--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The collect-it-all system did nothing to…" description: "\"“The collect-it-all system did nothing to detect, let alone disrupt, the 2012 Boston Marathon bombing. It did not detect the attempted Christmas-day bo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/794/glenn-greenwald-1215_bombing_the-collect-it-all-system-did-nothing-to_2889889.jpg" --- # The collect-it-all system did nothing to detect, let alone… ![“The collect-it-all system did nothing to detect, let alone disrupt, the 2012 Boston Marathon bombing. It did not detect the attempted Christmas-day bombing of a jetliner over Detroit, or the plan to blow up Times Square, or the plot to attack the New York City subway system—all of which were…” quote by Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/794/glenn-greenwald-1215_bombing_the-collect-it-all-system-did-nothing-to_2889889.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/794/glenn-greenwald-1215_bombing_the-collect-it-all-system-did-nothing-to_2889889.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/794/glenn-greenwald-1215_bombing_the-collect-it-all-system-did-nothing-to_2889889.jpg) > ““The collect-it-all system did nothing to detect, let alone disrupt, the 2012 Boston Marathon bombing. It did not detect the attempted Christmas-day bombing of a jetliner over Detroit, or the plan to blow up Times Square, or the plot to attack the New York City subway system—all of which were stopped by alert bystanders or traditional police powers.”” [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The collect‑it‑all surveillance system failed to detect or prevent multiple terrorist plots, relying on bystanders and police. **In simple terms:** Mass data collection missed key threats; human vigilance mattered. Key Takeaway Improve detection beyond data collection. Themes security surveillance terrorism Mood critical concerned Type policy inspirational When to use this quote - law enforcement - public safety - community awareness - intelligence analysis Key Concepts policy technology Questions to Reflect On - How can technology complement human vigilance? - What safeguards protect privacy? A Different Perspective Privacy concerns limit data use. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bombing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombing/) [Boston marathon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boston-marathon/) [New york city](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york-city/) [Times square](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/times-square/) ## Related quotes > [I remember when the photograph was taken. The famous one, I mean. The one of me being rushed from the Boston Marathon bombing without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bauman/i-remember-when-the-photograph-was-taken-the-famous-one-i-mean-the/) [Jeff Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bauman/) > [Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of the two brothers who carried out the marathon bombing, was a non-practicing Muslim who only became an Islamist militant once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bergen/tamerlan-tsarnaev-one-of-the-two-brothers-who-carried-out-the/) [Peter Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bergen/) > [I've run the Boston Marathon 6 times before. I think the best aspects of the marathon are the beautiful changes of the scenery along…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-ve-run-the-boston-marathon-6-times-before-i-think-the-best-aspects/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Instead of arguing about whether we're allowed to describe Muslim terrorists as 'Muslim terrorists,' why don't we argue about whether it's a good idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/instead-of-arguing-about-whether-we-re-allowed-to-describe-muslim/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [“Finally, we must bear in mind that guns are not the only tools of mass killing. In America, by far the worst mass murder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-lott-jr/finally-we-must-bear-in-mind-that-guns-are-not-the-only-tools-of-mass/) [John R. Lott Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-lott-jr/) > [ US government policies are continuing to do exactly the same thing \[produce terrorism\]. Two days after the Boston marathon bombings, there was a drone… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/us-government-policies-are-continuing-to-do-exactly-the-same-thing/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [This wasn’t just an attack against the Boston Marathon... It was an attack against the American public and our democratic use of the streets.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amby-burfoot/this-wasn-t-just-an-attack-against-the-boston-marathon-it-was-an/) [Amby Burfoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amby-burfoot/) > [Watching the spontaneous acts of kindness, compassion, and generosity, courage, and bravery in the aftermath of the Boston marathon bombings was so deeply moving.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/watching-the-spontaneous-acts-of-kindness-compassion-and-generosity/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [For three years, I lived in a miniscule apartment on Beacon Street, less than a mile from the Boston Marathon explosions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/for-three-years-i-lived-in-a-miniscule-apartment-on-beacon-street/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [There was no way to lock down, or tighten up, or Fail-Safe into Security Theater a race that covers 26.2 miles, a race that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-pierce/there-was-no-way-to-lock-down-or-tighten-up-or-fail-safe-into/) [Charlie Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-pierce/) > [Those 2 Terrorist who bomb the Boston Marathon, kill innocent people, damage ordinary people like me and you, just because of there hate for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/those-2-terrorist-who-bomb-the-boston-marathon-kill-innocent-people/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“I'm the only person I know who has slept through a fire drill. Apparently, I pulled the alarm. Yeah, I sleepwalk. Sometimes I sleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-m-the-only-person-i-know-who-has-slept-through-a-fire-drill/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [There is a unique energy surrounding the Boston Marathon that you can't help but feel. It includes every runner and every person along the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-hastings/there-is-a-unique-energy-surrounding-the-boston-marathon-that-you-can/) Amy Hastings > [Until we fully understand what turned two brothers who allegedly perpetrated the Boston Marathon bombings into murderers, it is hard to make any policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-friedman/until-we-fully-understand-what-turned-two-brothers-who-allegedly/) [Thomas Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-friedman/) > [We can never completely prevent another tragedy like the Boston Marathon attacks from happening. But every American should ask themselves if their community is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-o-malley/we-can-never-completely-prevent-another-tragedy-like-the-boston/) [Martin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-o-malley/) ## More by Glenn Greenwald > [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“The evidence shows that assurances that surveillance is only targeted at those who “have done something wrong” should provide little comfort, since a state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-evidence-shows-that-assurances-that-surveillance-is-only-targeted/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“It's almost hard to imagine anything more undemocratic than the view that political officials should not debate American wars in public, but only express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-almost-hard-to-imagine-anything-more-undemocratic-than-the-view/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [It's hardly news that the Obama administration is intensely and, in many respects, unprecedentedly hostile toward the news-gathering