Thursday, November 28, 2013
Hall of mirrors again
The media outrage over NSA "revelations" was properly aimed at first. Though the info wasn't new to those of us who had technical connections, it was apparently new to many. It's perfectly appropriate to be outraged at a spy agency with infinite reach, watching absolutely everybody and everything.
Lately the subjects seem to be slipping, and I'm starting to wonder about the whole process.
Today's outrage:
The US authorities have studied online sexual activity and suggested exposing porn site visits as a way to discredit people who spread radical views, the Huffington Post news site has reported. It published a document, leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, identifying two Muslims said to be vulnerable to accusations of "online promiscuity".Well? That's pretty much what FBI has been doing with radicalizers for 80 years, rather effectively. It's ALSO what EVERY political candidate from school board to president does to his opponents. Oppo research has spawned a vast industry of private eyes who work for both "sides" in every single election. At the level where NSA is using this technique, I'd say it's useful and normal. Governments always want to weaken and dissipate the authority of potential revolutionaries. Smart radicals have always understood this, and have found leaders who are difficult to oppo. (Difficult = either squeaky clean or openly and brazenly dirty.) If your leaders can be blackmailed by the government or by other radical movements, you won't last long. Was this whole set of "revelations" carefully orchestrated to reach this point? Were we first exposed to a large dose of genuine outrage to desensitize us, followed by this info that makes NSA seem normal and justifiable? I wondered from the start whether Snowden was really an AP, simply because he survived. Real enemies of FBI and NSA have "accidents" before their info can be widely disseminated. ¶ 3:52 AM
