Slashdot Mirror


NSA Chief To Address Hackers At DEF CON

wiredmikey writes "Later this week, the NSA's organizational leader and head of the U.S. Cyber Command – General Keith Alexander — will address an audience of hackers at DEF CON. News of General Alexander's talk at Def Con broke on Friday. Up until that point, the 12:00 Track 1 slot was kept secret, leaving attendees to the world's largest hacker conference to speculate. The buzz was that it would be something interesting – if only because this year is Def Con's 20th anniversary. General Alexander will be giving a talk titled 'Shared Values, Shared Responsibility,' which is outlined as a presentation that will focus on the shared core values between the hacker community and the government's cyber community. Namely, the vision of the Internet as a positive force, the fact that information increases value by sharing, the respect and protection of privacy and civil liberties, and the opposition to malicious and criminal behavior."

78 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. Spot the Fed just got too easy. by sethstorm · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I presume that this guy won't count, or will this have the audience racing to be the first person to claim spotting him?

    --
    Twitter supports and protects racists - by smearing their critics with the "Hate Speech" label.
    1. Re:Spot the Fed just got too easy. by ehintz · · Score: 1

      IIRC, spot the fed is only for ones that aren't obviously identified (being a speaker is a bit obvious).

      --
      ehintz
    2. Re:Spot the Fed just got too easy. by matunos · · Score: 1

      It could all just be an elaborate social engineering attack.

    3. Re:Spot the Fed just got too easy. by RobertLTux · · Score: 1

      I think you lose points for claiming a Fed that is Openly a Fed (you can get some decent points with Spot The Journo when somebody tries to sneak in).

      --
      Any person using FTFY or editing my postings agrees to a US$50.00 charge
  2. Throw eggs or hand in your hacker pass. by Johann+Lau · · Score: 3, Insightful

    n/t.

    1. Re:Throw eggs or hand in your hacker pass. by Johann+Lau · · Score: 1, Funny

      Whatever helps you sleep at night, clown.

    2. Re:Throw eggs or hand in your hacker pass. by Johann+Lau · · Score: 1

      Prejudice doesn't even figure into it. Are you projecting?

    3. Re:Throw eggs or hand in your hacker pass. by cold+fjord · · Score: 1

      No, he is probably just observing the hostile rabblerousing nonsense you've been posting. Throw eggs, overthrow governments, walk out of the talk blah, blah, blah

      .

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
    4. Re:Throw eggs or hand in your hacker pass. by Johann+Lau · · Score: 1

      You wish it was nonsense. But you're kinda the weakest link.

    5. Re:Throw eggs or hand in your hacker pass. by Johann+Lau · · Score: 1

      It didn't occur to me initially, but the longer I think about it, the more I think walking out on him would be really cool. Or maybe just sing songs, that sort of stuff. Throwing eggs just gets you jailed, and achieves nothing. Listening to his PR would be accompliceship. So it has to be something in between. But you know what? I'm sure that either the whole thing is a joke, or someone will come up with *some* dignified response.

    6. Re:Throw eggs or hand in your hacker pass. by cold+fjord · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Apparently the image of hackers as vandals and social misfits, rather than clever programmers, needs reinforcement.

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
    7. Re:Throw eggs or hand in your hacker pass. by GameboyRMH · · Score: 1

      THIS

      Eggs and booed off stage or DEFCON has officially jumped the shark.

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    8. Re:Throw eggs or hand in your hacker pass. by GameboyRMH · · Score: 2

      If you're against the NSA's widespread illegal domestic wiretapping and surveillance you're a "vandal and social misfit?" And if you applaud it you're a "clever programmer?"

      Hackers should not abandon all idealism for the sake of conforming and being respected by authoritarians and authority cocksuckers. At that point you're not a hacker, you're a stooge who's good at programming.

      Eggs. Booed off stage. Make it happen.

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    9. Re:Throw eggs or hand in your hacker pass. by Johann+Lau · · Score: 1

      Before moderating... kindly actually read his posts and spend more than a brain fart on his motivation. That guy just keeps humping my leg, why not fling the fuck? If that makes you feel uneasy, why not run your yap as well so I can give your the very same. Don't be content with second-hand smoke when you can burn burn, yes you gonna burn :P

    10. Re:Throw eggs or hand in your hacker pass. by Johann+Lau · · Score: 1

      I'd appreciate the irony, if it wans't like the fifth post with that pitiful stuff in it.

