Parallels to communism
seen in U.S. spy system

Marc Ratner of Ashland , Oregon, told the N.Y. Times:

"During the 1970s I lived in Czechoslovakia and later in the 80s in Romania, and I am struck by the similarities of life in those two countries with the atmosphere in the U.S. today. The average citizen was never directly affected by the police state, as long as he/she minded their business and didn't step out of line, but everyone knew that the security police were tuned into everything that was going on. The key word was "control" and it was designed to maintain the security of the state.

"Although we have not reached the point of registering typewriters and imprisoning dissidents our government has been operating on the "dark side " for decades, even before 9/11. One of the prices that we paid for WW II is that we have become a corporate/militaristic state where security is bought at a high price in pointless wars, and now in a weakened economy."

In fact some journalists and activists have been imprisoned or ruined for exposing information that threatened the powerful.

Putin's strange defense of the NSA
"However much our American friends are criticized, I think their work was mainly directed at fighting terrorism," Russian chief Vladimir Putin said at his annual press conference. "Of course, this has its negative aspects and on a political level the appetites of the special services need to be controlled. But overall, you have to understand that it is necessary."

Putin also asserted that Russia has steered clear of trying to get a glimpse of the NSA data trove shared by Edward Snowden with journalists.

These statements should be viewed in light of Putin's initial reluctance to help Edward Snowden.

One can only wonder about what sort of relationship the ex-KGB spook has with the NSA.