4 ms·

This story is really interesting to me. Clearly, it’s to give people a sense of security and calmness given a potential virus outbreak. But also feels like gov

This story is really interesting to me. Clearly, it’s to give people a sense of security and calmness given a potential virus outbreak. But also feels like government PR to other governments, with a message of “If you’re trying something, watch yourself.” Not trying to insinuate propaganda or elevate conspiracy. But anyone with a security background or who worked in disaster preparedness have any insight as to why an article like this would basically reveal a bunch about our national security? Seems to break most of my understood “Rules of Operational Security”.

whatshisface 7y ago
Everyone knows where the fire stations are. Civilian protection isn't usually secret. What's secret is the US bioweapons program.
- lez 7y ago
  Agree. While the government keeps citizens safe on one side, it is also actively involved in unlawful act of weaponizing pathogens. The first article in this magazine about mycoplasma gives us a briefing on this topic: http://www.betterhealthguy.com/images/stories/PDF/PHA/2009_07.pdf http://www.betterhealthguy.com/images/stories/PDF/PHA/2009_0...
_jal 7y ago
The obvious answer is that the details disclosed are not considered operationally sensitive. The more interesting question would be why these and not other details that weren't, but you obviously won't get answers to that. A second answer is that, in situations like we currently face (balanced on a hope that a global outbreak doesn't get worse), PR is to some extent security. If you're confronted with a frightened dog, make soothing noises.
teesnee 7y ago
> Dr. Strangelove: Of course, the whole point of a Doomsday Machine is lost, if you keep it a secret! Why didn't you tell the world, eh? > Ambassador de Sadesky: It was to be announced at the Party Congress on Monday. As you know, the Premier loves surprises. --------------------------- An adversary can only be deterred by what they know. Publicizing stockpiled healthcare supplies informs adversaries that a chemical or biological attack would be less successful, reducing such an attack's likelihood.
- blotter_paper 7y ago
  > In real life, however, many Mondays and many party congresses passed after Perimeter was created. So why didn't the Soviets tell the world, or at least the White House, about it? No evidence exists that top Reagan administration officials knew anything about a Soviet doomsday plan. George Shultz, secretary of state for most of Reagan's presidency, told me that he had never heard of it. [...] The silence can be attributed partly to fears that the US would figure out how to disable the system. But the principal reason is more complicated and surprising. According to both Yarynich and Zheleznyakov, Perimeter was never meant as a traditional doomsday machine. The Soviets had taken game theory one step further than Kubrick, Szilard, and everyone else: They built a system to deter themselves. [...] By guaranteeing that Moscow could hit back, Perimeter was actually designed to keep an overeager Soviet military or civilian leader from launching prematurely during a crisis. https://www.wired.com/2009/09/mf-deadhand/amp https://www.wired.com/2009/09/mf-deadhand/amp

whatshisface 7y ago

Everyone knows where the fire stations are. Civilian protection isn't usually secret. What's secret is the US bioweapons program.

lez 7y ago
Agree. While the government keeps citizens safe on one side, it is also actively involved in unlawful act of weaponizing pathogens. The first article in this magazine about mycoplasma gives us a briefing on this topic: http://www.betterhealthguy.com/images/stories/PDF/PHA/2009_07.pdf http://www.betterhealthguy.com/images/stories/PDF/PHA/2009_0...

_jal 7y ago

The obvious answer is that the details disclosed are not considered operationally sensitive. The more interesting question would be why these and not other details that weren't, but you obviously won't get answers to that. A second answer is that, in situations like we currently face (balanced on a hope that a global outbreak doesn't get worse), PR is to some extent security. If you're confronted with a frightened dog, make soothing noises.

teesnee 7y ago

> Dr. Strangelove: Of course, the whole point of a Doomsday Machine is lost, if you keep it a secret! Why didn't you tell the world, eh? > Ambassador de Sadesky: It was to be announced at the Party Congress on Monday. As you know, the Premier loves surprises. --------------------------- An adversary can only be deterred by what they know. Publicizing stockpiled healthcare supplies informs adversaries that a chemical or biological attack would be less successful, reducing such an attack's likelihood.

blotter_paper 7y ago
> In real life, however, many Mondays and many party congresses passed after Perimeter was created. So why didn't the Soviets tell the world, or at least the White House, about it? No evidence exists that top Reagan administration officials knew anything about a Soviet doomsday plan. George Shultz, secretary of state for most of Reagan's presidency, told me that he had never heard of it. [...] The silence can be attributed partly to fears that the US would figure out how to disable the system. But the principal reason is more complicated and surprising. According to both Yarynich and Zheleznyakov, Perimeter was never meant as a traditional doomsday machine. The Soviets had taken game theory one step further than Kubrick, Szilard, and everyone else: They built a system to deter themselves. [...] By guaranteeing that Moscow could hit back, Perimeter was actually designed to keep an overeager Soviet military or civilian leader from launching prematurely during a crisis. https://www.wired.com/2009/09/mf-deadhand/amp https://www.wired.com/2009/09/mf-deadhand/amp