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SAD JOHN KERRY IS SAD
Jun. 25th, 2013 10:45 amJohn Kerry is very disappointed with Hong Kong right now. VERY disappointed.
I mean, LOOK AT HIM.
I’m sure you all know why, as I would imagine the Edward Snowden/NSA saga is getting plenty of coverage there (though I understand it’s been bumped down the priority list for much more important stories like the name of Kanye West’s new son).
It’s been kind of fun watching local coverage of Snowden’s departure for Moscow and parts unknown (by which I mean “probably Ecuador”), with local authorities saying there was no legal reason to arrest Snowden at the airport because America’s paperwork wasn’t in order, and while yr sorting that out, maybe you could tell us a little more about this allegation of hacking our university computer networks and spying on us, please.
Oh SNAP!
There are other theories flying around as well – that Beijing ordered HK to let Snowden go when he decided to go, and that HK officials gave Snowden enough advance warning to Snowden about the arrest warrant to give him a plausible chance to get out of the country.
Either way, it adds up to short-term US annoyance with Hong Kong, but better long-term relations with China, who really did not to be in the position of either harboring a US fugitive or handing over a whistleblower that basically gave China a lot of PR leverage the next time the US goes around accusing it of cyberwarfare.
Not that China isn't hacking US computers. They’re just not the only ones. And if we accept the idea that hacking is an international crime no matter who does it, the US hacking strategy is apparently far more aggressive and illegal.
Anyway, that’s that, at least as far as HK’s role in all of this goes.
Meanwhile, here’s a few more links of interest:
This is dF
I mean, LOOK AT HIM.
I’m sure you all know why, as I would imagine the Edward Snowden/NSA saga is getting plenty of coverage there (though I understand it’s been bumped down the priority list for much more important stories like the name of Kanye West’s new son).
It’s been kind of fun watching local coverage of Snowden’s departure for Moscow and parts unknown (by which I mean “probably Ecuador”), with local authorities saying there was no legal reason to arrest Snowden at the airport because America’s paperwork wasn’t in order, and while yr sorting that out, maybe you could tell us a little more about this allegation of hacking our university computer networks and spying on us, please.
Oh SNAP!
There are other theories flying around as well – that Beijing ordered HK to let Snowden go when he decided to go, and that HK officials gave Snowden enough advance warning to Snowden about the arrest warrant to give him a plausible chance to get out of the country.
Either way, it adds up to short-term US annoyance with Hong Kong, but better long-term relations with China, who really did not to be in the position of either harboring a US fugitive or handing over a whistleblower that basically gave China a lot of PR leverage the next time the US goes around accusing it of cyberwarfare.
Not that China isn't hacking US computers. They’re just not the only ones. And if we accept the idea that hacking is an international crime no matter who does it, the US hacking strategy is apparently far more aggressive and illegal.
Anyway, that’s that, at least as far as HK’s role in all of this goes.
Meanwhile, here’s a few more links of interest:
- Companies allow US intelligence to exploit vulnerabilities before they patch them.
- Some very good questions about the NSA surveillance program: why were they secret, what have they accomplished, and what do they cost?
- Possible evidence that the NSA is storing phone call content, not just metadata.
- Some people claim PRISM foiled an actual planned terror attack. Turns out that’s not actually true.
- The Economist speculates nicely here about why Obama is okay with the NSA's actions and is defending them.
And finally, here's a link to a whole bunch of other links for context on the NSA surveillance thing. Basically, the NSA is the least of our problems.
On the run,
On the run,
This is dF
