4 ms·

I still call poppy-cock. It's just such a ridiculous proposition. Look, the guy contacted Wikileaks a few hours before his death. Wikileaks! He also contact

by l33tbro 13y ago

I still call poppy-cock. It's just such a ridiculous proposition. Look, the guy contacted Wikileaks a few hours before his death. Wikileaks! He also contacted his employers about a story he was writing on the subject of NSA. Now, if .. IF the FBI/NSA were intent on ending him, surely they would have been privy to said communications. This being the case - what motive would they have to go through with it? I mean, by doing so, they would knowingly and invariably be drawing more heat to that which they were covering up. How? Well, a) Wikileaks knows about it. Therefore a suspicious death would draw more attention to whatever it was he was about to report. b) A suspicious death would make him a journalistic martyr, prompting one of his fellow reporters to pick up on where his research was left and give even greater salience to the issue reported. The FBI aren't stupid. They know that murdering a reporter would only magnify the issue down the track. I'm sorry, it just doesn't make sense to me that they would willingly self-immolate by killing the dude and igniting several spotfires. I'd like to believe it too. I'd love to see these Prism guards go down, believe me. Honestly thought the people of HN were a bit beyond the conspiracy crap you find on Reddit and such places.

crocowhile 13y ago
Well, he was one of the most successful journalists of his age; he previously destroyed a former CIA general with his writings; he claimed one year ago to have lots of sources in governmental agencies ( http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/uaha0/iam_michael_hastings_a_reporter_for_buzzfeed_and/c4tpn8s http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/uaha0/iam_michael_... ); he recently wrote messages saying he was onto something big re: NSA; he was, basically, at the apex of his career. Why would he go "yeah, let's see how fast this car can go now!" all of a sudden? I am not saying he was killed but I would not find hard at all to believe TBH.
- rdouble 13y ago
  Why would he go "yeah, let's see how fast this car can go now!" all of a sudden? Maybe he was drunk.
  - crocowhile 13y ago
    In his book he claimed he had his last drink when he was 20 yo.
    - DanBC 13y ago
      He has a history of drug and alcohol abuse, so it's possible that he relapsed and went on a bender. Important to note that I haven't seen anything to say that he had any drugs or alcohol in his system. I haven't read any of the reports. Maybe someone has already done the test and said there wasn't any drugs or alcohol in his blood.
      - fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
        One thing that sucks about him dying in a fire is that it may frustrate efforts at toxicology/autopsy.
- hysterix 13y ago
  >he was, basically, at the apex of his career. Why would he go "yeah, let's see how fast this car can go now!" See Ryan Dunn: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Dunn http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Dunn tl;dr - people make stupid fucking decisions, even at the apex of their career.
  - crocowhile 13y ago
    Hastings was not a stunt man for jackass. Was a smart man, a published author, an intellectual if you wish. He believed FBI was guarding him at every move and I am sure he was aware that even a speed ticket or a DUI could cost him a lot in terms of career.
    - deleted 13y ago
      [deleted]
Andrew_Quentin 13y ago
Maybe time was a factor, perhaps he was ready to publish his story or close to doing so. Then there is also the tactic of hiding in plain sight. All of what you mentioned could however be a coincidence, but that doesn't seem to be the simplest explanation.
mpyne 13y ago
> Honestly thought the people of HN were a bit beyond the conspiracy crap you find on Reddit and such places. LMAO, hahaha. I was forced past my belief in the infallibility of HN with regard to conspiracy theories right about January of this year. Though I can't hardly piece together who's here because of YC, who's here because HN is where we discuss tech civil liberties, and who's here just because, so maybe the old YC-HN would have been more resistant, who knows?

by l33tbro 13y ago

crocowhile 13y ago

Well, he was one of the most successful journalists of his age; he previously destroyed a former CIA general with his writings; he claimed one year ago to have lots of sources in governmental agencies ( http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/uaha0/iam_michael_hastings_a_reporter_for_buzzfeed_and/c4tpn8s http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/uaha0/iam_michael_... ); he recently wrote messages saying he was onto something big re: NSA; he was, basically, at the apex of his career. Why would he go "yeah, let's see how fast this car can go now!" all of a sudden? I am not saying he was killed but I would not find hard at all to believe TBH.

rdouble 13y ago
Why would he go "yeah, let's see how fast this car can go now!" all of a sudden? Maybe he was drunk.
- crocowhile 13y ago
  In his book he claimed he had his last drink when he was 20 yo.
  - DanBC 13y ago
    He has a history of drug and alcohol abuse, so it's possible that he relapsed and went on a bender. Important to note that I haven't seen anything to say that he had any drugs or alcohol in his system. I haven't read any of the reports. Maybe someone has already done the test and said there wasn't any drugs or alcohol in his blood.
    - fnordfnordfnord 13y ago
      One thing that sucks about him dying in a fire is that it may frustrate efforts at toxicology/autopsy.
hysterix 13y ago
>he was, basically, at the apex of his career. Why would he go "yeah, let's see how fast this car can go now!" See Ryan Dunn: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Dunn http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Dunn tl;dr - people make stupid fucking decisions, even at the apex of their career.
- crocowhile 13y ago
  Hastings was not a stunt man for jackass. Was a smart man, a published author, an intellectual if you wish. He believed FBI was guarding him at every move and I am sure he was aware that even a speed ticket or a DUI could cost him a lot in terms of career.
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]

Andrew_Quentin 13y ago

Maybe time was a factor, perhaps he was ready to publish his story or close to doing so. Then there is also the tactic of hiding in plain sight. All of what you mentioned could however be a coincidence, but that doesn't seem to be the simplest explanation.

mpyne 13y ago

> Honestly thought the people of HN were a bit beyond the conspiracy crap you find on Reddit and such places. LMAO, hahaha. I was forced past my belief in the infallibility of HN with regard to conspiracy theories right about January of this year. Though I can't hardly piece together who's here because of YC, who's here because HN is where we discuss tech civil liberties, and who's here just because, so maybe the old YC-HN would have been more resistant, who knows?