Michael Hastings Sent Panicked Email Hours Before Car Crash • Hacker News Board

Re: Michael Hastings Sent Panicked Email Hours Before Car Crash

#81

Post by CPAhem » Wed, Jul 03, 2013, 1:30 AM UTC

sage_joch wrote: post #10

corresation wrote: post #5

Another possibility is that he had a nervous breakdown or substance abuse episode, leading to both the paranoid emails and the irrational vehicle operations. Obviously I'm not saying that's the case, but the extremely irrational driving goes fits a theory of paranoid delusions (brought on by any number of mechanisms), just as the hacked car system goes with about to uncover something big.

Yeah, we really don't know. But I'm extremely uncomfortable by the fact that foul play is a real possibility. We already know that the federal government is operating largely in secret and without regard to the law (their insistence that are indeed following their own secret set of laws doesn't provide me much solace). We already know that various press organizations have been wiretapped. I feel like I've woken up in…

The truth is that we'll never know.

Maybe in 10 years some whistleblower will come out and admit, but probably not. The way Snowden is being treated you'd have to be crazy to do it now...

Re: Michael Hastings Sent Panicked Email Hours Before Car Crash

#82

Post by snowwrestler » Wed, Jul 03, 2013, 1:30 AM UTC

TechNewb wrote: post #52

snowwrestler wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Foul play is always a possibility, but it takes evidence to make it real. All we have now is a car crash, a reporter working on a story, and an email. There are lots of car crashes, and lots of reporters working on big stories--many on the same stories Hastings was pursuing. We can't rule out foul play but I'm not ready, personally, to rule it in either. There's just not enough there.

Is it known what story he was pursuing?

I believe Ben Smith said it was about Barrett Brown.

Re: Michael Hastings Sent Panicked Email Hours Before Car Crash

#83

Post by JackFr » Wed, Jul 03, 2013, 1:31 AM UTC

skwirl wrote: post #44

sage_joch wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, we really don't know. But I'm extremely uncomfortable by the fact that foul play is a real possibility. We already know that the federal government is operating largely in secret and without regard to the law (their insistence that are indeed following their own secret set of laws doesn't provide me much solace). We already know that various press organizations have been wiretapped. I feel like I've woken up in…

It is a huge leap from the revelations of late and a world where the government goes around killing journalists. When your parents confided to you that Santa Claus wasn't real, you didn't suddenly become adopted too. Chill out and reacquaint with reality.

Reality -- is that the place where our President has an American citizen, without trial or court order, killed by a drone? Yeah, it is. So while not proven, certainly not beyond the pale from what we do know is true.

Re: Michael Hastings Sent Panicked Email Hours Before Car Crash

#84

Post by latj » Wed, Jul 03, 2013, 1:31 AM UTC

skwirl wrote: post #44

sage_joch wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, we really don't know. But I'm extremely uncomfortable by the fact that foul play is a real possibility. We already know that the federal government is operating largely in secret and without regard to the law (their insistence that are indeed following their own secret set of laws doesn't provide me much solace). We already know that various press organizations have been wiretapped. I feel like I've woken up in…

It is a huge leap from the revelations of late and a world where the government goes around killing journalists. When your parents confided to you that Santa Claus wasn't real, you didn't suddenly become adopted too. Chill out and reacquaint with reality.

When you tell your kid Santa Claus isnt real, they already know. But when you admit it its often the first time they realize that their parents lie. If Santa Claus is fake, the Easter Bunny is probably fake too. Then one day they are sitting in church and a picture of Jesus Christ falls out of someone's bag and onto the floor. Your kid sits there, starring at upside down Jesus, and cant help but notice how much he looks like his school bus driver. After that, all the lies of the adult world unravel.

Re: Michael Hastings Sent Panicked Email Hours Before Car Crash

#85

Post by tzs » Wed, Jul 03, 2013, 1:31 AM UTC

DigitalSea wrote: post #18

How does a 2013 model Mercedes Benz with a five star ANCAP safety rating (the highest rating you can get) scoring 35.51 points scored out of 37 (an Australian car safety rating for reference) with more airbags than wheels (8 airbags for those of you playing at home including a curtain airbag that drops in-front of the passenger and driver protecting the head and upper-body from impacting anything) crash into a tree w…

> How does a 2013 model Mercedes Benz with a five star ANCAP safety rating (the highest rating you can get) scoring 35.51 points scored out of 37 (an Australian car safety rating for reference) with more airbags than wheels (8 airbags for those of you playing at home including a curtain airbag that drops in-front of the passenger and driver protecting the head and upper-body from impacting anything) crash into a tree without there even being another vehicle involved?

You are massively confused over what airbags do. They don't do anything at all to reduce the chances that one will drive one's car into a tree. They only come into play AFTER an accident has begun.

