NSA Recruiting Event Turns Into Battleground Of Ideas

What’s the latest development?

In this fascinating recording, you can listen to indignant students scathingly questioning an NSA recruiter on a number of key issues.

Ever since Edward Snowden first leaked revelations about the breadth and scope of government programs spying on the communications both of American citizens and of key American Allies, the issues surrounding the NSA have become politically polarizing.

The polarization has occurred along lines that are largely determined by, among other factors, age. So, it is no surprise that the NSA recruiting event for language analysts on a college campus became a battleground of ideas.

What’s the big idea?

Since this happened at a recruiting events for prospective language analysts, students’ primary complaint was that they took exception to the loose use of words in the NSA recruiting pitch and in the press releases regarding Snowden’s leaks. A large portion of the protesting questions regard the application of the word “adversary” to anyone from American citizens to Germany.

Another issue was that, in the pitch, the presenter apparently offered a wink and nudge tip that working for the NSA affords a lifestyle of carefree abandon and the ability to misuse power. One of the students alleges (unchallenged) that the NSA presentation boasted that “the world is our playground.”

The students also raise questions about the lack of transparent oversight of NSA agents and about the ability to misuse the government power based on the personal judgments and agendas of individual NSA employees.