SSRA Affirmative ENDI 2015

SSRA Affirmative ENDI 2015

Explanation 2

Glossary 3

1ac 6

1AC – Plan 7

1AC - Solvency 8

Advantages 10

1AC – Secrecy Advantage 11

1AC – Democracy Advantage 16

1AC – Rights Advantage 21

1AC – Internet Freedom 25

Extensions 30

Inherency 31

FYI – FISA Section 702 32

Inherency Module 33

Solvency 35

Solvency – SSRA Requires Warrant 36

AT: FISA Court Rubberstamps 37

Secrecy Advantage 38

Secrecy → Chills Leaks (Long) 39

Secrecy → Bad Decisionmaking (Long) 41

Secrecy → Drones 43

Secrecy → Too Much XO Power/SOP 44

AT: Leaks Hurt National Security 45

Journalists Key 47

Democracy Advantage 48

Surveillance Chills Activism 49

Surveillance → Tyranny 51

Internet Freedom Key to Spread Democracy 53

Answer to: “the aff doesn’t fix democracy” 55

Democracy Spreads 56

Democracy Solves Everything 57

Democracy Prevents Wars 59

Democracy Prevents Terrorism 61

Rights Advantage 62

Right To Communication Impact 63

AT: Doesn't Solve Racism 64

Internet Freedom Advantage 65

NSA hurts our credibility 66

NSA Link 68

Answers to: Internet isn’t free & open 70

Hurts the Internet 72

Bad for Economy 74

Explanation

I. What does the aff do.

The affirmative argues that the government should NOT have the right to spy on citizens without a warrant. In particular, the mass data storage sweeps are illegal. Currently the NSA will collect internet and phone data on huge chunks of citizens – even if there is no belief that a crime has or will be committed.

That should no longer be allowed. If the government is going to look into someone’s electronic lives then the government should have a warrant. The best explanation is by reading the two solvency cards Buttar & Clabough [on the 1AC – Solvency] page. Please read through those.

II. How to use the file

The 1ac speech should read the 1AC-plan and the 1AC-Solvency pages. Additionally, the 1ac should read the advantage or two that the aff team finds the most interesting, strategic, fun. So, a typical 1ac would be the Plan, 2 advantages, and solvency.

The Extensions section can be used in a couple of ways –

-use it to add evidence/cards to the 1ac advantages. You should be reading the best version of each advantage.

-use it to answer 1nc arguments made against the case. You can read additional cards to answer negative arguments that aren’t well answered by the 1ac evidence you choose to read.

-use it to answer disads and other arguments that the negative reads.

III. Different Advantages

The four advantage give the aff some flexibility about how they choose to read the 1ac. Each lab will probably discuss and decide how they read the 1ac. But, this allows the debates to be about the core of the topic, but also flexible enough to not get stale.

Secrecy Advantage – the government’s mass surveillance chills investigations into what it is doing. Citizens and journalists and even employees of the government are unwilling to look because they fear they will be caught. That ‘deters’ people from bringing issues up to the public. Leaks are a way to keep the government in check and make sure that we don’t start wars, conflicts, or just generally make unwise decisions without it being made public. The Drone program is a specific example of a set of decisions that are being made without public involvement. Removing the fear of investigations would make the drone program more accountable and save lives.

Democracy Advantage – the internet as a spot of surveillance keeps people from using it to communicate openly and free. Open communication [first amendment and all] is a bedrock of a functioning democracy. Mass surveillance is what makes tyranny [rule by one over the many] possible as people can be policed and prevented from acting. Democracy is really good. The 1ac says that democracies make the world more peaceful and that democracy itself is an inherent human good.

Rights Advantage – mass surveillance results in self censorship and denies people the right to open communication. Open communication is a fundamental human right. Rights are good.

Internet Freedom Advantage – There is a global push for governments to control the internet. The US is losing credibility to convince people to leave the internet open and free. An open and free internet is good because it creates a social space for humans to come together to solve all the world’s problems. As an example, if the world is going to solve an issue like global climate change it will require people talking about it, coming together, and figuring out what works best. The only way that can happen now is the internet.

