AT&T's Implementation of NSA Spying on American Citizens

Cheers to Wired for providing this document. This must be shared:

Former AT&T technician Mark Klein's statement

Why I care:

At the university I was a volunteer subject in some natural language processing studies. They required your signed consent, and volunteers were paid cash compensation for our time. This process was part of the method of research. It is just as important as the hypotheses and conclusions you draw from the study. Without it the project does not exist.

Therefore, I reject the idea that there is any silver lining to the recent injustices being carried out within the AT&T private communication networks. The idea that this great database is something that advances our civilization's knowledge and furthers the state of the art of our techonology is provocative. But the methods used are unethical and defy the boundaries of sound scientific research. There cannot be any great "ends" to justify the insidious "means" in this case. What the secret agency has captured is impoverished. The malfeasance will not bear fruit. If they collected their data in this covert manner and did not follow accepted standards by the global community of science, then there is no guarantee that the rest of their methods and intentions have any value. Their reputations are tarnished and they must be excised from the community.

Return the map! Their roguish behavior isolates them from the tradition and lineage of scientific discourse, which preceded them. There can be no challenge. Many of us are capable of building a new world, but if we do it unilaterally, have we even accomplished anything? We erect an ivory tower… etc. I think that paradigm has worn out long ago. This is the death knell of the baby-boomer generation. May they rest in peace, for the sake of us all.