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Edward Snowden: "The US Government Has Been Hacking China For Years", Meet TAO

Tyler Durden's picture




 

It's a good thing Obama and Xi met last week, because following the latest revelations by Edward Snowden, just released as part of an ongoing series of interviews posted by Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, there may have been some very awkward silence between the leaders of the world's superpowers. Especially since what he revealed once again exposes the US as nothing but a schoolyard hypocrite bully, which has been spinning a PR campaign "exposing" Chinese hackers as the biggest threat to internet security and privacy, when in reality it was the US that has done the bulk of snooping on Chinese soil.

From SCMP:

Snowden said that according to unverified documents seen by the Post, the NSA had been hacking computers in Hong Kong and on the mainland since 2009. None of the documents revealed any information about Chinese military systems, he said.

 

One of the targets in the SAR, according to Snowden, was Chinese University and public officials, businesses and students in the city. The documents also point to hacking activity by the NSA against mainland targets.

 

Snowden believed there had been more than 61,000 NSA hacking operations globally, with hundreds of targets in Hong Kong and on the mainland.

 

We hack network backbones – like huge internet routers, basically – that give us access to the communications of hundreds of thousands of computers without having to hack every single one,” he said.

 

“Last week the American government happily operated in the shadows with no respect for the consent of the governed, but no longer. Every level of society is demanding accountability and oversight.”

 

Snowden said he was releasing the information to demonstrate “the hypocrisy of the US government when it claims that it does not target civilian infrastructure, unlike its adversaries”.

 

“Not only does it do so, but it is so afraid of this being known that it is willing to use any means, such as diplomatic intimidation, to prevent this information from becoming public.

 

If true, Snowden's allegations lend credence to China's longstanding position that it is as much a victim of hacking as a perpetrator, after Obama pressed Xi to rein in cyber-espionage by the Chinese military.

The irony continues because in world in which China suddenly has the moral superiority to an America, that is more reminiscent to the "Evil Empire" USSR from the 1950s than anything the founders had envisioned, it is Russia that Snowden exposes as the country not afraid to stand up to the world's most arrogant bully:

Asked if he had been offered asylum by the Russian government, he said: “My only comment is that I am glad there are governments that refuse to be intimidated by great power”.

Here SCMP reverts to FP magazine to present the NSA's Tailored Access Operations or TAO:

Published in Foreign Policy magazine and called "Inside the NSA's Ultra Secret Hacking Group", the story by Mathew Aid lifts the lid on the US's covert cyber operations in China. The US continually accuses China of cybercrime. However, senior Beijing officials accuse the US government of hypocrisy and allege Washington is also actively engaged in cyber-espionage.

 

"The Chinese government's allegations are essentially correct," the article reveals. "According to a number of confidential sources, a highly secretive unit of the National Security Agency (NSA), the US government's huge electronic eavesdropping organisation, called the Office of Tailored Access Operations, or TAO, has successfully penetrated Chinese computer and telecommunications systems for almost 15 years, generating some of the best and most reliable intelligence information about what is going on inside China."

 

When the latest allegation of Chinese cyber-espionage was made last month, it alleged hackers employed by the Chinese military had stolen the blueprints of more than three dozen American weapons systems. The Chinese government's top internet official, Huang Chengqing, responded that Beijing possessed "mountains of data" showing the US has engaged in widespread hacking to steal Chinese government secrets.

 

Revelations about the NSA's Prism operation from former CIA undercover operative Edward Snowden have added fuel to Beijing's stance, and Foreign Policy's exposé confirms China's claims.

 

"According to former NSA officials … TAO's mission is simple. It collects intelligence information on foreign targets by surreptitiously hacking into their computers and telecommunications systems, and then copying all the messages and data traffic passing within the targeted e-mail and text-messaging systems," the story revealed.

 

"TAO is also responsible for developing the information that would allow the United States to destroy or damage foreign computer and telecommunications systems with a cyber attack if so directed by the president. TAO, sources say, is now the largest and arguably the most important component of the NSA's huge intelligence gathering network."

Back to Snowden and his conclusion:

“I’m very grateful for the support of the public,” he said. “But I ask that they act in their interest – save their money for letters to the government that breaks the law and claims it noble.

 

“The reality is that I have acted at great personal risk to help the public of the world, regardless of whether that public is American, European, or Asian.”

We can only hope that the same public will care.

 

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Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:44 | 3652038 RaceToTheBottom
RaceToTheBottom's picture

Hmmm, Iceland must have said no.

On to plan B.  A place in HK with the blessing of China

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:56 | 3652085 notbot
notbot's picture

Snowden is the Kanye of espionage.

Awesome truth and awesomeness. Beauty, truth, awesomeness. That’s all it is.

http://www.vulture.com/2013/06/kanye-times-interview-quotes.html

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:02 | 3652108 SafelyGraze
SafelyGraze's picture

what backs the dollar?

not gold. not silver.

not real estate.

oil? only partly.

this is the information age.

info is what backs the dollar.

info is what keeps the dollar strong.

dollars (in the proper hands) are redeemable for information assets.

and that is why we are building a fort knox for data.

because that is what will keep the dollar strong.

strong. sound. money.

