Why Yes, They Will Abuse That Power

Sometimes satire can barely stay a step ahead of reality.  Via Jim Geraghty’s daily e-mail newsletter (the Morning Jolt) today, the UK Telegraph reported over the weekend that

Staff working at America’s National Security Agency — the eavesdropping unit that was revealed to have spied on millions of people — have used the technology to spy on their lovers.

[—]

The employees even had a code name for the practice — “Love-int” — meaning the gathering of intelligence on their partners.

Bad for America, but good for National Review:  Just a few issues ago, the regular Rob Long satire feature (The Long View) imagined a dweeby guy who ends up working as a contractor for the NSA and uses it to spy on, then throw himself at, a girl he remembers from high school.  Rob Long is pretty funny, you should subscribe to National Review.  Except it turns out not to have been a joke, exactly.

See also Geraghty four days ago: “Dear NSA: If You’re Not So Bad, Why Do Your Bosses Keep Lying to Us?”

Related entry: “Music Video: Remy on NSA Surveillance”

Update (August 26th, 2013): Also via Jim Geraghty, I added the animated illustration above.