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CIA Director Brennan Confirmed as Reporter Michael Hastings' Next Target

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Re: CIA Director Brennan Confirmed as Reporter Michael Hastings' Next Target

#11

Post by APoliteRequest »

spoiledtechie wrote: post #8
APoliteRequest wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure what to think of this story. I would appreciate less political content on 'hacker/startup news.' That said there is no doubt what Hastings was working on would touch many in the tech community.

As you might think it is political, I think it otherwise. Investigative reporters have been shown to be investigated and their loss of the 1st and 4th amendments very credible. I think this article and these news stories should be as far reaching and as far spread as they can be to let EVERYONE know they are losing these freedoms unless they take a stand.

The rightful distinction between a political story and a story with politicians involved, yes.

This just feels part-way there, if you get my drift. I fully appreciate the focus on the details given by many here while avoiding the trap.

Re: CIA Director Brennan Confirmed as Reporter Michael Hastings' Next Target

#12

Post by eli »

j2d3 wrote: post #9
eli wrote: post #2

His wife also said: "I have no doubt that he was pursuing a hot story. He always had five hot stories going, I mean, that was Michael." And: "Right now the LAPD still has an active investigation ... my gut here is that it was just a really tragic accident and I'm unlucky in the world, the world was very unlucky

Yeah I'll go with the "gut" feeling of someone who couldn't possibly have been pressured by anyone to say anything in particular when she goes on a TV show that will be seen internationally.

Oof. I'm not going to argue with you, but that is pretty classic conspiracy theory logic.

Re: CIA Director Brennan Confirmed as Reporter Michael Hastings' Next Target

#13

Post by j2d3 »

eli wrote: post #12
j2d3 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah I'll go with the "gut" feeling of someone who couldn't possibly have been pressured by anyone to say anything in particular when she goes on a TV show that will be seen internationally.

Oof. I'm not going to argue with you, but that is pretty classic conspiracy theory logic.

I'm not going to argue with you either, but you are terribly naive if you think the circumstances around Michael Hastings death are not incredibly suspicious ;)

Re: CIA Director Brennan Confirmed as Reporter Michael Hastings' Next Target

#14

Post by j_baker »

dram wrote: post #10

The investigator that released the video wrote a good article debunking a lot of the claims out there- http://whowhatwhy.com/2013/07/14/the-michael-hastings-wreck-... Although I'd never heard the story about Charles Colson, the Special Counsel to President Nixon ordering to kill Jack Anderson, a pioneer in investigative journalism. They considered dosing his steering wheel with LSD among other things but were stopped…

One statement in the investigation sticks out to me:

As Anderson put it, “None of this happens without the speed.”

So now that we've got evidence the speed wasn't so high, what does that mean for the investigation?

Re: CIA Director Brennan Confirmed as Reporter Michael Hastings' Next Target

#16

Post by at-fates-hands »

"That revelation is important because Jose, an employee of ALSCO a nearby business, and a witness to the accident told KTLA/Loud Labs (Scott Lane) the car was traveling at a high rate of speed and he saw sparks coming from the car and saw it explode BEFORE hitting the tree."

This is pure conspiracy here. Unless it was like two blocks from where the car crashed, I have to take this comment with a grain of salt. Plus, they don't say how far they thought it was before it hit the tree.

I love conspiracies, but I've grown weary to think EVERYTHING has to be one if someone was investigating the government.

Re: CIA Director Brennan Confirmed as Reporter Michael Hastings' Next Target

#17

Post by AJ007 »

dram wrote: post #10

The investigator that released the video wrote a good article debunking a lot of the claims out there- http://whowhatwhy.com/2013/07/14/the-michael-hastings-wreck-... Although I'd never heard the story about Charles Colson, the Special Counsel to President Nixon ordering to kill Jack Anderson, a pioneer in investigative journalism. They considered dosing his steering wheel with LSD among other things but were stopped…

Conspiracy theories aside, remember what happened to Aaron Swartz. Psychological pressure & abuse is used without a second thought by LEO & government agents. I would like to see a solid reconstruction of the hours preceding Michael Hastings demise, who he was with, and who he talked to.

Re: CIA Director Brennan Confirmed as Reporter Michael Hastings' Next Target

#18

Post by jmadsen »

I just brought up Michael Hastings' death in a conversation yesterday - I think that, more important than the death itself, the lesson to be learned from this incident is how many "non-tinfoil hat" types who would have just rolled their eyes before are now willing to entertain the notion that he was assassinated by our own govt.

Before, this would be the point where I say, "my guts tells me it was just.." Now, my gut tells me to just sit back and wait for what comes of it.

I've lost all trust of my govt. and believe them capable of pretty much anything. We're living "The Bourne Conspiracy" or whatever other movie you think is more apt.

Re: CIA Director Brennan Confirmed as Reporter Michael Hastings' Next Target

#19

Post by talmand »

eli wrote: post #12
j2d3 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah I'll go with the "gut" feeling of someone who couldn't possibly have been pressured by anyone to say anything in particular when she goes on a TV show that will be seen internationally.

Oof. I'm not going to argue with you, but that is pretty classic conspiracy theory logic.

It wasn't too long ago that there were classic conspiracy theories about the NSA that would get you labeled as a crackpot which have recently been shown to be true.

Re: CIA Director Brennan Confirmed as Reporter Michael Hastings' Next Target

#20

Post by dram »

salimmadjd wrote: post #3

Two points stick out from this article: 1: > "By using the video and the distance traveled (195 feet) as well as the seconds that lapsed prior to the explosion – in his opinion, the car was traveling roughly 35 mph." 2: > "The pre-explosion could possibly explain the flash of light on the video that preceded the appearance of the car in the video. The pre-explosion and slower speed could also explain the minimal dama…

The article and your comment are misleading. Despite the professor's calculation, it contradicts other evidence including the eye witnesses.

Michael Krikorian observes that Hastings' car was going at least twice as fast as the other cars in the video. He estimated that the car was travelling at least 80 mph.

And the video from Loudlabs' clearly shows Hastings' car speeding through a red light prior to the crash.

And in the Krikorian article, a special effects expert said the bright flash of light could be due to the auto exposure of the camera causing the explosion to look bigger than it actually was. The "pre-explosion" appears to be the car hitting the 30" x 2' wide metal protusion for a water main between the curb and the tree.

And the expert noted that a bomb would blow the car and engine upwards and not forwards.

http://whowhatwhy.com/2013/07/14/the-michael-hastings-wreck-...

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