 

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:04 | 3652119 The Shootist
The Shootist's picture

Most of that data has got to be Porn. I mean, come on now...

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:14 | 3652127 TwoShortPlanks
TwoShortPlanks's picture

I'd say US Citizens have a lot of house cleaning to do. Every corner of America is corrupt and nasty.

But just for the record, Snowden didn't go whistle blower on his own accord. China got to him a while back. No surprise he's in Hong Kong...Mainland China by now.

Can you say, Honey-Pot?

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:19 | 3652182 DaddyO
DaddyO's picture

For those in the NYC area...https://www.facebook.com/events/582151318491697/

DaddyO

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:05 | 3652258 Iocosus
Iocosus's picture

You're free to assemble in NYC, BUT:

No annoying the NYPD stasi enforcers

No big gulps

No trans fat

No smoking

No drinking

Weekends at central booking are far from relaxing, so my friends tell me (I run faster than them).

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:50 | 3652511 cifo
Wed, 06/12/2013 - 22:41 | 3652608 TruthInSunshine
TruthInSunshine's picture

As long as The "Honorable" Jon S. Corzine is living the high life, free as the most glorious bird of prey, feasting on his massive ill-gotten gains on prime Hamptons beachfront - his Obama-bundler pimp hand strong - and as long as someone like Snowden, who gave up much to ring the alarm bell in a way that even the most placid sheeple might "get it," is on the lam, all is right with this righteous world.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 22:02 | 3652556 DaddyO
Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:29 | 3652212 strannick
strannick's picture

''China got to him a while back''

Two-short. Do you have anything to actually say about that? Or is it all wink wink nudgie nudgie

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 22:28 | 3652577 TwoShortPlanks
TwoShortPlanks's picture

"Do you have anything to actually say about that"

Sure...Snowden's a singleton seeking to reconnect with a one night stand. Like Cruise, he foolishly jumped up and down on a couch publically proclaiming his love, nobody wants a love sick fool; infidelity is the attraction, not loyalty. Running to where the romance first started, like a one night stand turning up on your door step, bad form, bad move, zero craft.

Like watching a blind bull in a china shop (pun intended), hilarious to watch!

I'm not talking about a woman, and I'm not going to spell it out.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 23:43 | 3652987 YC2
YC2's picture

So... For the record.... No

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:04 | 3652328 Bringin It
Bringin It's picture

o China got to him a while back.

Could you back that up with something? 

Or maybe, like me, after seeing the pole-dancer flikr, you guess Edward knew it was time for a change.

Either way - Rock on Edward.

China's great.

Here's the deal -

In America, you can say whatever you want ... You just can't do anything.

In Asia, You can do whatever you want ... Just don't talk about it.

 

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 22:20 | 3652641 TwoShortPlanks
TwoShortPlanks's picture

Lifestyle trap, not woman trap.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 22:37 | 3652725 tarsubil
tarsubil's picture

So he was so desperate for this life style he risked his life by exposing the US government's spying on Americans? Who even gives a shit? The story isn't that Edward isn't perfect. Edward is just some guy that I don't know and have never heard of before. The story is that my government is spying on me and has built the infrastructure for the greatest police state ever in the history of mankind. That means I may get to live in the greatest police state ever. That is a little bit more important to me than figuring out Edward. You, I think I have you figured out. The lifestyle trap is projection on your part. Take your shame somewhere else. Being more shameful will not make it easier to sleep.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 22:52 | 3652809 TwoShortPlanks
TwoShortPlanks's picture

"I may get to live in the greatest police state ever" That's the only thing you've got right.

My comments pertained to the initiation of this whole event. I've not put forward my take on the morality of the NSA for spying on the US public, but thank you for telling me which side of the fence I'm on; you've just done the same thing the NSA has just been caught for, contraction of freedom of another...another thing you've got upside-down and inside-out.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 23:19 | 3652912 tarsubil
tarsubil's picture

"My comments pertained to the initiation of this whole event."

Oh, I'm sorry. Let me explain. My comment was to say your comments pertaining to the initiation of this whole event are stupid and irrelevant. Who knew by stating these comments I was oppressing you like when the NSA collects all your information to blackmail or destroy you if need be in the future? My opinion and comments contract your freedom? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. No, you're the greatest. Just ask yourself again for reassurance.

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 05:33 | 3653415 TwoShortPlanks
TwoShortPlanks's picture

This discussion has become pointless. Yup, your'e right, my bad.

Good luck in your patriotism and living where you do.

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 09:59 | 3653875 tip e. canoe
tip e. canoe's picture

you've just done the same thing the NSA has just been caught for, contraction of freedom of another.

jury's still out on snowden in me mind, so i reserve the right to disagree with your premise, but you nailed a subtle point here that is flying right past most regardless of their stance on the issue.    perhaps this is because what this is truly revealing is actually a very ugly aspect of human nature that most practice every day without recognizing it.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 22:31 | 3652696 kchrisc
kchrisc's picture

Dear listening intelligence services,

Can you tell me why I like skinny brunettes in the real world but buxom, full-figured, red-heads in my porn world?

