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On the flip side, other fairly recent claims of classified evidence from US officials have proven to be unfounded -- most notably, the claims of active Iraqi nu
by rst 12y ago
On the flip side, other fairly recent claims of classified evidence from US officials have proven to be unfounded -- most notably, the claims of active Iraqi nuke and chemical weapons programs which were the stated basis for George W. Bush's invasion. And other more recent examples, like Clapper's lie to Congress about bulk data collection, seem to indicate that the culture of US intelligence hasn't changed since then in any fundamental respect.
It's your choice whether to take these guys at their word in any particular instance. But some of us don't take their word alone as evidence for much, unless it's backed up by evidence which stands up to independent review.
- jobu 12y agoUS officials have lied so many times it's difficult to give credibility to anything they say: NSA lies to senate about surveillance on U.S. citizens living inside the country: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2014/mar/11/james-clappers-testimony-one-year-later/ http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2014/mar/11/... CIA lies about torture and it's effectiveness: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/10/opinion/the-senate-report-on-the-cias-torture-and-lies.html http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/10/opinion/the-senate-report-... FBI lies to U.S. courts about surveillance records: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/05/fbi-chastised-court-lying-about-existence https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/05/fbi-chastised-court-ly...
- happyscrappy 12y agoThe problem with liars isn't that they lie, it's that sometimes they tell the truth.
- CHY872 12y agoI don't think that holds weight. The federal government employs nearly 3 million people, and of course some of them will lie to better serve their interests. You'd reasonably expect this. You see racists making similar arguments about random minorities - a few isolated cases expanded into a gross stereotype. To blanket dismiss any statement as untrustworthy is unwise and misguided.