Blackmailing Big Brother?

    It's hard to see why Assange's current approach to Hillary's records isn't illegal - the emails were obtained illegally, the material isn't presented as news but as a threat, a form of harassment and libel. He'll be putting out "teases" and it could have a "significant impact" on November. He's trading in stolen information to harass a candidate for our highest office - behind his walled protective space in a London embassy with no repercussions. It's a kind of pain free extortion or blackmail or simply a peculiar gaming site on the hill with ability to target characters and sling fireballs and explosives at them one by one. Julian at 13, forever and ever.

    Of course we know that modern news media isn't pretty - Fox News can parade out wholly made up "facts" night after night, but they're still subject to laws and the potential for suits. When Murdoch's crew was found hacking into celebrities' mobile phones for messages, heads did indeed roll (okay, in the UK - might have gotten a pass if TMZ had done it....).

    But Assange has found a curious podium for what seems a vendetta. Even if Hillary paid attention to him during the rape allegations period (setup? really happened?), special ops seems unlikely to be under Hillary's remit.

    In the old days, breaking into Daniel Ellsberg's shrink's office to find embarrassing was roundly condemned. Now it's greeted as ho-hum, just more Hillary dross to wade through.

    For all the "appearance" of impropriety, the appearance of a data dump on the front lawn is as bad as claims against Hillary. Did she dump data against her husband's accusers? Was she behind false data in Ukraine? Did her leaks kill 4 state employees in a small enclave in east Libya? I don't even recall reprisals and outcry against Wikileaks for massive data dumps against State and others being that severe - unless of course the Swedish imbroglio was her doing.

    Considering she couldn't even pick her deputy at State, it seems unlikely she'd have the power of targeted PyschOps abroad with a friendly ally, and I doubt they even had a "Situation Room" for this. And the new standard for anonymous-style breaking news is no longer suspicion of war crimes or corruption at the top - it's simply "stuff" - the more unfiltered bland snippets of everyday communications, the better. Something will (may) turn up.

    But since it's Hillary, it all seems expected - anything goes. In this case, it's not "backwards in heels" - it's more like iron-clad manacles on her ankles, blinders over her eyes, a special uphill steeplechase route to keep her pace a bit slowed and sloshy.

    (of course it's not just about her - she represents a party, and her fate affects countless down-ticket races and the overall impression of one of 2 major parties and all the policy efforts & changes they represent. Yes, an attack on her in this particular way is an attack on most of us - but we knew that, right?)

    Well, bring it on, you little prick - it'll doubtfully be any worse than the dozens of "major" revelations and escapades throughout the years, the sound and fury eventually divulging next to nothing, but creating a steady morass of "appearance" that these days equals guilt all by itself - with no real lasting result or effect aside from "bleh". Yeah, her likability is in the tank - but so's Britney Spears' and Lady Gaga's - soldier on, ladies - we've got imprints and page views to process.

    The funny thing is, it's all a Big Brother contest anyway - it's not about guilt, legal liability, the Constitution - it's about a year-and-a-half reality show where we have cameras trained on the candidates and we're voting not on who's best, but who's somehow most entertaining or simply pleases us the best. Sex in the shower? Cool, drives up ratings (though may not keep your fan base - beware). Catty annoying comments? good for some, wearing for others.... bad boys get one kind of fandom, sensitive slightly unshaved dudes get another... Says more about the audience than the contestant themself. At this point, it's all about temperament and perceived personality, not "facts" or gossip or new leaks - these just cater to pre-set positions, a flurry of "I told you soes" on Twitter.

    And it certainly isn't about policy positions - those get short shrift on news venues anywhere, typically in microseconds before the political horse race takes precedence.

    So far, it looks like this year's contest will turn out okay - Trump's ability to make himself more and more damaged goods seems to counteract any leveling effect in the polls through complacence and familiarity - he *is* the gift that keeps on giving. But what's really scary is our vision for Big Brother 2020, when the new Hillary rules will be fully in effect, and a halfway sane opponent may appear knowing what checkboxes to tick - at that point, our reality show becomes full-on reality distortion. Will we succumb?

    Comments

    Data encryption appears to be the first step in protecting personal, corporate, and government data. NSA and Wikileaks probably hate the idea that they will have not easy access to our information, but encryption can decrease the attacks on data. 


    Well, the Russians are making sure "encrypted" no longer means "safe", especially when much of this is about human exploits.


    I'm beginning to think that PP's channeling Torquemada and is angling for the position of Grand Inquisitor  in the court of the Red Queen. When critical valid information about a public figure seeking the presidency is described as threat, harassment and libel of the candidate claims of heresy and witchcraft can't be far behind.