Thanks, and cold regards.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 23:08 | 3652846 TwoShortPlanks
TwoShortPlanks's picture

Dear Lemming,

Sure thing; 

  1. You have issues with Blondes attracting other men and don't trust them for it.
  2. You like it when your mates envy you for the hot bod you take to bed each night.
  3. Secretly you desire the masochism which comes with making love to a big breasted Tuna Boat but point #2 puts a wet blanket on that.

Even colder regards,
NSA: from cradle to grave we're 'The Police'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMOGaugKpzs

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 10:00 | 3653878 tip e. canoe
tip e. canoe's picture

that's funny shit.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 23:53 | 3653012 tip e. canoe
tip e. canoe's picture

that was the sheep's point, no?

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 04:38 | 3653383 giggler123
giggler123's picture

With that in mind maybe the police should crash the NSA offices for downloading X.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:13 | 3652125 AssFire
AssFire's picture

Fuck you and your statist reasoning. I'll keep my p/m and real estate.

No excuse to legitimize spying and blackmail.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:15 | 3652162 JohnG
JohnG's picture

 

 

This is a sideshow, something else is coming.  This is for the sheeple's attention, too easy.  Congressional hearing on CSPAN, papers, MSM coverage.  Too obvious.

What else is coming, and who profits from it.  That's the real question here.  Follow the money.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:21 | 3652345 Bringin It
Bringin It's picture

Could be, but go with the flow when the trend is your friend. 

People are more aware of government spying.  Doesn't matter ZHer or not - We know we're all considered enemies now.

This is how consciousness builds.

Even if the meme does disappear from "the news", we'll know more - Like in the case that the story does disappear, at least we'll know that the sheeples are really really hopeless.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:57 | 3652534 john39
john39's picture

yup, if the MSM is pushing the story... you know this is all staged towards some end...

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 22:43 | 3652767 tarsubil
tarsubil's picture

The MSM wants a debate about security vs privacy. The debate is total bullshit as the infrastructure is built not for security but for a police state. The "debate" is to get people to assume that it isn't designed and purposed for controlling Americans but to "help" them. It is total bullshit. The White House said they welcome a debate. Fuck them. The "opposition" in Congress wants a "debate". Fuck them. Fuck all of Congress and fuck the White House. Fuck the media. Fuck the government. The constitution is null and void. The government has indirectly declared that I am an enemy of the state which is kinda ironic. If that's the way they want it, no problem.

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 07:46 | 3653520 ExpendableOne
ExpendableOne's picture

So there you are.  Hoovering up all the data you want.  Where to look first?  Facebook?  Nah, congressional staffers and banks.  Any of those HFT algols fed directly from the NSA data pool??  How about steering congress with selective data revelations?  No, it does not all need to be blackmail.  If you know what the connections are before anyone else does, a fine profit can be made.

 

 

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:13 | 3652151 bonin006
bonin006's picture

I thought is was those 1.6 billion .223 rounds, and a few hundren thousand human drones willing to use them on anyone not willing to back the dollar.

(reply to safelygraze)

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 22:51 | 3652805 kchrisc
kchrisc's picture

It's all political targeting for the drones.

"Drone 23, you are near a "terrorist's" house. He is a known reader of ZeroHedge.com and LRC.com and based on his Amazon account, he reads. Please switch to targeting mode. Target coordinates are being uploaded as we speak."

"Roger, coordinates here, missile locked, and AWAY! Wow, did you see that, bulls-eye!"

"Drone 23, good job, another dead thinker and his spawn too. Now fly toward that library over there..."

 

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:18 | 3652174 Bay of Pigs
Bay of Pigs's picture

"strong. sound. money."?

sarc right? 

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:44 | 3652488 SafelyGraze
SafelyGraze's picture

correct

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:34 | 3652451 yatikto
yatikto's picture

wrong,  the triumverate is power, money and beauty.

all support one another.

 

the military supports the dollar.

Putin summarized well, "US is trapped in its own position of leadership, any consession is an act of weakness so it must always project its power" .

It will only get worse, before it gets really bad, and then who knows.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:36 | 3652459 robobbob
robobbob's picture

sarcasm?...I hope

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:02 | 3652109 espirit
espirit's picture

Hmmm.  I was wondering where GS got China's Strategic Investment stats.

This is one Mf'ing deep rabbit hole.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:02 | 3652111 DaddyO
DaddyO's picture

Kanye is not worthy to carry Snowden's dirty jock strap, Tool!

DaddyO

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:19 | 3652183 notbot
notbot's picture

It was a joke, tool. Have you not seen the train wreck quotes. Follow the link.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:25 | 3652200 DaddyO
DaddyO's picture

Even the inference of a comparison is repugnant!

Next time use the /sarc tag or prepare to get lit up!

DaddyO

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:34 | 3652230 notbot
notbot's picture

Apparently! Never seen so many junks.  The Kanye was /sarc.

The fact that I think Snowden is awesome, /not sarc.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:35 | 3652445 Harbanger
Harbanger's picture

I'm surprised safelygraze didn't get more down votes, he wasn't kidding.  The Data collected is all about controlling people and has nothing to do with the value of currency.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:36 | 3652458 logicalman
logicalman's picture

I think you may find that currency is used to control people.

