's comments to Obama, first of all, she was probably pissed. Could she have compared the NSA to an aspect of Stasi, without taking that comparison to its end? Even a former Stasi agent has stated they would have loved to have had the NSA's capabilities. It blew his mind.
 
US Conservative said:
Merkel compared NSA to Stasi in heated encounter with Obama

German chancellor furious after revelations US intelligence agency listened in on her personal mobile phone

Merkel compared NSA to Stasi in heated encounter with Obama | World news | The Guardian

In an angry exchange with Barack Obama, Angela Merkel has compared the snooping practices of the US with those of the Stasi, the ubiquitous and all-powerful secret police of the communist dictatorship in East Germany, where she grew up. The German chancellor also told the US president that America's National Security Agency cannot be trusted because of the volume of material it had allowed to leak to the whistleblower Edward Snowden, according to the New York Times.

Livid after learning from Der Spiegel magazine that the Americans were listening in to her personal mobile phone, Merkel confronted Obama with the accusation: "This is like the Stasi."
Click to expand...

I'm a libertarian - however, I don't understand why the Germans (or anyone) thought the US wasn't spying on them..

I damn well know the government has a file on me - they probably record ever keystroke I make, to assume they don't would be naive considering they have the resources...
 
Montecresto said:
No, I would prefer to doubt none of that would be true, I was trying to be a wee bit cheeky with that. However, things start somewhere, and as the outspoken SCOTUS judge said during Bush's administration, concerning illegal (warrantless wiretapping) these are the sort of things that can cause a country to degenerate into dictatorship, and we should avoid that end, by avoiding this beginning. As to Merkel's comments to Obama, first of all, she was probably pissed. Could she have compared the NSA to an aspect of Stasi, without taking that comparison to its end? Even a former Stasi agent has stated they would have loved to have had the NSA's capabilities. It blew his mind.
Click to expand...

Honestly...

I dont see the point of our exchange. We obviously both agree that limits have to be put on the NSA and that an investigation into their doings is required.

So why debate the "concept Stasi"?

We agree to agree?
 
US Conservative said:
Merkel makes some great points. Obama's NSA is making a real mess of the constitution. The Snowden investigations are going to really sting, and can't help the presidents approval numbers.
Click to expand...

The sad fact is that the trend will continue after Obama because the bureaucracy will not change and the policies will remain intact. The Left feels that's not to bad if it's the Right who is being attacked but that could change with a far right president and they will be the victims.

Now that the middle class is being effected they will want their old America back but it is likely too late.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom