Re: [2020-08-15] US Prosecutors Seize Bitcoin Allegedly Tied to AlQaeda, ISIS, Hamas
⭐ Merited by o_e_l_e_o (2)
But today I have come to realization that we would have 9/11 happening every week, if there were no surveillance.
Again, I'm going to absolutely disagree with that. 
First of all, I have seen very little evidence that mass surveillance leads to fewer terrorist attacks, catching criminals, or is effective in any way. The NSA have been unable to provide a single example of a terrorist attack being prevented by their mass surveillance program.
Secondly, mass surveillance predominantly spies on law abiding citizens. "If you make privacy illegal, then only criminals will have privacy". Terrorists aren't stupid - they know how to use Tor, how to use encryption, how to hide their tracks.
Mass surveillance is about control of the population, nothing more.
Again, I don't want you to change your skeptical attitude. No, no! Keep an eye on them f***ers!
But I personally think that when Obama was saying:
We know of at least 50 threats that have been averted because of this information, not just in the United States but in some cases threats here in Germany, he said. So lives have been saved.
it was at least half-truth. So, I believe, many lives were saved thanks to the surveillance.