Data is a tool used when currency doesn't work.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:46 | 3652497 Harbanger
Harbanger's picture

Not all currencies are equal.  Currency by itself is just a measure of value.  Fractional reserve banking is used to destroy a nations wealth.  Money is not evil, evil people use any means to control people.  Data in the hands of evil people is used to eliminate opposition to the totalitarian state.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 22:02 | 3652557 giddy
giddy's picture

...ummmm...it's the LOVE (LUST) of money that's the root of all evil...money in and of itself isn't evil... 

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:04 | 3652116 AssFire
AssFire's picture

I had to junk you for mentioning Kanye.

 

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:40 | 3652250 notbot
notbot's picture

Fair enough. I just thought his intvw was pure comedy. I take it those quotes haven't yet made it to the ZH readership, but you'll see them everywhere soon

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:45 | 3652269 DaddyO
DaddyO's picture

With all due respect, the ZH crowd seems to not be overly concerned with whether this weeks actress d'jour has her panties on...just sayin'. Well maybe a bad example, Kanye is just so unworthy of our attention when Snowden or someone like him is grabbing the headlines.

DaddyO

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:57 | 3652303 notbot
notbot's picture

DaddyO,  I've been a loyal ZH reader (under a dif username) for 4+ yrs. I've even sent in a few widely-read pieces through the tips line.  

I'm right there with you on this Snowden story. I'm infuriated (tho not surprised) that the MSM wants to make this about the man and not the machine.

The quotes are a 30 second comedic interlude.  Take a break, watch Leno tonight. And we can come back together when @ggreenwald hits the tape with the next story. Which I'm hoping will pull back the curtain even more.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:02 | 3652319 DaddyO
DaddyO's picture

Hey no problemo, sorry your sarcasm fell on my tin year...

DaddyO

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:18 | 3652389 Bringin It
Bringin It's picture

Don't watch Leno is my advice.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:19 | 3652381 Bringin It
Bringin It's picture

Honest question - What's kanye?

I don't do pop-culture.  So never mind.  I don't really want to know.

I did see the comparison as some kind of slur on Snowden, which I did not appreciate.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:49 | 3652284 Croesus
Croesus's picture

@ notbot:

Downvoted you for comparing Snowden to that PoS. He gives black people a bad name.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:22 | 3652407 Harbanger
Harbanger's picture

Anyone who cheats a Kardashian can't be that bad.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:49 | 3652039 lolmao500
lolmao500's picture

I don't think China needed the confirmation...

Thing is, who stole who top weapon designs again?? Ah yes, CHINA stole US weapons... US stealing crappy Chinese weapons ain't worth the energy.

China is committing acts of wars against NATO and the best Obama can do is suck Xi's cock.

In other news...

North Korea: ‘Moment of explosion is approaching fast.’ War could break out on Korean peninsula ‘today or tomorrow’

The nutjobs are at it again... the talks scheme was a set up from the beginning...

Also interesting... Iranian election on Friday... if nothing changes... (and probably won't)... Israel and the US will crank up the build for finally bombing Iran...

While Turkey is probably going to turn real hot in the next 24 hours...

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:50 | 3652065 Ignatius
Ignatius's picture

The headlines for years have been "China Hacking U.S.?"

The 'ol double-game, eh!

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:37 | 3652240 spinone
spinone's picture

Classic man bites dog story

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:53 | 3652292 Harbanger
Harbanger's picture

Maybe the US hacked the secret to fusing communism and capitalism.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:59 | 3652099 cougar_w
cougar_w's picture

NK is about to go dark. Expect a massive internal purge a la Stalin when Junior loses his itty bitty mind, and then a long deathly silence. We won't hear again from those people for a decade or four.

Iran ... meh. Useful as a stooge. Mostly harmless. They get another decade to play around with the regional balance of power. Maybe then some Israeli nut-job pulls the trigger.

Turkey? That could get interesting. The protests I've watched on streaming internet look like the real thing, not just a handful of counter-revolutionary malcontents waving anti-regime banners. Those Turkish kids are showing some real guts, raging while not breaking into the shops to steal sneakers, and going hammer-and-tongs with the cops. That's spiritual purity right there, hard to stop that without major military involvement.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:03 | 3652321 mjcOH1
mjcOH1's picture

"NK is about to go dark. Expect a massive internal purge a la Stalin when Junior loses his itty bitty mind, and then a long deathly silence. We won't hear again from those people for a decade or four."

I'm thinking when he loses his mind it'll be out a 7.62x39 sized pair of matched wounds.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 22:13 | 3652599 Room 101
Room 101's picture

Interesting comments.  Glad you're back with us.  I was beginning to wonder if you were going to take a straitrazor with you to the bathtub last night.

Perspective, perspective.  

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:59 | 3652100 Aurora Ex Machina
Aurora Ex Machina's picture

Drama Queen alert. Confidential != Secret or Top Secret. Unless you really think that the USA has nanotech weapons?