    The truth will take a long vacation under PP the GI and the Glorious Leader will hear only praise for her benevolent rule once Assange and anyone like him are dragged into the street and  put to the cleansing flame.


    Very strange - it's okay for Julian Assange to hack into computers and release information, and that's considered "critical valid information" with no problem of Assange saying he will drip drip drip that stolen information into November affecting her chances at election - it's instead the "truth" that's taking a long vacation? Well then why the fuck doesn't he release it now, instead of trying to determine the election cycle? Because he's an asshole, and you're once again just his apologist. What the fuck. Is reasoning simply lost on you? He's given up his pose as a journalist, not interested in "the truth", and he's just trying to damage someone, but you think yuk yuk yuk, that's the way the ball bounces and you launch into this GLorious Leader bullshit yet again. If he was damaging Trump, I'd still think it sucked - it's illegal, and it's interfering in the voting preferences of some 100+ million people and is antithetical to our relatively open playing field. Perhaps Wikileaks should break into her house and see what she has in her bottom dresser drawer if "truth" is so important - fuck the law. She's been investigated as much as any person in the country, but we still need Russian hackers to expose her supposed crimes that somehow didn't manage to come out in the last data dump? Get a life.


    Assange dumped the personal information of most women in Turkey for no reason other than that he could. He placed women at risk. Julian Assange is no hero.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zeynep-tufekci/wikileaks-erdogan-emails_b_...


    But Peter's warning us - don't take that truthy holiday... perhaps we should listen...


    You appear to be clueless about what Assange's job is, he is an editor/publisher, or you're trying to be clever by accusing him of stealing information by hacking which he doesn't do. Any good publisher knows that timing the release of information is critical and this is very important information for citizens to view before they decide who may be too untrustworthy to be their president. Assange may be playing with the timing and pace of these releases because of Clinton's attacks on him and his organization but that's just politics and payback and the Clintonite spin machine may not be able to distract the rubes with ploys such as 'The Russians are Coming' in time to whitewash her and her quislings arrogant, nasty and incompetent behavior, Boo Hoo.

     


    If he didn't "edit", but instead "dumped" the documents, he's not much of an editor. And to "publish" by putting a zip file online is hardly "publishing" in the traditional sense of the word.

    Assange has transformed his previous job of working with major publishers to find what was newsworthy and appropriate in his releases to not even crowd-analyzing materials, but just dumping them on the public at large with no regard to damage caused is roughly the same as breaking into a celebrity or politician's house and tossing their things on the lawn because, well, you can, being a celebrity, the public somehow has a need to know everything, and being a known personality, well, you should have no expectations of privacy.

    What political affiliation do you have, Peter? You keep moodswinging from Trotskyite to full bore libertarian anarchist. Is there a principle or two in there somewhere, or does Hillary-hate drive your world just like Drudge drives ours?


    Criticizing Assange is okay and at least you have stopped lying about what he does. Wikileaks doesn't have the funds and personnel it once had to do the editing they once did with these troves of information so you can blame the US's trying to shut them down for that difficency. No one other than poiiticians, the military and their minions have been injured by these releases and Assange was rebuked when he offered the US access to them before his release to redact names and other personal information. The Clintonite MSM still prints some of this information even if there not directly involved in publishing it and I certainly wouldn't trust them to do anything but what they are known for, delaying publishing of critical news for political motives.

    I understand your frustration and kill the messenger responses because you can't negate the facts and history that have been revealed and now with Clinton's own words being revealed, to show her lying 'again', panic is setting in.

     


    North Korea hacked Sony Pictures in a blackmail threat to prevent release of a film with a negative portrayal of the leader of North Korea. This data was released in fragmented form by the hackers. Wikileaks released the data in a more easily searchable database. What was the point of releasing data that was part of a blackmail scheme?

    North Korea timeline

    http://www.theverge.com/2015/4/16/8431497/wikileaks-sony-hack-emails-nor...

    Wikileaks role

    http://www.theverge.com/2015/4/16/8431497/wikileaks-sony-hack-emails-nor...


    I never lied about his function, thank you very much, and supported him when his methods were sound and responsible, including the chance he was set up in Sweden.

    Yes, other non-hoi polloi people have been hurt by his recent irresponsible leaks, as has been well documented. Blame it on the US, but he's ethically responsible still. 

    Funny you call it "kill the messenger" - I'm entirely about the poor methods he's using and the poor justification he's publicly declared. 

