Conspiracy theorists often wonder how powerful the spy satellites that orbit the Earth are.
You can get an idea of the resolution of satellite spy cameras by looking at Google Earth and Google Maps. Google Earth only has civilian-grade satellite camera resolution, but take a look at how powerful it is:
Next time you look up at the sky, smile — you may be on camera.
I found this interesting set of quotes from the extreme right wing.
A short excerpt—a quote from George Bush Sr.:
"I don’t know that atheists should be considered citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God."
Highly recommended reading.
Inforworld writes about how Microsoft has collaborated with the NSA in the development of Windows Vista’s security:
The U.S. agency best known for eavesdropping on telephone calls had a hand in the development of Microsoft’s Vista operating system, Microsoft confirmed Tuesday.
The National Security Agency (NSA) stepped in to help Microsoft develop a configuration of its next-generation operating system that would meet U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) requirements, said NSA Spokesman Ken White.
[…]
Still, the NSA’s involvement in Vista raises red flags for some. “There could be some good reason for concern,” said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC). “Some bells are going to go off when the government’s spy agency is working with the private sector’s top developer of operating systems.”
Part of this concern may stem from the NSA’s reported historical interest in gaining “back-door” access to encrypted data produced by products from U.S. computer companies like Microsoft.
In 1999, U.S. Congressman Curt Weldon said that “high level deal-making on access to encrypted data had taken place between the NSA and IBM and Microsoft,” according to EPIC’s Web site.
With Vista expected to eventually power the majority of the world’s personal computers, it would be tempting for the government agency to push for a way to gain access to data on these systems, privacy advocates say.
More info from Microsoft here.
This problem is not new and exists even in earlier versions of Windows like Windows XP. The German military has even banned Microsoft software because they belive that the NSA is using Windows to spy.