 

You've already been spanked over this FUD btw.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:32 | 3652448 Bringin It
Bringin It's picture

o US stealing crappy Chinese weapons ain't worth the energy.

No, the problem is this approach would skip some of the feed slurry to the weapons contractors.

The US of A gives away all kinds of critical technology in various ways for various reasons - example, DoD components sourced in China.  Give-aways to a certain entity. ...

Finally, China has some great tech.  China's carrier destroying missles look like a real smart move.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:57 | 3652537 Room 101
Room 101's picture

You worry too damn much.  Go raise some bees and get some perspective. 

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 22:01 | 3652552 Raynja
Raynja's picture

@lolmao

you seem to be catching alot of shit for saying anything about nk, but i was in an american legion hall for a reception the other day and was looking at the headline they had posted about the korean war and it was one of disbeleif that the threats that had been going on for years actually turned into a full out assault overnight.  people have this weird beleif that a burgular is going to ring your doorbell and announce themselves before they attack.

 

i believe the nazis called it a blitzkreig (same story there, a world too weak to oppose a nation threatening to take back territory they had previously controlled acting shocked when words turned to action very quickly)

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 22:19 | 3652630 williambanzai7
williambanzai7's picture

I have tried to figure out who stole what and the answer is, buy lots of tin foil because agreat deal of what they have, they bought directly from US suppliers or manufactured for them.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:48 | 3652042 fonzannoon
fonzannoon's picture

Is this our black swan?

 

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:45 | 3652044 Antifederalist
Antifederalist's picture

This kid is smart. Knows how to play the game.

A generation full of Snowdens and the future looks brighter.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:14 | 3652157 toys for tits
toys for tits's picture

His biggest threat now isn't a prosecution, but a "disappearing"?

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:18 | 3652172 Antifederalist
Antifederalist's picture

That doesn't work for TPTB. Kind of makes his point. Ellsberg is still around. I think he has Obama in checkmate.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:39 | 3652248 DaddyO
DaddyO's picture

+1

Although I don't think it's Snowden who has Obama in Checkmate, it's his handlers...

DaddyO

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:33 | 3652449 Bringin It
Bringin It's picture

People have his back.  Should not be a problem.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:47 | 3652050 Spastica Rex
Spastica Rex's picture

But we're the good guys.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:31 | 3652219 DaveyJones
DaveyJones's picture

and the god guys

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:41 | 3652254 prains
prains's picture

and the occasional od guy

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 23:22 | 3652916 DaveyJones
DaveyJones's picture

and the weird chicks

thanks hillary

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:47 | 3652051 buzzsaw99
buzzsaw99's picture

The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers. [/Princess Leia]

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:50 | 3652052 Racer
Racer's picture

Can ZH provide a link so we can express that support?

(oh Sh!t, I am now a target for annihilation)

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:48 | 3652056 blindman
blindman's picture

boozy allen ! and what's his name....
are they the government now?
Carlyle ....

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:49 | 3652062 Catullus
Catullus's picture

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/06/mozilla-wants-500m-users-to-t...

Stopwatching.us

I guess that's better than standing in wal-mart parking lot yelling at nothing

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 23:38 | 3652972 ForTheWorld
ForTheWorld's picture

I upvoted you, but I think it's a little silly to still use Google as a search provider when you want the NSA to stop spying on you.

This would probably be better - a petition to .GOV to pardon Edward Snowden: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/pardon-edward-snowden/Dp03vGYD

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:50 | 3652063 cougar_w
cougar_w's picture

Not much the US wants out of China they couldn't buy with cash or drugs. Place is that corrupt.

However I'd bet they are rooting the fuck out of the Chinese IT infrastructure. The better to shut them down cold (or packet sniff their networks) in the event of a hot conflict economic or otherwise.

Nobody really gives a shit about the content of packets. It is 100% every day all the time about control.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:08 | 3652136 espirit
espirit's picture

They (U.S.) have to dig a wormhole deep enough into China's cyberspace to infect when needbe.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:35 | 3652456 Bringin It
Bringin It's picture

cougar - you're just making shit up.  Nobody really gives a shit about the content of packets.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:50 | 3652064 buzzsaw99
buzzsaw99's picture

I love the propaganda channels always paint the usa as the innocent victims of hacking. Uncle Sam is a nosy mother fucker.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:04 | 3652114 monad
monad's picture

AIPAC's nose is bigger. Its the Information Age, if you don't have an intelligence capacity you'll go hungry.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:51 | 3652069 monad
monad's picture

China has been hacking the USA for decades. Everyone has, thanks to the low priority of network security from the OS vendors. The swiss bankster? Read Victor Orlovsky.

He better have more than this.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:53 | 3652078 buzzsaw99
buzzsaw99's picture

You are full of shit. He has exposed the usa for what it is, an orwellian nightmare.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:58 | 3652097 fonzannoon
fonzannoon's picture

The democrats want him decapitated and the republicans want to stick his balls in the mouth of his severed head. That says it all.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:02 | 3652107 monad
monad's picture

if he's not a plant and he wants to live, he better have more than this. 

