[lbo-talk] Hands off my metadata

[Bill Bartlett]

And on that question, the latest news about the virtual hijacking of a plane transporting the Bolivian President Evo Morales, by concerted action of European satrapy nations presumably directed by the US government, is fascinating. It suggests that the US is afraid, very afraid, of this Snowden fellow. I infer that they are afraid of what else he might divulge and/or what trouble he might stir up by continuing agitation.

Surely such a casual exercise of naked power as this would not be done lightly? Of course, it is also yet another demonstration of the bungling incompetence of the US intelligence agencies. That they acted on another false assumption, acted yet again on false intelligence. Expended this huge sum of political capital for nothing. 

I've already explored why the US intelligence network have become as useless a a stale dog turd, let me remind everyone.  One implication of that incompetence though is that we cannot assume that the public will be outraged and demand change, simply because the US government thinks that this might be the case. The incompetence of US intelligence systems means that there is only a co-incidental connection between reality and what the US government believes reality to be.

Bill Bartlett
Bracknell Tas

On 04/07/2013, at 12:26 PM, Bill Bartlett <william7 at aapt.net.au> wrote:


> I think you misunderstand me. Yes, just saying "why are you surprised" is inadequate, but I still find it interesting to explore that question. As you say though, the big issue is whether the people at large will be outraged, or willing to accept that everyone, everywhere, is being spied on, all the time. That is a new high in totalitarian government. Whether grumpy old lefties like us are outraged or not is beside the point. ;-)
> 
> Bill Bartlett
> Bracknell Tas
> 
> 
> 
> On 04/07/2013, at 12:13 PM, "JOANNA  A." <123hop at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
>> at the govt spies on its assumed enemies, and it's another to understand that it is spying on everyone and reserving the right to turn anyone into a criminal. 
>> 
>> The issue right now is not what leftists think of the matter, but whether the population at large is willing to accept that the criminalization of the population of the US will make anyone safer. Can people who are not politically sophisticated understand that this spying is NOT about their safety. 
>> 
>> This is what we need to talk about. So I find the faux sophistication of saying "why are you surprised?" insufficient to the matter at hand.
> 
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