      It's like Goebbels screaming in the sport palace how pacifists are the enemy.

      Fuck you and the whores that rode in on you.

  3. Gotta love newspeak, by the way. by Johann+Lau · · Score: 4, Interesting

    "malicious and criminal behavior" = "malicious and criminal behavior of the unapproved kind"

    How about simply not showing up? Let that guy talk in front the plants he brought :P

    Surely you could use that time for something better, like chatting, or bringing down the government.

    1. Re:Gotta love newspeak, by the way. by c0lo · · Score: 2

      "malicious and criminal behavior" = "malicious and criminal behavior of the unapproved kind"

      How about simply not showing up? Let that guy talk in front the plants he brought :P

      Also:

      the fact that information increases value by sharing

      I'm not quite sure RIAA/MPAA agree... (unless the shared info comes from Faecebook)

      the respect and protection of privacy and civil liberties

      "respect and protection of privacy and civil liberties" - that's indeed the most refined level of newspeak NSA would be capable of delivering for the present time. Expect increased sophistication as the society "evolves".

      --
      Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
    2. Re:Gotta love newspeak, by the way. by Genda · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Or everyone could read the following quote from Good Will Hunting.

    3. Re:Gotta love newspeak, by the way. by Johann+Lau · · Score: 1

      Speaking of newspeak, evolution, and conferences:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjomcImY3W0 :P

    4. Re:Gotta love newspeak, by the way. by cold+fjord · · Score: 1

      Dude, that was tongue-in-cheek. So save me your strawmen, and peddle your BS elsewhere.

      tongue-in-cheek.= BS

      By your own admission you seem to be the one that is peddling BS, and in copious quantities. Is there any chance you'll begin making a positive contribution to the discussion instead of peddling BS, advocating tossing eggs, etc? This is getting tedious.

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
    5. Re:Gotta love newspeak, by the way. by Antipater · · Score: 1

      Surely you could use that time for something better, like chatting, or bringing down the government.

      Hey now, let's not get too carried away. I realize you're a little annoyed with how things have been going lately. But chatting?? That's a little extreme, don't you think?

      --
      Everything is better with chainsaws.
    6. Re:Gotta love newspeak, by the way. by GameboyRMH · · Score: 2

      I wonder if the information sharing Wikileaks and the recent NSA whistleblowers did was also applauded by the NSA?

      --
      "When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
    7. Re:Gotta love newspeak, by the way. by Johann+Lau · · Score: 1

      I'll start by installing dictators in the Middle East, and maybe sponsor an Al-Quaeda or two. Then I'll have church workers in South America hunted by death squads. Any other questions?

  4. Shared values... by Genda · · Score: 1

    I mean really, show me a hacker that doesn't want to listen to every phone call on the planet... it's like meeting your Bizarro self...

  5. I wonder... by SleepyHappyDoc · · Score: 4, Funny

    how long it will take someone in the audience to get into his cell phone.

    --
    Stasis is death. Embrace change.
    1. Re:I wonder... by Keebler71 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Probably less long that it would take him to get into everyone in the audience's...

      --
      "It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance." - Thomas Sowell
    2. Re:I wonder... by bughunter · · Score: 2
      --
      I can see the fnords!
    3. Re:I wonder... by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 5, Funny

      Funny story - I was in Austin at HoHoCon (I forget) somewhere around '93-'95. This was when the Radio Shack PRO-43 scanner could easily be modified to listen in on 800MHz cell phone transmissions . Well, there were a couple of guys from Motorola security there dressed up with earpieces, looking like SS agents. Later, in the rooms, we were listening to my PRO-43 on an external speaker, drifting from conversation to conversation. Side note: I really miss listening in - it was fascinating, boring, and disturbing to see what people really said. Anyway, we lucked out and got one of the Motorola guys' conversations, talking to someone back at base. He said he had seen us around with our little scanners, and didn't trust this transmission. "Hell, they're probably listening in right now," he said. We all busted out laughing..."Yeah...we are!" Good times.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    4. Re:I wonder... by laejoh · · Score: 1

      like SS agents

      How did you recognize them? Did they speak german?

  6. Ah yes... by Darkness404 · · Score: 2

    Ah yes, the US government has a stellar track record in recent years as it relates to civil liberties and basic privacies online...

    --
    Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
    1. Re:Ah yes... by fustakrakich · · Score: 2

      Make the lie big, and stick to it...

