--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's tempting to dismiss the debate about…" description: "\"It's tempting to dismiss the debate about the National Security Agency spying on Americans as a technical conflict about procedural rights.\" — Jacob We..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae0/jacob-weisberg-5003_conflict_it-s-tempting-to-dismiss-the-debate-abou_2430166.jpg" --- # It's tempting to dismiss the debate about the National… ![“It's tempting to dismiss the debate about the National Security Agency spying on Americans as a technical conflict about procedural rights.” quote by Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae0/jacob-weisberg-5003_conflict_it-s-tempting-to-dismiss-the-debate-abou_2430166.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae0/jacob-weisberg-5003_conflict_it-s-tempting-to-dismiss-the-debate-abou_2430166.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae0/jacob-weisberg-5003_conflict_it-s-tempting-to-dismiss-the-debate-abou_2430166.jpg) > “It's tempting to dismiss the debate about the National Security Agency spying on Americans as a technical conflict about procedural rights.” [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The NSA spying debate is often framed as a procedural issue, ignoring deeper civil liberties concerns. **In simple terms:** Debate is reduced to technical rights. Key Takeaway Consider broader privacy implications. Themes privacy government surveillance civil liberties Mood cautious critical Type analytical political When to use this quote - policy analysis - public discourse - technology ethics - citizen rights Key Concepts Legal frameworks ethical considerations Questions to Reflect On - What are the long‑term effects? - How can citizens protect themselves? A Different Perspective Technical focus can obscure moral stakes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agency Spying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agency-spying-271503/) [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Conflict Procedural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict-procedural-271504/) [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [National security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-security/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/security/) [Spying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spying/) [Spying Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spying-americans-271502/) [Technical Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technical-conflict-271501/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [The Obama administration says we only destroy the privacy of non-Americans. That is not true. The government is spying on Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-obama-administration-says-we-only-destroy-the-privacy-of-non/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“There is a certain eavesdropping, peeping tom Agency, out there, that first wanted us to believe that there was ‘No Such Agency’ and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-thirteen/there-is-a-certain-eavesdropping-peeping-tom-agency-out-there-that/) [Terence Thirteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-thirteen/) > [There's no question that the US is engaged in economic spying. If there's information at Siemens that they think would be beneficial to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/there-s-no-question-that-the-us-is-engaged-in-economic-spying-if/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [There's not a single flashlight app that's not spying on you right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcafee/there-s-not-a-single-flashlight-app-that-s-not-spying-on-you-right-now/) [John McAfee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcafee/) > [“Pinto recalled in his memoirs after the war that Waelti, who was actually a Dutchman, "did not look like a very dangerous figure, sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-verkaik/pinto-recalled-in-his-memoirs-after-the-war-that-waelti-who-was/) [Robert Verkaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-verkaik/) > [Facebook in particular is the most appalling spying machine that has ever been invented. Here we have the world's most comprehensive database about people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/facebook-in-particular-is-the-most-appalling-spying-machine-that-has/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [Googling is not spying. It's social networking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah/googling-is-not-spying-it-s-social-networking/) [Sarah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah/) > [“You were spying on me?" I repeated, this time my tone was stern. "Nonsense! I was making sure you were safe." He answered, fluttering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-fiorre/you-were-spying-on-me-i-repeated-this-time-my-tone-was-stern-nonsense/) [Grace Fiorre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-fiorre/) > [I think a lot of people like hidden-camera shows where they think they're spying on somebody who doesn't know they're looking at them. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-white/i-think-a-lot-of-people-like-hidden-camera-shows-where-they-think/) [Betty White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-white/) > [Spying on people by magic is the same as spying on them in any other way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/spying-on-people-by-magic-is-the-same-as-spying-on-them-in-any-other/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [There's been spying for years, there's been surveillance for years, and so forth, I'm not going to pass judgement on that, it's the nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/there-s-been-spying-for-years-there-s-been-surveillance-for-years-and/) [Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/) > [“We have to live without sympathy, don't we? That's impossible of course. We act it to one another, all this hardness; but we aren't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/we-have-to-live-without-sympathy-don-t-we-that-s-impossible-of-course/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [“What the hell? Was I about to get off in a laundry room spying on the back of some cowboy I’d known for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-williams/what-the-hell-was-i-about-to-get-off-in-a-laundry-room-spying-on-the/) [Nicole Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-williams/) > [“Once while spying on my neighbors I solved for x.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-beckman/once-while-spying-on-my-neighbors-i-solved-for-x/) [Joshua Beckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-beckman/) > [“All right, shadow-priest, you've been spying — on what? What state secrets have you learned watching me groom these horses?' 