4 ms·

As upset as I am about the NSA, I agree that reports like these may be hard to justify as whistleblowing. This seems to be less about accountability and more ab

by skue 13y ago

As upset as I am about the NSA, I agree that reports like these may be hard to justify as whistleblowing. This seems to be less about accountability and more about gawking at the NSA's toys. I suppose the NYT could argue that this article only reiterates what was previously reported on the ANT program, and the technology disclosed in that report is over 5 years old. Still, this article may get more attention because when ANT was previously reported the media (and much of HN) got distracted by the NSA's ability to jailbreak iPhones (in 2008!) and largely ignored the passive radio-based technology that was also described.

higherpurpose 13y ago
There's classified data coming from Washington or whatever government agencies to newspapers all the time through "sources". Do you really think everything that is given passes the highest standards for what should or not be leaked? At the end of the day it's the newspapers who decide what gets published.
- niels_olson 13y ago
  It's also worth keeping in mind that the NSA may percieve, in this case rightly, that pushing this angle, which is all re-hashed information, would in fact not expose new information but could potentially reframe the debate in their favor.
fit2rule 13y ago
I think that your idolatry of the NSA is unwarranted. They have powers and technologies that they can use to actively thwart anyone who will cross an American interest. They're not a military organization; the military is simply one of their biggest customers. What they are, is a totalitarian control mechanism for American political and business interests to apply around the world. So if you are on the 'American' side of this fuzzy, electronic wall that they have erected, and if you are an American who will do what is necessary to further American interests in the world - okay. The NSA is on your side. But for those of us who do not live under the crux of American hegemony - and there are quite a few of us, after all - knowing about these heinous violations of human rights, and the tactics and technology that these totalitarians are using, is very important. We are not all Americans, here, nor do we all derive profit from American military-industrial efforts. To some, the NSA is a heinous, despicable construction. I, for one, am glad to see leaks around this organization; as I am with any leaks that will reveal the truth about the tyranny we all live under.
- bananacurve 13y ago
  The entire West is complicit. Pretending it is just America ensures the status quo remains in place. Also look up the word tyranny, it doesn't mean whatever you want it to.
  - fit2rule 13y ago
    You look up the word tyranny - it absolutely applies to the NSA situation! And just saying 'others do it too' isn't enough to weasle out of the fact that the USA spends far, far, far more energy and effort on establishing its tyranny - militarily and technologically - than any other country. Fact is, 'others' would like to live in a world where we don't have to deal with secret injections at the whim of a politician in our lives. Some of us would like to build companies to compete with the American hegemony, and some of us would very much like to reduce the power that the military-industrial tyrants currently ruling America have over the worlds' population. We're not happy having to deal with American pixy-dust solutions to the problem that they're not in control ..
    - bananacurve 13y ago
      It's not "others do it too" it is that the entire West has a shared security model and Europe has outsourced much of its defense. http://cphpost.dk/news/denmark-is-one-of-the-nsas-9-eyes.7611.html http://cphpost.dk/news/denmark-is-one-of-the-nsas-9-eyes.761... >Some of us would like to build companies to compete with the American hegemony And you think the NSA is stopping you, well I don't know what to say to that.
      - fit2rule 13y ago
        "Entire West"? You're showing your prejudice. Not everyone in the Western world is content to bend over for American tyranny. And you think the NSA won't interfere, should I start up a company that will compete with the US? They sure will. This is why there is such heat on this subject, duh .. why compete with the American Industrial Spook Empire, if they can inject code into your systems, remotely, without detection. If they can inspect all the packets, wherever. If they decide, after I become successful at something that might impact an American-Industrial Giant's applecart, to use my neighbours router to hide their destruction of my business? Screw that. I don't want to hear an excuse - I want to hear a solution, from our American friends. Damn right I want a revolution!

by skue 13y ago

higherpurpose 13y ago

There's classified data coming from Washington or whatever government agencies to newspapers all the time through "sources". Do you really think everything that is given passes the highest standards for what should or not be leaked? At the end of the day it's the newspapers who decide what gets published.

niels_olson 13y ago
It's also worth keeping in mind that the NSA may percieve, in this case rightly, that pushing this angle, which is all re-hashed information, would in fact not expose new information but could potentially reframe the debate in their favor.

fit2rule 13y ago

I think that your idolatry of the NSA is unwarranted. They have powers and technologies that they can use to actively thwart anyone who will cross an American interest. They're not a military organization; the military is simply one of their biggest customers. What they are, is a totalitarian control mechanism for American political and business interests to apply around the world. So if you are on the 'American' side of this fuzzy, electronic wall that they have erected, and if you are an American who will do what is necessary to further American interests in the world - okay. The NSA is on your side. But for those of us who do not live under the crux of American hegemony - and there are quite a few of us, after all - knowing about these heinous violations of human rights, and the tactics and technology that these totalitarians are using, is very important. We are not all Americans, here, nor do we all derive profit from American military-industrial efforts. To some, the NSA is a heinous, despicable construction. I, for one, am glad to see leaks around this organization; as I am with any leaks that will reveal the truth about the tyranny we all live under.

bananacurve 13y ago
The entire West is complicit. Pretending it is just America ensures the status quo remains in place. Also look up the word tyranny, it doesn't mean whatever you want it to.
- fit2rule 13y ago
  You look up the word tyranny - it absolutely applies to the NSA situation! And just saying 'others do it too' isn't enough to weasle out of the fact that the USA spends far, far, far more energy and effort on establishing its tyranny - militarily and technologically - than any other country. Fact is, 'others' would like to live in a world where we don't have to deal with secret injections at the whim of a politician in our lives. Some of us would like to build companies to compete with the American hegemony, and some of us would very much like to reduce the power that the military-industrial tyrants currently ruling America have over the worlds' population. We're not happy having to deal with American pixy-dust solutions to the problem that they're not in control ..
  - bananacurve 13y ago
    It's not "others do it too" it is that the entire West has a shared security model and Europe has outsourced much of its defense. http://cphpost.dk/news/denmark-is-one-of-the-nsas-9-eyes.7611.html http://cphpost.dk/news/denmark-is-one-of-the-nsas-9-eyes.761... >Some of us would like to build companies to compete with the American hegemony And you think the NSA is stopping you, well I don't know what to say to that.
    - fit2rule 13y ago
      "Entire West"? You're showing your prejudice. Not everyone in the Western world is content to bend over for American tyranny. And you think the NSA won't interfere, should I start up a company that will compete with the US? They sure will. This is why there is such heat on this subject, duh .. why compete with the American Industrial Spook Empire, if they can inject code into your systems, remotely, without detection. If they can inspect all the packets, wherever. If they decide, after I become successful at something that might impact an American-Industrial Giant's applecart, to use my neighbours router to hide their destruction of my business? Screw that. I don't want to hear an excuse - I want to hear a solution, from our American friends. Damn right I want a revolution!