Slashdot Mirror
Member Claims Anonymous "Might Well Be the Most Powerful Organization On Earth"
wasimkadak writes in with an interview with Anonymous member "Commander X" in which he talks about how the hacktivists are the most powerful group on the planet. "Christopher Doyon, a.k.a. Commander X, sits atop a hillside in an undisclosed location in Canada, watching a reporter and photographer make their way along a narrow path to join him, away from the prying eyes of law enforcement. It's been a few weeks of encrypted emails back and forth, working out the security protocol to follow for interviewing Doyon, one of the brains behind Anonymous, now a fugitive from the FBI. Doyon, who readily admits taking part in some of the highest-profile hacktivist attacks on websites last year — from Tunisia to Orlando, Sony to PayPal — was arrested in September for a comparatively minor assault on the county website of Santa Cruz, Calif., where he was living, in retaliation for the town forcibly removing a homeless encampment on the courthouse steps. The 'virtual sit-in' lasted half an hour. For that, Doyon is facing 15 years in jail."
People running around and doing the equivalent of tearing down billboards and defacing storefronts. Big whoops. Last I checked, the major players in the global financial network have actual power. And most central/federal governments, too. This guy needs a cold beer and a sense of proportion. Ok, maybe not the latter; we know that's the one thing that no one in the universe can afford to have. Make it two beers, then.
So far there are only two types of 'powerful organizations':
1. Governments, funded by tax payer money, using force (police, armed forces, etc.)
2. Corporations, funded by consumers and banks, using economic power
These two have a bit of a love-hate relationship, so their interactions are a fragile balance (how/how much to tax them, incentives, what they can get away with) and often work closely together (ACTA, TPP).
Having a new, unaligned powerhouse will of course upset that balance. The thing is the old adage 'power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely' will also apply to Anonymous.
So Anonymous first defines itself as being the collective voice of everybody (with a disproportionate representation of 4chan), then claims it's the most powerful organization in the world. Good for you, guys, really... Now you can take on the Tautology Club.
Unfortunately, I've just formed my own organization, called "Irresponsible", and everybody who doesn't know they're a part of Irresponsible is also a part of it! Because they're irresponsible in knowing what groups they're a part of, see? Since geological processes also don't take responsibility for their actions, they're also part of the organization. Who's the most powerful now, huh?
Now, Irresponsible! Scream at a wall! Tear down posters! Show how mad you are at everything that doesn't appease you by inconveniencing others!
You do not have a moral or legal right to do absolutely anything you want.
Can we stop with this stupid meme already? 15 years is the MAXIMUM sentence he COULD receive if convicted on all counts. Do you know what the maximum sentence is for murder? Life in prison without possibility of parole, or death, depending on where you are.
Last I checked, the major players in the global financial network have actual power. And most central/federal governments, too.
Only the people have the actual power. Financiers, governments, crackers, drug cartels, religions, etc. exist solely at the will of the people.
I am afraid that Commander X would seem to have been introduced neither to the FSB nor to Mossad. We know that because he hasn't yet had either a polonium milkshake or a Semtex phone.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
Margaret Thatcher: Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't.
Also FatPhil on SoylentNews, id 863
It is funny how people who seem to get a little power, think they are the most powerful person in the world. I see this with Middle managers who think they are Hot stuff, because they are high enough for the CEO to pay attention to him, or have a team with some control. They just get mad with power. When you go and start thinking how powerful you are, that usually means you have lost your way, and you are in too much of a power kick to get any real work done.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Generally speaking, the leaders of the most powerful organization in the world don't have to arrange interviews in remote locations in order to avoid being arrested and thrown into prison.
I checked Wikipedia: they were going to release information on Zeta only because they had kidnapped an anonymous member. Los Zetas actually released their member, that's why they rescinded on OpCartel:
On 6 October 2011 a man identified himself as a member of Anonymous posted a video on the Internet (YouTube) under the account MrAnonymousguyfawkes stating that Los Zetas had kidnapped one of their group members and demanded Los Zetas Cartel release the individual.
And you believed it? Here, I have a bridge to sell.