'Only that they hate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/all-right-shadow-priest-you-ve-been-spying-on-what-what-state-secrets/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) ## More by Jacob Weisberg > [As far apart as they are theologically, Mormons and evangelical Christians may have more in common with each other anthropologically than they do with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/as-far-apart-as-they-are-theologically-mormons-and-evangelical/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [Political analysts tend to overinterpret the results of isolated elections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/political-analysts-tend-to-overinterpret-the-results-of-isolated/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [Seeing the rich and famous screw up makes us feel superior, or at least not quite so inferior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/seeing-the-rich-and-famous-screw-up-makes-us-feel-superior-or-at/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [Trade, tourism, cultural exchange, and participation in international institutions all serve to erode the legitimacy of repressive regimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/trade-tourism-cultural-exchange-and-participation-in-international/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [The cradle-to-grave welfare state diminishes individual initiative and can breed a pervasive sclerosis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/the-cradle-to-grave-welfare-state-diminishes-individual-initiative/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [America's sanctions policy is largely consistent and, in a certain sense, admirable. By applying economic restraints, we label the most oppressive and dangerous governments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/america-s-sanctions-policy-is-largely-consistent-and-in-a-certain/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [You may or may not agree with Obama's policy prescriptions, but they are, by and large, serious attempts to deal with the biggest issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/you-may-or-may-not-agree-with-obama-s-policy-prescriptions-but-they/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [The invasion of Iraq was, in ways that have since become hard to dispute, a terrible mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/the-invasion-of-iraq-was-in-ways-that-have-since-become-hard-to/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [In practice, conservatives are no less inclined than liberals to adopt superior stances or to tell people how to live their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/in-practice-conservatives-are-no-less-inclined-than-liberals-to-adopt/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [The leader who loves books that tell him he is great and right may be worse than the leader who does not love books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/the-leader-who-loves-books-that-tell-him-he-is-great-and-right-may-be/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [Without medical records that he hasn't released, we can't know whether Gingrich may have inherited his mother's manic depression. Nevertheless, one observes in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/without-medical-records-that-he-hasn-t-released-we-can-t-know-whether/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [Members of the middle class do not have to worry about falling off $250,000 sailboats because they don't have $250,000 sailboats to fall off of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/members-of-the-middle-class-do-not-have-to-worry-about-falling-off/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [In authoritarian societies, cultural institutions tend to become ideological proxies - think of the National Ballet in Cuba or the East German gymnastics team.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/in-authoritarian-societies-cultural-institutions-tend-to-become/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [Northeastern conservatism is moderate, accepts the modern welfare state, and dislikes mixing religion with politics. Western conservatism is hawkish, hates government, and embraces individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/northeastern-conservatism-is-moderate-accepts-the-modern-welfare/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [The most important newspapers in this country need to exist. Our democracy needs them. Life as we know it would be unthinkable without them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/the-most-important-newspapers-in-this-country-need-to-exist-our/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) [Explore all 104 Jacob Weisberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) ## More Conflict quotes > [The history of mankind interests us only as it exhibits a steady gain of truth and right, in the incessant conflict which it records…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-history-of-mankind-interests-us-only-as-it-exhibits-a-steady-gain/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [There is a conflict in the Middle East between two entities, and they're both right, each in their own way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reuven-rivlin/there-is-a-conflict-in-the-middle-east-between-two-entities-and-they/) [Reuven Rivlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reuven-rivlin/) > [Conflict isn't negative, it just is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-crum/conflict-isn-t-negative-it-just-is/) [Thomas Crum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-crum/) > [I have lived in countries that were coming out of conflict: Ireland, South Africa, the Czech republic. People there are overflowing with energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-eno/i-have-lived-in-countries-that-were-coming-out-of-conflict-ireland/) [Brian Eno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-eno/) > [Africa, being the major target of colonial plunder, therefore becomes a major source of conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-horne/africa-being-the-major-target-of-colonial-plunder-therefore-becomes-a/) [Gerald Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-horne/) > [All drama is conflict. Without conflict, there is no action. Without action, there is no character. Without character, there is no story. And without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd-field/all-drama-is-conflict-without-conflict-there-is-no-action-without/) [Syd Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd-field/) > [The irrepressible conflict propounded by abolitionism has produced now its legitimate fruits - disunion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-irrepressible-conflict-propounded-by-abolitionism-has-produced/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“These are all good things, I said. But no one knows where your country is or who you are. You don't have a familiar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-shteyngart/these-are-all-good-things-i-said-but-no-one-knows-where-your-country/) [Gary Shteyngart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-shteyngart/) > [I understand the formula that producers hire directors and directors are hired to direct and actors are hired to act. 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