The Morning Roar: TSA Doesn't Believe DC Is Real, Comcast's Embarrassing Customer Service Call, and the NSA Wants To Protect Snowden's Privacy?
You may need to double-check your calendars after reading today's Morning Roar to make sure it isn't April Fool's day, but I assure you the following stories are all very, very real.TSA Doesn't Believe Washington, DC Is a Real PlaceReporter Justin Gray didn't have reason to believe he would have any trouble making a routine flight from Orlando to his home in Washington, D.C. but Gray got a bit of a surprise when a TSA agent questioned him about the validity of his driver's license, which was from the District of Columbia. Apparently, the TSA agent didn't know that Washington, DC was a real place and thought the license was a fake! WFTV, the Orlando station where Gray serves as a Washington correspondent, reports on the incident:A ridiculous story, and one that only serves as a minor highlight to the inevitable problems that spring about from the government attempting to seize a monopoly on airline security. It seems absurd on it's face that an agent responsible for security in the travel industry would be unaware of the capitol of the country he has sworn to protect.In retrospect, Justin Gray got off pretty easy. At least his most private of areas was left unscathed, unlike that of a certain libertarian blogger back in 2012.Comcast's Embarrassing Customer Service CallA shockingly insane - even by cable customer service standards - phone call between Ryan Block, who merely wanted to cancel his service, and a customer service agent for Comcast is making the rounds on the 'ol interwebs. Ever the trend follower, I couldn't help but share it here after listening. What's it got to do with liberty? Patience, dear liberty-lovers.Almost everyone I know seems to have had a negative experience with one cable company or another. When it comes to cable and internet service providers, the decision often seems to come down to the "least of all evils."The term "evil" isn't really an exaggeration here, as the cable industry is one of the most heavily cartellized industries in the United States. When regulations create a situation where the privilege of offering cable service is handed over to a few crony corporations, there is very little incentive for those companies to focus too heavily on customer service. In most areas of the country, people only have one or two choices when it comes to these services, and it's no coincidence that without much real competition the general customer experience will suffer.In a recent rant about net neutrality on his new show "Last Week Tonight", John Oliver railed against the cable cartels and noted that "maybe it's because of their lack of competition that they get away with such shitty service."Ryan Block and millions of other frustrated cable customers out there would likely agree.NSA Claims Releasing Snowden's Emails Would Violate His PrivacyChecked that calendar yet? Are you sure it's not April 1st? You might need to check again after this whopper.The NSA is claiming that it will not release emails from Edward Snowden in which he attempted to go through the proper channels to express his concern over the agency's massive spying apparatus. The reason? They are concerned that releasing the emails would violate his privacy! USNews reports:
That rationale was one of several given to journalist Matthew Keys, formerly social media editor at Reuters, in response to a Freedom of Information Act request that sought emails sent from ejsnowd@nsa.ic.gov in the first five months of 2013.Keys published the NSA’s response on Thursday. The NSA’s FOIA office, which is dealing with a significant backlog, could not immediately supply a copy to U.S. News.Snowden has said repeatedly he raised concerns internally when he worked as an NSA contractor before he decided to leak documents that exposed the agency’s sweeping – and arguably illegal – surveillance programs.
The even grander irony here is that the NSA already released one of Snowden's emails, which didn't directly challenge the NSA's spying apparatus. Snowden claimed that this was incomplete and out of context, and that the NSA should release all of his emails.So to sum it up: Edward Snowden wants his own emails released and yet the NSA refuses to release those emails in order to protect his privacy.Got it.Read The Morning Roar every weekday Monday-Friday!The Lions of Liberty are on Twitter, Facebook & Google+Receive access to ALL of our EXCLUSIVE bonus audio content – including “Conspiracy Corner”, “Degenerate Gamblers” and the “League of Liberty Podcast” by joining the Lions of Liberty Pride and supporting us on Patreon!