    So far the emails themselves have been duds, ginned up and spun by desparate people who'd hoped they'd shown something bad. DWS refused to go along with an attack on Sanders' atheism, and Hillary met with a Nobel Prize winner she'd known for 20 years -shocking, I tell you. What tantalizing tidbits do you expect from the next batch? If they're going to break the law - and trading in stolen documents certainly violates the DMCA among others - you migjt as well do it for a good reason. Showing contractors shooting at civilians is one. Showing a DNC employee saying something mean about Bernie isn't really. Outing a gay person in a repressed Muslim country is indefwnsable - well, it is to me - you seem to have no problem splainin'it away.

     


    Your assertion that 'it's okay for Assange to hack into computers and release information' certainly looks like a lie to me. Some personal information about some people has been included in these huge data releases but there hasn't been any reports of actual harm done to these people other than exposure. Those poor queer Arabs weren't outed by this release they were already on their government's list,  which was exposed.

    The released DNC emails were quite damaging 'duds' with their shrapnel taking out a number of Clintonite operatives including DWS who of course was rescued by the Red Queen for her service to the royal cause. The other causalities will be rehabilitated and find new positions in the RQ court where their skill at developing dirty tricks won't be wasted. There is also reason to think that some of the Sanders supporters, who might have voted for Clinton, will never vote for her after learning what her DNC cronies were doing to corrupt the process of choosing the party candidate.

    The emails weren't necessary to know Clinton admires the bloodiest of the Nobel Peace Prize winners and many people realize that that prize is a blatant slap in the face of peace loving people everywhere especially after it was given to Obama even before he began his killing spree. I wonder if he wears his prize while he picks who to incinerate on Terror Tuesdays.


    Apparently you're unfamiliar with honor killing in the Mideast along with gay bashing and other reprisals. Being on the government list may be less risky than having your brother-in-law know you were raped.

    Among the thousands of documents, the data includes personal information identifying at least one man with a gay sex conviction – as well as a number of rape victims and people living with HIV.

    It also makes public the identity of domestic workers who had been tortured or sexually abused by their employers – even listing people’s passport numbers, alongside their full names.

    One of the cables includes private details of a Saudi man detained for ‘sexual deviation’ – the charge for homosexuality – raising fears of reprisals or ‘vigilante’ attacks.

    A disabled woman whose private debt information was released in the data dump told Associated Press: “This is a disaster.

    “What if my brothers, neighbours, people I know or even don’t know have seen it? What is the use of publishing my story?”

    A doctor whose patients’ data was released branded the leak “illegal”.

    There was nothing particularly damaging re: DWS, only the Sanders crowd needed to be tossed a bone, so Debbie had to go. Again, explain what her big snafu was - scheduling too few debates and then scheduling more? refusing a request to smear Sanders as Godless among religious circles? someone in the DNC insulting Sanders when he had sued the DNC and was actively attacking them daily, and declaring every primary contest as stolen? Really, those are called duds, even if they put lipstick on them and danced around the Wicca fire howling.

    Many of these Sanders supporters stood 0 chance of ever voting for Hillary - who are you trying to kid? Hell, they're not even following Sanders anymore as of the last few weeks, and putting Sanders reps on the transition committee only brought out more insults.

    Re: your last paragraph, I think your meds are wearing off - maybe up the dose or at least rant about something a bit more interesting - this is oh so 2009.


     Those poor queer Arabs weren't outed by this release they were already on their government's list,  which was exposed

    A lot of white privilege in that statement

    You might get pushback from the LGBTQ community

    http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2016/08/wikileaks-posts-info-saudi-arabian-ga...

    http://www.washingtonblade.com/2016/08/24/wikileaks-publishes-name-saudi...


    I really do not understand this e-mail thingy.

    And I went to college and stuff.

    So I just came to the conclusion that the 'public' will never understand the controversy.

    Those who hate Hillary will use this controversy. Although it would be fun to actually cross-examine these people.

    ha

    But, this paragraph of yours got to me:

    Well, bring it on, you little prick - it'll doubtfully be any worse than the dozens of "major" revelations and escapades throughout the years, the sound and fury eventually divulging next to nothing, but creating a steady morass of "appearance" that these days equals guilt all by itself - with no real lasting result or effect aside from "bleh". Yeah, her likability is in the tank - but so's Britney Spears' and Lady Gaga's - soldier on, ladies - we've got imprints and page views to process.

    I hereby render unto Peracles the Dayly Paragraph of the Day Award for this here Dagblog site, given to all of him from all of me.

    hahahahahah

     

     


    Agree wholeheartedly - an award well deserved.


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