3 ms·
> "old news" I never dismiss the possibility of JTRIG-style disinformation or the far more common problem of people that have to argue a certain way because th
by pdkl95 11y ago
> "old news"
I never dismiss the possibility of JTRIG-style disinformation or the far more common problem of people that have to argue a certain way because their salary depends on that point of view.
That said, I suggest considering Jacob Appelbaum's interpretation[1] of the "not surprised" dismissal: it' s a coping mechanism. It's an expression of frustration about not being able to do anything about the problem. The bigger question is if the phrase is being used to shut down discussion? Or can we acknowledge that frustration and try to find some way past it. It's difficult to care about a cause if you don't see even a theoretical way for the cause to succeed.
A particularly effective weapon is convincing your opponents that they cannot win. I suggest that the "cannot win" scenario only happens if we let it happen( by adopting a nihilistic, defeatist attitude.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9Xw3z-8oP4#t=594 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9Xw3z-8oP4#t=594
(I recommend watching the entire talk - especially the question from someone in the NSA (!) at the end)
- sonoffett 11y agoWhat do you think the purpose of the NSA is? I'm trying to understand if you're arguing that the NSA should not exist or if in this case it is acting outside its jurisdiction?
- pdkl95 11y agoI believe that is the wrong question. Apologies, my ulnar nerve says I need to stop typing, so I refer to Appelbaum's response to a similar question, which I agree with completely. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9Xw3z-8oP4#t=4028 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9Xw3z-8oP4#t=4028
- bediger4000 11y agoHow can we know what the purpose of the NSA is? After all, the Presidential Order creating it (http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB24/nsa02b.pdf http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB24/nsa02b.pdf) in 1952 was classified (I think) until 2008. We can be pretty certain that the NSA is operating under a legal basis, but we can also be pretty certain that the legal basis is either not what we think it is, or is interpreted in such a fashion as to make the wording of that basis irrelevant. How do we know if the NSA should exist, or if it's acting outside its jurisdiction? All that info is classified, or crapagandized.