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:10 | 3652132 buzzsaw99
buzzsaw99's picture

Every day Snowden lives proves what a worldwide joke the cia and usa gubbermint have become. He'll probably be on the Jerry Springer Show next week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnwgbH0TPbI

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:09 | 3652141 RaceToTheBottom
RaceToTheBottom's picture

Teamwork?  Could this be the event that gets dickless republican to work with dickless democrats?   

NAW.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:37 | 3652237 Things that go bump
Things that go bump's picture

Two Mafia crime families competing for the best vig.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:00 | 3652102 monad
monad's picture

Everyone who can see knew about this. Its hard to miss the Jolly Green Giant, and the unwelcome guests. They hardly need to break into networks, the generous support of US government policies discriminating against our own citizens, the government holds the door for every trade secret to walk out the door. Wakey wakey http://www.thedarkvisitor.com/

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:02 | 3652110 Aurora Ex Machina
Aurora Ex Machina's picture

He has allegedly over 50k documents, all of which he chose as not naming names / endangering life.

 

So, if it's true, a shit load of boring tech manuals which might contain some juicy fruits.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:16 | 3652165 monad
monad's picture

He has not divulged anything significant yet. If he ran for the stated reasons, he must have damning evidence handy. I'd love to see it, then some justice. I'm not interested in the tech. Heads are going to roll, its too late for him to have second thoughts. He has to produce something. He better hurry. What's he waiting for, green? Or are the "journalists" delaying to cut their own deals, maybe kill this story? He who hesitates is lost.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:34 | 3652204 Aurora Ex Machina
Aurora Ex Machina's picture

The Guardian has an extremely good media team, and they're very good at timing leaks / choosing the contents of leaks to have maximum impact (They did it throughout Wikileaks). Turns out, dumping mass piles of docs all at once often allows Media Burn to churn past the story and hand-waive it away ("Oh, that leak? Soooo last week dear, run the story about the cat up the tree!").

They're slimy in that once they've milked the story for honey ($ / impact) they then sit on the dumps & don't release them so that they could be used / archived by the public and run shitty book deals off them (usually with hilariously bad understanding of the tech involved). This is why they're only semi-useful, and are typical journo scumbags. This leak was mostly targeting the NYT for burying a prior leak over China <> USA involvement for a year (according to a third party) and fending off the tide of bullshit rising out of US MSM who are bitching 'cause they've got nothing (which, given they tend to show all the leaks to the fucking government first, is hardly surprising).

 

So, basically, let the pros do their work.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:41 | 3652253 Things that go bump
Things that go bump's picture

I hope this turns into a real shitstorm and the whole executive branch and both houses of congress are caught out without an umbrella.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:01 | 3652318 pods
pods's picture

I hope that it convinces enough amerikans that they can say no.

No, you will not spy on me to keep me safe.

No, you may not simply use "national security" to refuse to answer any of my questions.

No, I will not abide by the same laws you refuse to abide by.

No.

pods

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:19 | 3652394 TheFourthStooge-ing
TheFourthStooge-ing's picture

.

No, you will not spy on me to keep me safe.

No, you may not simply use "national security" to refuse to answer any of my questions.

No, I will not abide by the same laws you refuse to abide by.

No.

...oh, and before I forget, children are dicks, so don't try that old "it's for the children" bromide.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:34 | 3652453 pods
pods's picture

Fuck it, I think it is time to start poking people's cognitive dissonances. This story is big enough that many now know about it (in sheeplevile).

Science experiment:

Whenever some annoying fuck is on a cell phone in line at the grocery store.  Calmly walk up to them and whisper:

"Careful, they're listening."

Then slightly nod your head and walk away.

pods

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:51 | 3652517 TheFourthStooge-ing
TheFourthStooge-ing's picture

.

Whenever some annoying fuck is on a cell phone in line at the grocery store.  Calmly walk up to them and whisper:

"Careful, they're listening."

Then slightly nod your head and walk away.

I agree with this poast.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 23:39 | 3652973 Totentänzerlied
Totentänzerlied's picture

You're a smart guy, so I'll say it just once. Don't hold your breath, cause it ain't gonna happen. I've seen this movie before, and so have you.

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 19:18 | 3656331 monad
monad's picture

Fuck the pros, they got us into this mess. We're on our own.

To Arms.

To Arms.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:51 | 3652070 Wakanda
Wakanda's picture

Fortune cookie say: "Tell no one your secrets"

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:53 | 3652077 GubbermintWorker
GubbermintWorker's picture

And China has been hacking the USA for years.   And?

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:00 | 3652080 Iocosus
Iocosus's picture

I don't know fellas, this sounds like an Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand moment.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:07 | 3652130 Wakanda
Wakanda's picture

No blood spilled yet, but something's gonna give.
Seatbelts FiSHeS - shit's steamin'.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:43 | 3652261 Kirk2NCC1701
Kirk2NCC1701's picture

TPTB could/will shut down the Net when they are ready for the Reset of King-fiat.  Will play the blame game.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:47 | 3652276 Iocosus
Iocosus's picture

If they shut down the net, half the population will swallow prescription drugs and die. Ingenius.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:55 | 3652082 roadhazard
roadhazard's picture

Is that all he's got, I didn't need to know that even if I didn't already know it. All I am interested in is what's happening to Me. For some reason that "disclosure" don't feel right. 