Glossary

Civil society

The elements such as freedom of speech, an independent judiciary, etc, that make up a democratic society

Drone strike

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS), also known as drones, are aircraft either controlled by ‘pilots’ from the ground or increasingly, autonomously following a pre-programmed mission. While there are dozens of different types of drones, they basically fall into two categories: those that are used for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes and those that are armed with missiles and bombs.

The use of drones has grown quickly in recent years because unlike manned aircraft they can stay aloft for many hours (Zephyr a British drone under development has just broken the world record by flying for over 82 hours nonstop); they are much cheaper than military aircraft and they are flown remotely so there is no danger to the flight crew.

Dystopian fantasy

An imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives. The condition of life is extremely bad, as from deprivation, oppression, or terror.

Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 prescribes procedures for requesting judicial authorization for electronic surveillance and physical search of persons engaged in espionage or international terrorism against the United States on behalf of a foreign power.

Requests are adjudicated by a special eleven member court called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court or FISA Court.

FISA Amendments Act of 2008

The act provides critically important authority for the U.S. Intelligence Community to acquire foreign intelligence information by targeting foreign persons reasonably believed to be outside the United States. It ensures that the Intelligence Community has the flexibility and agility it needs to identify and respond to terrorist and other foreign threats to our security.

Global norms

Global norms are defined as broadly accepted principles and guidelines of appropriate conduct for governments and all relevant stakeholders

Mass surveillance

Is the intricate surveillance of an entire or a substantial fraction of a population. The surveillance is often carried out by governments or governmental organizations, but may also be carried out by corporations, either on behalf of governments or at their own initiative.

Metadata

Surveillance metadata is usually associated with electronic communication channels, such as phone, email and social media. Data is collected through wiretapping and other electronic surveillance methods, including government Trojans, wiretap Trojans and keyloggers. Simply put, metadata is the digital information that accompanies electronic communication. When you make a mobile phone call, your provider records the time, date, location, and duration of this call, largely for billing purposes.

Militarization

Is the process by which a society organizes itself for military conflict and violence. It is related to militarism, which is an ideology that reflects the level of militarization of a state.

National Security Agency (NSA)

An intelligence organization of the United States government, responsible for global monitoring, collection, and processing of information and data for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence purposes – a discipline known as Signals intelligence (SIGINT). NSA is concurrently charged with protection of U.S. government communications and information systems against penetration and network warfare.[8][9] Although many of NSA's programs rely on "passive" electronic collection, the agency is authorized to accomplish its mission through active clandestine means,[10] among which are physically bugging electronic systems[11] and allegedly engaging in sabotage through subversive software.[12][13] Moreover, NSA maintains physical presence in a large number of countries across the globe, where its Special Collection Service (SCS) inserts eavesdropping devices in difficult-to-reach places. SCS collection tactics allegedly encompass "close surveillance, burglary, wiretapping, breaking and entering".[14][15]

Patriot Act

Law passed shortly after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States giving law enforcement agencies increased, broad powers to bring terrorists to justice.

Section 215 of the Patriot Act

The NSA used Section 215 of the Patriot Act as the basis for collecting phone records of Americans who were not necessarily under official investigation. It was also used to track financial data and to obtain companies' internet business records. The extent of the mass surveillance program was revealed nearly two years ago by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden

Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act

Section 702 permits the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence to jointly authorize targeting of persons reasonably believed to be located outside the United States, but is limited to targeting non-U.S. persons. Once authorized, such acquisitions may last for periods of up to one year.

Under subsection 702(b) of the FISA Amendments Act, such an acquisition is also subject to several limitations. Specifically, an acquisition:

May not intentionally target any person known at the time of acquisition to be located in the United States;

May not intentionally target a person reasonably believed to be located outside the United States if the purpose of such acquisition is to target a particular, known person reasonably believed to be in the United States;

May not intentionally target a U.S. person reasonably believed to be located outside the United States;

May not intentionally acquire any communication as to which the sender and all intended recipients are known at the time of the acquisition to be located in the United States;

Must be conducted in a manner consistent with the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.[9]

Surveillance State Repeal Act

The bill would completely repeal the PATRIOT Act as well as the 2008 FISA Amendments Act, which permits the NSA to collect Internet communications— a program exposed by former NSA contractor-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden. The bill would reform the court that oversees the nation’s spying powers, enhance protections for whistleblowers, and stop the government from forcing technology companies to create easy access into their devices.