Re: Michael Hastings Sent Panicked Email Hours Before Car Crash

#86

Post by nhebb » Wed, Jul 03, 2013, 1:31 AM UTC

sage_joch wrote: post #10

corresation wrote: post #5

Another possibility is that he had a nervous breakdown or substance abuse episode, leading to both the paranoid emails and the irrational vehicle operations. Obviously I'm not saying that's the case, but the extremely irrational driving goes fits a theory of paranoid delusions (brought on by any number of mechanisms), just as the hacked car system goes with about to uncover something big.

Yeah, we really don't know. But I'm extremely uncomfortable by the fact that foul play is a real possibility. We already know that the federal government is operating largely in secret and without regard to the law (their insistence that are indeed following their own secret set of laws doesn't provide me much solace). We already know that various press organizations have been wiretapped. I feel like I've woken up in…

> How long will it be before people no longer feel safe expressing opinions online?

Since about three months ago:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2013/07/01/197669...

Re: Michael Hastings Sent Panicked Email Hours Before Car Crash

#87

Post by dllthomas » Wed, Jul 03, 2013, 1:32 AM UTC

unclebucknasty wrote: post #68

skwirl wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is a huge leap from the revelations of late and a world where the government goes around killing journalists. When your parents confided to you that Santa Claus wasn't real, you didn't suddenly become adopted too. Chill out and reacquaint with reality.

Reality? To which reality are you referring? How are you so certain what the reality here is or is not? How is your version of reality any more or less likely to be the truth? So, no one has proven what happened. That cuts both ways. And that's the point: there are unanswered questions. No one is stating for a fact that foul play was involved. People are merely asking questions. And, given the plausibility of foul pl…

"Neither has been proved, therefore either is equally likely" is false, and if you believed that to be the case you would be horribly calibrated in your judgements, and parent would be right to criticize it. Plausibility is of course a much lower standard, but there is still some correct level of belief; I disagree with the parent in asserting that it is clearly below "plausible" but it's a legitimate discussion.

Re: Michael Hastings Sent Panicked Email Hours Before Car Crash

#88

Post by jamieb » Wed, Jul 03, 2013, 1:34 AM UTC

eridius wrote: post #53

glasz wrote: post #19

while this story is about a week old and got lost in all this nsa nonsense, listen to what mr. hastings said before his death. even on tv. i am german and i can tell you that a mercedes benz DOES NOT just blow up and spit its engine 100yd down the street. the car wasn't even really against the tree... sometimes you just need to apply a little grain of common sense, ppl.

I never even heard of Michael Hasting's death before today, so I don't have an opinion yet, but I find it hilarious that someone who is implying that a conspiracy is at work here is telling everyone to "apply a little grain of common sense". Conspiracy theories are not common sense.

Watergate "Scandal". From wikipedia: "On September 15, a grand jury indicted them, as well as Hunt and Liddy,[9] for conspiracy, burglary, and violation of federal wiretapping laws."

I find it interesting that when the Watergate "Conspiracy Theory" was proven, two things happened:

1. The perpetrators were charged with conspiracy (proving it was a conspiracy), and yet:

2. The Watergate Conspiracy was henceforth known as the Watergate Scandal.

In the Iran-Contra "Affair", "Fawn Hall, Oliver North's secretary was given immunity from prosecution on charges of conspiracy and destroying documents in exchange for her testimony."

Again:

1. Perpetrators charged with conspiracy.

2. The conspiracy is henceforth known as The Iran-Contra Affair.

Rinse, repeat.

Re: Michael Hastings Sent Panicked Email Hours Before Car Crash

#89

Post by brown9-2 » Wed, Jul 03, 2013, 1:35 AM UTC

reeses wrote: post #50

meepmorp wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or that he was paranoid and thought he was being chased.

Or he was surreptitiously exposed to a mind-altering substance that made him paranoid, thinking he was being chased!

This seems like a really risky way to kill someone. Why bother?

Re: Michael Hastings Sent Panicked Email Hours Before Car Crash

#90

Post by smky80 » Wed, Jul 03, 2013, 1:36 AM UTC

skwirl wrote: post #44

sage_joch wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, we really don't know. But I'm extremely uncomfortable by the fact that foul play is a real possibility. We already know that the federal government is operating largely in secret and without regard to the law (their insistence that are indeed following their own secret set of laws doesn't provide me much solace). We already know that various press organizations have been wiretapped. I feel like I've woken up in…

It is a huge leap from the revelations of late and a world where the government goes around killing journalists. When your parents confided to you that Santa Claus wasn't real, you didn't suddenly become adopted too. Chill out and reacquaint with reality.

I can't help but notice the vast majority of your comments over the time you've been here are basically NSA spying apologism.