4 ms·

I'm surprised by the amount of anti-Snowden sentiment in the WaPo comments.

by geetee 12y ago

antidaily 12y ago
NEVER READ THE COMMENTS.
Volscio 12y ago
Consider WaPo's chief readership: people interested in domestic/foreign policy probably living in the DMV area and associated with the federal government. Among those types, what Snowden did was considered, at BEST, a warranted discussion but highly unprofessional and a breach of trust. (whether you agree with that or not, but that represents their core interests in serving the federal government)
izzydata 12y ago
I was kind of surprised at that as well. Then I noticed it was the same few people who seem to be very upset. It isn't too unreasonable for a vocal minority to waste their time on something like that.
Ihmahr 12y ago
I'm even more surprised by all the anti-Snowden comments here on HN.
- Haul4ss 12y ago
  Why? Reasonable people aren't allowed to disagree anymore?
1337biz 12y ago
Oh, these are just your taxpayer dollars at work...
- scrrr 12y ago
  Yep, it's likely they have some "public opinion making" going on. After all psychology teaches us that people look to other people first to find out what to think and do. These guys spoiled the Internet.
hadoukenio 12y ago
See "Military's 'sock puppet' software creates fake online identities to spread pro-American propaganda": http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-operation-social-networks http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-ope...
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- krapp 12y ago
  Also see people actually having an opposing point of view. Not everything has to be parallel construction, false flag operations and conspiracy.
  - scrrr 12y ago
    Yeah but come on, it's happening.
    - krapp 12y ago
      There's a difference between it happening, and it happening so often that it can be taken for granted. The CIA trying to plant microphones into stray cats hoping they'd wander within earshot of Soviet dignitaries happened too. The truth is, it isn't known, the scale of these operations, and you can assume everything is full of spooks or not. But the more reasonable assumption, absent evidence to the contrary, is that it's likely not a conspiracy. Particularly when you're describing points of view which a lot of Americans actually do hold. Although then I suppose you could suggest that the reason Americans believe certain things, or even the appearance of that belief, is the result of propaganda but, again - who knows?
  - tedks 12y ago
    But some things are. So some comments, probably the best, most convincing ones, the ones with the most time and effort spent on them, are sockpuppets from the American military. There's no "parallel construction" or "false flags" here. There's just propaganda. All governments use propaganda. Governments have always used propaganda. If you think propaganda isn't a large part of your day-to-day life you're just unable to see it.
puppetmaster3 12y ago
I suspect that it is 'opinion shaping'

I'm surprised by the amount of anti-Snowden sentiment in the WaPo comments.

by geetee 12y ago

I'm surprised by the amount of anti-Snowden sentiment in the WaPo comments.

antidaily 12y ago

NEVER READ THE COMMENTS.

Volscio 12y ago

Consider WaPo's chief readership: people interested in domestic/foreign policy probably living in the DMV area and associated with the federal government. Among those types, what Snowden did was considered, at BEST, a warranted discussion but highly unprofessional and a breach of trust. (whether you agree with that or not, but that represents their core interests in serving the federal government)

izzydata 12y ago

I was kind of surprised at that as well. Then I noticed it was the same few people who seem to be very upset. It isn't too unreasonable for a vocal minority to waste their time on something like that.

Ihmahr 12y ago

I'm even more surprised by all the anti-Snowden comments here on HN.

Haul4ss 12y ago
Why? Reasonable people aren't allowed to disagree anymore?

1337biz 12y ago

Oh, these are just your taxpayer dollars at work...

scrrr 12y ago
Yep, it's likely they have some "public opinion making" going on. After all psychology teaches us that people look to other people first to find out what to think and do. These guys spoiled the Internet.

hadoukenio 12y ago

See "Military's 'sock puppet' software creates fake online identities to spread pro-American propaganda": http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-operation-social-networks http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/mar/17/us-spy-ope...

deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
krapp 12y ago
Also see people actually having an opposing point of view. Not everything has to be parallel construction, false flag operations and conspiracy.
- scrrr 12y ago
  Yeah but come on, it's happening.
  - krapp 12y ago
    There's a difference between it happening, and it happening so often that it can be taken for granted. The CIA trying to plant microphones into stray cats hoping they'd wander within earshot of Soviet dignitaries happened too. The truth is, it isn't known, the scale of these operations, and you can assume everything is full of spooks or not. But the more reasonable assumption, absent evidence to the contrary, is that it's likely not a conspiracy. Particularly when you're describing points of view which a lot of Americans actually do hold. Although then I suppose you could suggest that the reason Americans believe certain things, or even the appearance of that belief, is the result of propaganda but, again - who knows?
- tedks 12y ago
  But some things are. So some comments, probably the best, most convincing ones, the ones with the most time and effort spent on them, are sockpuppets from the American military. There's no "parallel construction" or "false flags" here. There's just propaganda. All governments use propaganda. Governments have always used propaganda. If you think propaganda isn't a large part of your day-to-day life you're just unable to see it.

puppetmaster3 12y ago

I suspect that it is 'opinion shaping'