Targeted surveillance

Targeted surveillance is surveillance directed at particular individuals and can involve the use of specific powers by authorized public agencies. Targeted surveillance can be carried out overtly or covertly, and can involve human agents. Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), targeted covert surveillance is "directed" if it is carried out for a specific investigation or operation. By comparison, if it is carried out on designated premises or on a vehicle, it is "intrusive" surveillance. Targeting methods include the interception of communications, the use of communications "traffic" data, visual surveillance devices, and devices that sense movement, objects or persons.

Totalitarianism

Totalitarianism is a political system in which the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life wherever possible.

Tyranny

Cruel and oppressive government or rule.

Utilitarianism

A system of ethics according to which the rightness or wrongness of an action should be judged by its consequences. The goal of utilitarian ethics is to promote the greatest happiness for the greatest number.

Warrant

Most often, the term warrant refers to a specific type of authorization; a writ issued by a competent officer, usually a judge or magistrate, which permits an otherwise illegal act that would violate individual rights and affords the person executing the writ protection from damages if the act is performed.

Whistleblower

A whistleblower (whistle-blower or whistle blower)[1] is a person who exposes any kind of information or activity that is deemed illegal, dishonest, or not correct within an organization that is either private or public.[2] The information of alleged wrongdoing can be classified in many ways: violation of company policy/rules, law, regulation, or threat to public interest/national security, as well as fraud, and corruption.[3] Those who become whistleblowers can choose to bring information or allegations to surface either internally or externally. Internally, a whistleblower can bring his/her accusations to attention to other people within the accused organization. Externally, a whistleblower can bring allegations to light by contacting a third party outside of an accused organization. He/She can reach out to the media, government, law enforcement, or those who are concerned. whistleblowers also face stiff reprisal/retaliation from those whom are accused or alleged of wrongdoing. Third party groups like Wikileaks and others offer protection to whistleblowers, but that protection can only go so far. Whistleblowers face legal action, criminal charges, social stigma, and termination from any position, office, or job. Two other classifications of whistleblowing are private and public. The classifications relate to the type of organizations someone chooses to whistle-blow on: private sector, or public sector. Both can have different results that depend on many factors. However, whistleblowing in the public sector organization is more likely to result in federal felony charges and jail-time. A whistleblower who chooses to accuse a private sector organization or agency is more likely to face termination and legal and civil charges.

1ac

1AC – Plan

Plan: The United States federal government should curtail the authority to do non-targeted domestic mass surveillance by enacting the Surveillance State Repeal Act.

1AC - Solvency

Solvency

The Surveillance State Repeal Act would only allow for targeted surveillance while removing the legal justifications for mass surveillance.

Buttar, 15

(Shahid, executive director, leads the Bill of Rights Defense Committee in its efforts to restore civil liberties, constitutional rights, and rule of law principles undermined by law enforcement and intelligence agencies within the United States. 4-18-15. http://www.occupy.com/article/can-surveillance-state-repeal-act-shift-course-spying)

Eager to reset the debate and anchor it in long overdue transparency, a bipartisan block of representatives have introduced a bill to restore civil liberties, privacy, and freedom of thought. The Surveillance State Repeal Act, HR 1466, would do this by repealing the twin pillars of the NSA dragnet: the PATRIOT Act (not only the three expiring provisions) and the 2008 FISA amendments. On multiple occasions, executive officials have lied under oath to congressional oversight committees about the scope of domestic surveillance. Yet the very same officials still appear in oversight hearings as if they maintained any credibility. It took whistleblowers resigning their careers to prove that senior government officials’ blithe assurances to Congress were in fact self-serving lies. Some members of Congress paid attention: the authors of the PATRIOT Act moved to curtail their own legislative opus, and have encouraged their colleagues not to reauthorize the expiring provisions unless they are first curtailed.