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Cyberscare: Ex-NSA chief calls transparency groups, hackers next terrorists

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Re: Cyberscare: Ex-NSA chief calls transparency groups, hackers next terrorists

#181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't seen that formula before

Yeah, it's not really popular, these days. And don't count on it becoming more popular any time soon.

Generally formulas with no application or truth to them are avoided. What I think you mean is "With great power, comes great responsibility" It's subtly different, but "the devil is in the details."

Re: Cyberscare: Ex-NSA chief calls transparency groups, hackers next terrorists

#182

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>This second aspect is particularly dangerous in that he seeks to incite and provoke the very threat that he spends so much effort warning us about. He ruthlessly exploits our tribalistic, pack-animal ancestry, conjuring up hostile groups where none exist; engineering conflict in a callous game of divide-and-conquer. I don't understand. In one breath, you're saying such a provocative statement is welcome and even "la…

Hey ... I don't (and didn't) run a massive government agency. Probably never will. (At least, not after writing this sort of specious crap). That fact gives me a certain degree of latitude to (a) be inconsistent and (b) spout bullshit. Asymmetric information warfare, (like guerilla warfare) offers the weaker party far more freedom to manoeuvre than the stronger party enjoys. In other words, it does not matter too muc…

Ha! I like the whimsical philosophy. Next time a pedant tries to bowl over my point by enumerating my inconsistencies, I think I might just hold up my "poetic justice" card.

Re: Cyberscare: Ex-NSA chief calls transparency groups, hackers next terrorists

#183
post #10
post #5

People need to start accepting that government != country; such people as such being called as "terrorists" or "communists" or other words that were bandied about as the bogeyman of the time are perceived as threats to the government by those most poised to profit from that government. A government that no longer represents the people, but corporations and those that benefit by it, will threaten those that question i…

> A government that no longer represents the people, but corporations and those that benefit by it, will threaten those that question its legitimacy as that is only obvious. A government elected with a reasonable majority arguably represents the people who elected them. Not represents as in "represents their interests", implying that they act on their behalf in their best interest. No, represents as in "they are the…

> Unless we see a mass boycott of the next election that forces both parties to radically change their approach

A mass boycott would do nothing in terms of change. It is the political equivalent of letting a child eat as much ice cream it wants because you think it'll somehow think "too much" for you is "too much" to them.

Re: Cyberscare: Ex-NSA chief calls transparency groups, hackers next terrorists

#184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> That's really sunshiny happy and everything It's reality. We own the shares, we work for them, we manage them, and we support them by buying their products. If we cease doing any of that, they no longer exist. This idea that "corporations" are one thing and people are another is preposterous.

I think you might be evaluating the referent of the word "we" incorrectly.

>I think you might be evaluating the referent of the word "we" incorrectly.

I'll go out on a limb and say that every single person that participates in this forum falls under at least one of those "we".

Re: Cyberscare: Ex-NSA chief calls transparency groups, hackers next terrorists

#185
post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once they get on this "corporations are evil, government is evil, everything is evil!" tangent, there's no talking to them.

> Once they get on this "corporations are evil, government is evil, everything is evil!" tangent, there's no talking to them. Nice way to dismiss my post in the most condescending way possible and without even bother to think about the point I made. I'm not saying corporations nor governments are evil. All I said was that corporations are not interested in the well being of the average person; which they're not. The…

>"and anyone with even the slightest idea of how businesses work shouldn't need to be told that the priority of a business differs from the priority of an individual"

I understand how businesses work, because I run one. We're not JP Morgan, but we do have 150 employees. How about you? We're in the health care field, we're a corporation, and we actually care about the average person. It's also how I know, through interaction, that business owners are just ordinary people, even at levels far beyond my own. Our businesses are reflections of ourselves. If you're an asshole, you'll run an unethical business. Most people aren't assholes.

You can keep your theories, I'll go with experience.

Re: Cyberscare: Ex-NSA chief calls transparency groups, hackers next terrorists

#186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Once they get on this "corporations are evil, government is evil, everything is evil!" tangent, there's no talking to them. Nice way to dismiss my post in the most condescending way possible and without even bother to think about the point I made. I'm not saying corporations nor governments are evil. All I said was that corporations are not interested in the well being of the average person; which they're not. The…

> "and anyone with even the slightest idea of how businesses work shouldn't need to be told that the priority of a business differs from the priority of an individual " I understand how businesses work, because I run one. We're not JP Morgan, but we do have 150 employees. How about you? We're in the health care field, we're a corporation, and we actually care about the average person . It's also how I know, through i…

That's great, but you completely missed my point about how you don't become a multi-billion dollar CEO of an international corporation by playing nice. And since I'm talking about companies that influence politics through lobbying and what not, the need the finance and influence of companies of that scale - so I'm clearly not talking about companies as small as yourselves.
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