How can it be that the U.S. government has produced the
most advanced, sweeping technology for spying that the world has ever known,
yet it can’t create a website that allows Americans shopping for health
insurance to simply log on?
most advanced, sweeping technology for spying that the world has ever known,
yet it can’t create a website that allows Americans shopping for health
insurance to simply log on?
That is the intriguing question posed by Ezra Klein at
The Washington Post, who has a little fun comparing and contrasting the two
systems on his Wonkbook blog this morning.
The Washington Post, who has a little fun comparing and contrasting the two
systems on his Wonkbook blog this morning.
Klein notes that the “technical competence and reach”
displayed by the NSA – monitoring 60 million phone calls in Spain in one month –
is so overwhelming that the French foreign minister conceded that his nation’s
leaders are “jealous” of the spy network’s abilities.
displayed by the NSA – monitoring 60 million phone calls in Spain in one month –
is so overwhelming that the French foreign minister conceded that his nation’s
leaders are “jealous” of the spy network’s abilities.
At the same time, the debacle resulting from the
Obamacare rollout revealed “extraordinary technological incompetence,” Klein
noted. In fact, reports on the ACA website project, which was farmed out to 55
contractors, demonstrates that some sectors of the government are far behind in
software and technology as a matter of course.
Obamacare rollout revealed “extraordinary technological incompetence,” Klein
noted. In fact, reports on the ACA website project, which was farmed out to 55
contractors, demonstrates that some sectors of the government are far behind in
software and technology as a matter of course.
Klein reaches a comical conclusion:
“The joke here is obvious: Can’t President Obama just ask
the NSA guys to run the Obamacare web site? After all, the ones who are no longer spying on foreign leaders will need something to do.
the NSA guys to run the Obamacare web site? After all, the ones who are no longer spying on foreign leaders will need something to do.
“But the more serious question
is whether both of these visions of the government can be right at the same
time. Is it possible that the U.S. government can contain both the terrifying
technological competence implied by the NSA stories and the unnerving
technological incompetence displayed in the Obamacare stories?
is whether both of these visions of the government can be right at the same
time. Is it possible that the U.S. government can contain both the terrifying
technological competence implied by the NSA stories and the unnerving
technological incompetence displayed in the Obamacare stories?
“You could make an argument
for it. The NSA has much more in-house technological talent than the Centers of
Medicaid and Medicare Services. They’ve also had a lot longer to get their
systems up and working. Perhaps they’re just better at what they do.
for it. The NSA has much more in-house technological talent than the Centers of
Medicaid and Medicare Services. They’ve also had a lot longer to get their
systems up and working. Perhaps they’re just better at what they do.
“But it seems at least as
likely that the NSA is a whole lot less omniscient than the Snowden documents
suggest. A program that sounds inescapable and infallible on paper might be a
mess in reality.”
likely that the NSA is a whole lot less omniscient than the Snowden documents
suggest. A program that sounds inescapable and infallible on paper might be a
mess in reality.”