process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-hardly-news-that-the-obama-administration-is-intensely-and-in/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [Only In America can a renowned and devoted terrorism supporter like Peter King be the arbiter of national security and treason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/only-in-america-can-a-renowned-and-devoted-terrorism-supporter-like/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Above even our physical well-being, a central value is keeping the state out of the private realm—our “persons, houses, papers, and effects,” as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/above-even-our-physical-well-being-a-central-value-is-keeping-the/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“That capability at any time could be turned around on the American people and no American would have any privacy left, such is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/that-capability-at-any-time-could-be-turned-around-on-the-american/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Converting the Internet into a system of surveillance thus guts it of its core potential. Worse, it turns the Internet into a tool of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/converting-the-internet-into-a-system-of-surveillance-thus-guts-it-of/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“the desire for privacy is shared by us all as an essential, not ancillary, part of what it means to be human. We all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-desire-for-privacy-is-shared-by-us-all-as-an-essential-not/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [I don't have a 'side'—I'm responsible for what I say and nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/i-don-t-have-a-side-i-m-responsible-for-what-i-say-and-nothing-else/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Encryption matters, and it is not just for spies and philanderers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/encryption-matters-and-it-is-not-just-for-spies-and-philanderers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Among other devices, the agency intercepts and tampers with routers and servers manufactured by Cisco to direct large amounts of Internet traffic back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/among-other-devices-the-agency-intercepts-and-tampers-with-routers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“NSA has increasingly made use of a secret technology that enables it to enter and alter data in computers even if they are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/nsa-has-increasingly-made-use-of-a-secret-technology-that-enables-it/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [A key purpose of journalism is to provide an adversarial check on those who wield the greatest power by shining a light on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/a-key-purpose-of-journalism-is-to-provide-an-adversarial-check-on/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“We all instinctively understand that the private realm is where we can act, think, speak, write, experiment, and choose how to be, away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/we-all-instinctively-understand-that-the-private-realm-is-where-we/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) [Explore all 270 Glenn Greenwald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) ## More Bombing quotes > [While the 1963 Birmingham church bombing is the most historic, there also was a series of church burnings in the 1990s. Recognition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/while-the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-is-the-most-historic-there/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [As far as I know, the question of whether and how it could be strategically or morally justified was never the subject of open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-far-as-i-know-the-question-of-whether-and-how-it-could-be/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I stated that Hiroshima and Nagasaki are 'among the most unspeakable crimes in history.' I took no position on just where they stand on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-stated-that-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-are-among-the-most-unspeakable/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Bombing Syria will achieve nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-boyle/bombing-syria-will-achieve-nothing/) [Frankie Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-boyle/) > [I am back in LA now. And I keep thinking back to my time in New York after the bombings… I was crying so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-stein/i-am-back-in-la-now-and-i-keep-thinking-back-to-my-time-in-new-york/) [Ben Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-stein/) > [I had been a guerrilla leader in World War II. And I used to say that the way to fight the guerrilla was with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-hilsman/i-had-been-a-guerrilla-leader-in-world-war-ii-and-i-used-to-say-that/) [Roger Hilsman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-hilsman/) > [The question is the morning after. What sort of Iraq do we wake up to after the bombing? What happens in the region? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/the-question-is-the-morning-after-what-sort-of-iraq-do-we-wake-up-to/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Clinton's bombing campaign has caused all of these problems to explode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/clinton-s-bombing-campaign-has-caused-all-of-these-problems-to-explode/) [Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/) > [“Be back presently, Florence!” he called to his wife, and stumped out the front door into the noise and panic of a London bombing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-brazytis/be-back-presently-florence-he-called-to-his-wife-and-stumped-out-the/) [Sarah Brazytis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-brazytis/) > [If liberals had been in charge of the Arizona memorial, it would probably have featured an exhaustive exhibit about the internment of Japanese Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mona-charen/if-liberals-had-been-in-charge-of-the-arizona-memorial-it-would/) [Mona Charen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mona-charen/) > [WASHINGTON - Ever since President Obama ordered American warplanes to begin bombing terrorist targets in Iraq and Syria last year, members of Congress have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-baker/washington-ever-since-president-obama-ordered-american-warplanes-to/) [Peter Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-baker/) > [If you're against globalisation, it doesn't achieve much by sort of bombing the head offices of Shell or Nestle. You unsettle people much more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-g-ballard/if-you-re-against-globalisation-it-doesn-t-achieve-much-by-sort-of/) [J. G. Ballard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-g-ballard/) > [Ideas are very important to the shaping of society. In fact, they are more powerful than bombings or armies or guns. And this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/ideas-are-very-important-to-the-shaping-of-society-in-fact-they-are/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [In some ways more painful is the fact that their experience appears to be fading from the collective memory of humankind. Having never experienced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tadatoshi-akiba/in-some-ways-more-painful-is-the-fact-that-their-experience-appears/) Tadatoshi Akiba > [“Some wars are about bombing. For the people of the Baltics, this war was about believing. In 1991, after fifty years of brutal occupation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruta-sepetys/some-wars-are-about-bombing-for-the-people-of-the-baltics-this-war/) [Ruta Sepetys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruta-sepetys/) [Browse all 336 Bombing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bombing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The collect-it-all system did nothing to detect, let alone disrupt, the 2012 Boston Marathon bombing. 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