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    2. Re:Ah yes... by Teresita · · Score: 1

      Civil liberties are only important in countries that are ruled by dictators we don't like, such as Syria, Iran, Russia, China, etc. But in places like Bahrain, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and other countries where the US has military bases, civil liberties are overrated.

    3. Re:Ah yes... by davester666 · · Score: 2

      After 9/11 and the unabomber and the OKC bomber and others, citizens demanded to be protected, and politicians lapped it up.

      The TSA has been sexually assaulting millions of people for how long, and there has been no groundswell of support to stop them. Now they've expanded to having uniformed thugs stop and search people using buses and trains looking for terrorists.

      What makes you think they will stop there, and not expand to people in malls, office towers, or even just on a downtown street [because anyone could be a terrorist, and it would cripple American morale for a suicide bomber to kill a bunch of people in a mall or office tower or on the street].

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    4. Re:Ah yes... by Tancred · · Score: 1

      or even just on a downtown street

      That's happening already. It's called Stop and Frisk.

  7. Shared value ? by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What type of "value" they really think they truly share with us?
     
    Spying on your own neighbors?
     
    Frame innocent people up with trumped up charges?
     
    Keep track of every-single-thing on every-single-person on earth?
     

    --
    Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
    1. Re:Shared value ? by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 1

      and to be even more precise, please have them list the {type, length, value}.

      --

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
    2. Re:Shared value ? by ndogg · · Score: 1

      To be fair, I don't think those are the goals of the people that work there in and of themselves. They have masters to whom they must answer.

      --
      // file: mice.h
      #include "frickin_lasers.h"
    3. Re:Shared value ? by poity · · Score: 1

      You're talking about the DOJ, not the Air Force Cyber Command, I presume? Or maybe you're lumping them together because they both take orders from the President?

      --
      your thin skin doesn't make me a troll
    4. Re:Shared value ? by poity · · Score: 1

      Thanks for the info, but that doesn't detract from the point (or maybe that wasn't your intent). No matter where in the hierarchy, the top of that decision tree is the Commander in Chief.

      --
      your thin skin doesn't make me a troll
    5. Re:Shared value ? by Samantha+Wright · · Score: 1

      Why, knowing things, obviously. Just like we want to know how the world works in every minute detail, they want to know what the world's doing... in every minute detail.

      --
      Bio questions? Ask me to start a Q&A journal. Computer analogies available for most topics!
    6. Re:Shared value ? by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 1

      Get it wrong, and things come out like this (just pretend the perpetrator of this "workplace violence" who was shouting "Allah akbar!" as he shot down American soldiers, and in direct contact with an Al Qaeda trainer and facilitator prior to the attack, was really involved in terrorism.):

       
      There will be those who will terrorize the populace - even in countries as draconian as China or Iran, they _do_ have terrorists of their own (not counting the government, that is)
       
      On the other hand, it does not take NSA to flag out potential trouble makers such as the guy you outlined above - based on his profile we already can guess the eventual outcome - that guy had been a supporter of Islamic terrorism all the while
       

      --
      Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
    7. Re:Shared value ? by Capt.+Skinny · · Score: 1

      What American post-9/11 the-ends-justify-the-means propaganda campaign were you just released from? Ever hear the Ben Franklin quote about essential liberty and temporary safety?

    8. Re:Shared value ? by cold+fjord · · Score: 1

      it does not take NSA to flag out potential trouble makers such as the guy you outlined above -

      Practically everyone around him knew he was a growing danger, but nothing was done. The power of political correctness was his shield enabling mass murder.

      The ability to identify a terrorist is going to be on a case by case basis, isn't it? In some cases, it won't take a mastermind. In others, the only indication that someone is involved with terrorism is when their communications to an Al Qaeda communications hub are intercepted. There is no right to private communications to a terrorist group at war with the United States any more now than there was one to the German government in 1943.

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
    9. Re:Shared value ? by hoggoth · · Score: 1

      > almost as much a threat as communism

      The 50's called, aw nevermind...

      --
      - For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat /dev/random (may take some time)
    10. Re:Shared value ? by lightknight · · Score: 1

      Join us, and maybe we'll talk to the DA about extenuating circumstances (because we all know you use linux, and only hackers know how to use that; plus, you use 'alternative' browsers).