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:34 | 3652430 Melin
Melin's picture

You're getting serially junked for using "Me" and "interested in" in the same sentence.   Mustn't evince any rational self-interest here on ZH.  The altruists around here don't like it.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:55 | 3652083 hungarianboy
hungarianboy's picture

I wonder when Google will be sued en-masse for violating our privacy?????? Can be in the billions if Google has to pay us.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:15 | 3652373 Ignatius
Ignatius's picture

Yeah, the un-constitutional ex post facto 'law'.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:58 | 3652536 toys for tits
toys for tits's picture

If you want to believe in unicorns and fairies that's fine with me, but you're wrong. Ex post facto only applies to criminal law, not civil liability.

You can read more at 

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/06/27/542758/-Ex-Post-Facto-Law-and-T...

and 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calder_v._Bull

Dream on.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 22:04 | 3652567 Ignatius
Ignatius's picture

The down vote is for mentioning The D****K** before I've digested my dinner.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 22:39 | 3652739 toys for tits
toys for tits's picture

You might be able to understand wikipedia.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 22:45 | 3652774 lakecity55
lakecity55's picture

FUCK GOOGLE!

hEY, nsa, sEND sTOCK tIPS TO zEROhEDGE.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:02 | 3652087 Kaiser Sousa
Kaiser Sousa's picture

FUCK U O'COCKSUCKER....

ITS ON LIKE KING KONG U BITCH ASS GOVERNMENT FUCKS...

SNOWDEN...KEEP RIDING HOMIE...

 


Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:56 | 3652090 seek
seek's picture

...And here's the justification for multiple countries (especially the US) to pull the plug on the internet.

 

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 23:42 | 3652984 Totentänzerlied
Totentänzerlied's picture

While I don't agree, I didn't junk you. Serial messenger-shooter junkers are out in force.

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 02:05 | 3653269 seek
seek's picture

Wow, 0 and -6 is a new record for me. I guess I rubbed someone(s) the wrong way with that particular prediction.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:56 | 3652091 dogbreath
dogbreath's picture

Are there any new pictures of his girlfriend?

<---homos

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:57 | 3652095 Aurora Ex Machina
Aurora Ex Machina's picture

If I said to you that out of 1.5 million individuals (and large town), over the course of a year and a bit (15 months), I could take your GPS ping four (4) times and ID you with a 95% hit rate, you'd think I was crazy, right? (That's without using my direct access Verizon backdoor).

Meet science, bitch:

We study fifteen months of human mobility data for one and a half million individuals and find that human mobility traces are highly unique. In fact, in a dataset where the location of an individual is specified hourly, and with a spatial resolution equal to that given by the carrier's antennas, four spatio-temporal points are enough to uniquely identify 95% of the individuals. We coarsen the data spatially and temporally to find a formula for the uniqueness of human mobility traces given their resolution and the available outside information. This formula shows that the uniqueness of mobility traces decays approximately as the 1/10 power of their resolution. Hence, even coarse datasets provide little anonymity. These findings represent fundamental constraints to an individual's privacy and have important implications for the design of frameworks and institutions dedicated to protect the privacy of individuals. [Nature - lots of pretty graphs and science]

 

Meta-data says hi! When Silicon Valley etc say "Privacy is Dead!", this is what they meant.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:06 | 3652129 cougar_w
cougar_w's picture

Anyone packing a smartphone around all day may as well be wearing a radio tracking collar and an embedded RFI tag. And that's even if you never place a phone call or use any of the built-in apps, btw most of which transmit PID back to their attached servers every 60 seconds 24 hours a day. And no you cannot unstall most of them or modify their behavior.

On the plus side ... um ... well maybe there is no plus side.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:16 | 3652163 Aurora Ex Machina
Aurora Ex Machina's picture

Yes, of course.

 

But like these leaks, it's nice to have the proof.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:17 | 3652169 buzzsaw99
buzzsaw99's picture

On the plus side they also keep track of every purchase you make at Costco?

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:29 | 3652208 Jendrzejczyk
Jendrzejczyk's picture

It's not just smart phones. The day after the Boston bombers were caught, the police/Verizon pinged my regular old cell phone to assertain my exact location.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:35 | 3652235 Aurora Ex Machina
Aurora Ex Machina's picture

Yeah, you're on the list.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 23:34 | 3652958 IndyPat
IndyPat's picture

Being unpredictable is a good habit to learn.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 19:59 | 3652101 Coldfire
Coldfire's picture

These latest developments should go a long way towards convincing China - and Germany - to lay down for FATCA.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:01 | 3652106 goldenbuddha454
goldenbuddha454's picture

Not even China would consider this news.  He must be quickly running out of material.  However, thanks so much for the info.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:09 | 3652139 Ignatius
Ignatius's picture

'American Exceptionalism' is what's breaking down.

