This says it all about our huge surveillance system looking at everything:

[Are_grits_groceries]

Vast Surveillance Powers Did Not Stop Ft. Hood Tragedy

People have a false sense of security because the government is collecting so much data. They are assuming that somebody knows what to do with the mountain of information. I believe that is why a lot of people shrug when there are stories about the illegal collection of info. They think it is better to be safe than sorry.

However, the data is only as good as the plans you have to sort it out. Unless you have some specific and reliable filter, you will get too much crap to work through. In addition, so much data is being stored now that it will take massive computing power to sort through it.

The intelligence community already made the mistake of relying too much on technology and not enough on human intelligence. They paid the price as they let a lot of networks they built wither away. They have now gone back to trying to rebuild links that will produce different info about the masterminds.

Nobody was really listening and paying attention to what Hasan was saying and doing. They either misread it, ignored it, or didn't even see it. If we can be so wrong on a case like this, what makes us so sure we can pick out doodly from a collection of messages.

Technology may be able to help, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it alone.

[chill_wind]

1. K & R. n/t