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Today in Labor History May 20, 1949: The U.S. established the National Security Agency. It is now the nation’s largest spy agency. The NSA currently engages in worldwide mass data collection as well as physically bugging targets. They were likely behind the Stuxnet software attack that severely damaged Iran’s nuclear program. The NSA spied on anti-Vietnam War activists and continues to spy on U.S. citizens. Many of their secret surveillance programs were leaked by Edward Snowden, who was forced to flee the country. He is now living in exile in Russia. Private companies, like AT&T and Verizon have collaborated with the NSA to help them spy on U.S. citizens. They supposedly have access to all communications made via Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, YouTube, AOL, Skype, Apple and Paltalk.

I’d like to say the good news is that the vast majority of this data is pornography. Problem is, they’re using people’s porn habits to discredit and embarrass them, particularly Muslim clerics and activists. According to a July 2014 report in the Washington Post, 90% of those being surveilled by the NSA are ordinary Americans, not intended targets. But since they’re surveilling every communication made by nearly everyone in the U.S., they’re surveilling pretty much everyone. So, the obvious question is: Why are 10% of all Americans (a full 33 million people) considered targets? And if there really are 33 million of us who are opposed the U.S. government, how come we keep ending up with such shit politicians?