GCHQ and NSA Targeted World Leaders, Private German Companies 145
Advocatus Diaboli sends this news from Der Spiegel:
"Documents show that Britain's GCHQ intelligence service infiltrated German Internet firms and America's NSA obtained a court order to spy on Germany and collected information about the chancellor in a special database. Is it time for the country to open a formal espionage investigation? ... A secret NSA document dealing with high-ranking targets has provided further indications that Merkel was a target. The document is a presentation from the NSA's Center for Content Extraction, whose multiple tasks include the automated analysis of all types of text data. The lists appear to contain 122 country leaders. Twelve names are listed as an example, including Merkel's."
Re:@people from the US (Score:5, Informative)
The US actually is the schoolyard bully of international politics. Just in case someone hasn't noticed that yet. The US exhibits every behaviour of the classic schoolyard bully. He beats up the weaker kids but does not want to get into a fight with anyone that could stand up for himself. He steals the lunch money from those that can't defend themselves. Or, in a more modern form, the bully "buys" your cellphone for a buck so you can't say he stole it from you. He bought it, see? Same goes for resources, on an international scale. Should a teacher (or the UN) take a stern look at them, they'll start smooching up to them and pretend that they're gonna help the teacher to keep the smaller bullies in reign, and since that's quite comfortable, they'll gladly take that offer.
International politics and schoolyard politics ain't that different. It's the same shit on a bigger scale, that's all, but the silly billys are the same.
Putin got it right (Score:4, Informative)
We must ban Cisco equipment and Microsoft/Apple systems from our governments offices, once and for all. There are alternative solutions available, let's develop them, let's deploy them. Before, there was a risk. Now there is a fact. So what are we waiting for ?
Shocking it's not as if there was a resason ? (Score:5, Informative)
http://articles.chicagotribune... [chicagotribune.com]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I... [wikipedia.org]
So people are upset about the NSA spying on companies and a country that was willing to look the other way on some very questionable practices ?
A little reality check here. George Washington was one of our first spymasters,
http://www.amazon.com/George-W... [amazon.com]
And the value of intelligence information to our well being has not decreased one bit since the revolution.
Wait - you think they don't? (Score:5, Informative)
Who in the world thinks that Russia DOESN'T spy on the US and GB (and France and Germany and everyone else for that matter). FFS - we ALL do it to everybody else.
This is like complaining that farts stink, and somebody just found out that we left a beige cloud in the restroom. Somebody light a match, close the door, and get on with it. In polite society you hold your breath and pretend like nothing happened, because the next time the remains of the burrito might be yours.
Re:Spies spying? (Score:5, Informative)
GOVERNMENT spies who are spying on POTENTIAL ENEMY GOVERNMENTS are okay.
GOVERNMENT spies who are spying on ALLIES are not okay.
GOVERNMENT spies who are spying on PRIVATE companies in allied nations are not okay.
And before you get to the next part I'll just say that GOVERNMENT spies who are spying on CITIZENS of that government are also not okay.