Phony WMD, torture, rendition, loss of rule of law, etc., got this ball rolling and with these revelations continues to break down.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:15 | 3652159 The Shootist
The Shootist's picture

I love how the "go navy" commercial just said we're spreading Democracy and freedom around the world. Ha, good one. We're the fuckin USSA.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:56 | 3652302 Jack Burton
Jack Burton's picture

I saw a Navy commercial where they called the USN a global force for good. It has come a long way from my days in the Navy where we had three main goals. Be capable of destroying the Soviet Navy, be able to drink mass quantities of booze and bang the whores in any port with great abandon!

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 09:27 | 3653765 sumo
sumo's picture

"I saw a Navy commercial where they called the USN a global force for good"

Well, USN did sponsor development of TOR:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_%28anonymity_network%29

Maybe USN should advertise that more ...

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:04 | 3652120 jonjon831983
jonjon831983's picture

This is what I've been telling people who complain about foreign hax0rs ... who controls most of the internet access points in the world?  Most of these are US based.  If anything goes on, it's already known.

 

"We hack network backbones – like huge internet routers, basically – that give us access to the communications of hundreds of thousands of computers without having to hack every single one,” he said."

 

I don't know much about tech, but here's a general overview: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_backbone

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 00:06 | 3653035 Totentänzerlied
Totentänzerlied's picture

They're known to be vulnerable. There's a new routing protocol in the works which doesn't solve the problems, but it does give a small group of people total control over internet routing. So there's that.

As I have been saying for years, anyone who calls the Internet decentralized has no idea what they're talking about. There are half-solutions out there, disk-level encryption, VPNs, PGP, OpenSSL and OpenSSH, mesh networks, caching proxies, tor/vidalia, etc. to solve most of these issues (at least somewhat).. But next to no one knows about, understands, or uses them, and development is very slow. And it matters little if you're storing data on unsecured remote hosts, or transmitting over unsecured networks (basically all of them).

And I'm not suggesting for a moment that many of the common cryptographic standard are not vulnerable in the hands of the NSA - they've had a hand in designing and cracking more than a few of them, but it requires far more of their time and effort than plaintext.

Or maybe they already have quantum computing sorted out and can brute-force AES-256 in 2/100s of a second...

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:05 | 3652122 blindman
blindman's picture

I care. if this guy worked for cia and nsa and boozy allen
he knows who and why 9/11, all about it; spill the beans
or shut the fuck up some might suggest.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:08 | 3652137 Wakanda
Wakanda's picture

That would up the ante.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:13 | 3652154 blindman
blindman's picture

just sayin', if he wants to keep it real,
get real.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:24 | 3652198 Solarman
Solarman's picture

Called Insurance my friend.

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 15:14 | 3655027 blindman
blindman's picture

I have been wondering about this "insurance".
is it expensive or cheap insurance? who is being
insured and who is covering? what the cost and
whom or who (hoo hoo) is paying, suffering the
consequences flowing from that uncertainty ,
the unknowing of that which was and is true?
insurance against a future possibility is one thing.
insurance predicated upon the truth of a past or
historic event being disclosed is something else.
sounds like, what is the term?, ......
not blackmail, not greenmail, not extortion ....
I know, it is called a partnership! a corporation
in the making! fuck it, let's call it an llc.
a legal "person" with all the benefits and none of the liability
of a human being.
.
disclaimer.. I have no idea whether these comments apply
to your particular mind trend or flow, but there they are
and good luck to you!

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 21:45 | 3652492 Bringin It
Bringin It's picture

Blindman - He's too young to have been on the job in real time.  He's 29, that was 12 years ago.  Do the mobsters return to the scene by reminiscing over the phone or internet??  Probably they mostly keep quiet.

Thu, 06/13/2013 - 15:02 | 3654661 blindman
blindman's picture

but the cover up and diversion from leading evidence and
facts that are screaming out must be maintained after the
fact and ongoing, the money and benefits predicated upon the misinterpretation
of the crime keep flowing. he was in the seat, front row seat, to observe
all that manipulation. perhaps he was just incurious concerning
one of the most blatant, violent and political crimes of the century?
with all due respect to him, his cause and situation.
.
I know there are many people smarter and slicker than I can
even imagine and I wonder if he is one of them, and inside and
among a group of them. is he real or is he Memorex? I guess that
is the first question.
.
NSA leaker: are there serious cracks in Ed Snowden’s story?
By Jon Rappoport
June 10, 2013
http://jonrappoport.wordpress.com/2013/06/10/nsa-leaker-are-there-seriou...
.
.."In 2007, Snowden is sent to Geneva. He’s only 23 years old. The CIA gives him diplomatic cover there. He’s put in charge of maintaining computer-network security. Major job. Obviously, he has access to a very wide range of classified documents. Sound a little odd? Again, just asking. He’s just a kid. Maybe he has his GED by now. Otherwise, he still doesn’t have a high school diploma." ...
...
I smell a rabbit hole,
or I should say I smell The rabbit hole.

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:15 | 3652160 espirit
espirit's picture

 

 

This is a test. This is a test.  This is a test. This is a test.

This is a test.  This is a test.  This is a test.  This is a test.

Got plausible deniability?

Wed, 06/12/2013 - 20:12 | 3652153 RaceToTheBottom
RaceToTheBottom's picture

Do you really want the answer?  You might not like it?

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!