      --
      I am John Hurt.
    11. Re:Shared value ? by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 1

      ... attending one of these things puts your identity front & centre

       
      So true !
       
      I've been in this field for decades and I've my fair share of, for lack of a better word, hacking
       
      But I've never ever attend any official "hacker conference"
       
      I treasure my privacy too much to break my anonymity (and no, I'm not part of that "anonymous" movement either)
       

      --
      Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
    12. Re:Shared value ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      "How about trying to prevent mass murder, even if the person planning it is someone who happens to be a neighbour"

      Why would Keith Alexander's values be to get the states to stop committing mass murder? That's how he got his job in the first place.

    13. Re:Shared value ? by matunos · · Score: 1

      These all sound like things a black hat might enjoy, yes.

    14. Re:Shared value ? by Atryn · · Score: 1

      What type of "value" they really think they truly share with us? ... Keep track of every-single-thing on every-single-person on earth?

      Well, they did say "...the fact that information increases value by sharing..." -- Just think how much value they are creating by sharing all information about every single person on earth with every federal agency who needs/wants it?

      --
      Come play Moral Decay!
    15. Re:Shared value ? by Atryn · · Score: 1

      I treasure my privacy too much to break my anonymity (and no, I'm not part of that "anonymous" movement either)

      Nice low UID there... I would assume they identified THOSE first... ;)

      --
      Come play Moral Decay!
  8. one missing link: honesty by decora · · Score: 1

    while Alexander is preaching this stuff, his crew and/or the contractors who are being payed billions of taxpayer dollars are hard at work building the next version of Stuxnet.

    its pure marketing.

    but there is absolutely almost zero common ground between the fundamental ethos of the 2600 types - namely, the search for truth, knowledge, and wisdom, and the fundamental ethos of the military - destroy the enemy. sure, the military needs some smart folks to help it do its work, and sometimes its necessary. but to confuse the two, is to risk hubris, and to flaunt the fact that you apparently don't read enough Aeschylus.

  9. Ah here comes the Patriotic Appeal... by Phrogman · · Score: 1

    "We need your services in the War on Terror, why don't you come work for us?"
    Despite the fact that he represents the organization that most hackers fear the attentions of the most :P

    --
    "The first time I got drunk, I got married. The second time I bought a chimpanzee, after that I stayed sober" Arian Seid
  10. Device naked by MrJones · · Score: 1

    He better go device naked, just imagine a NSA phone lost at DEF CON ... :)

    --
    Get my e-mail after a captcha test in: http://tinymailt
    1. Re:Device naked by ganjadude · · Score: 1

      Thats saying he doesnt have a honeypot configured on said phone to catch the ones who think its just too easy

      --
      have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
    2. Re:Device naked by Atryn · · Score: 1

      just imagine a NSA phone lost at DEF CON ... :)

      That sounds almost as bad as an iPhone prototype left at a bar... But I'm sure Apple will take precedence on government resources to "recover" their device...

      --
      Come play Moral Decay!
  11. Who's he kidding? by TubeSteak · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The hacker community and USG cyber community share some core values: we both see the Internet as an immensely positive force; we both believe information increases in value by sharing; we both respect protection of privacy and civil liberties; we both believe in the need for oversight that fosters innovation, doesnâ(TM)t pick winners and losers, and retains freedom and flexibility; we both oppose malicious and criminal behavior. We should build on this common ground because we have a shared responsibility to secure cyberspace.

    Since when does the NSA respect privacy?
    From MINARET and SHAMROCK to ECHELON, Stellar Wind, and warrantless wiretapping, they've done nothing but disrespect privacy.

    Shit. FISA was passed into law specifically because the NSA was spying on Americans.
    And then Bush came along and did his best to piss all over the minimal protections provided by FISA
    And Congress helped by giving retroactive immunity to the Telecoms for illegally enabling the NSA's surveillance.

    The Director of the NSA is in for a tough time if he's really going to claim that the NSA respects privacy.

    --
    [Fuck Beta]
    o0t!
    1. Re:Who's he kidding? by bug1 · · Score: 2

      Since when does the NSA respect privacy?

      He said that the NSA respects protection of privacy, he didnt says whos privacy.
      Obviously they dont respect the protection of other peoples privacy, that would defeat their purpose for existing. They certainly care about other people respecting the NSA's privacy.

    2. Re:Who's he kidding? by ehintz · · Score: 3, Informative

      Half their organization is the IAD, which is specifically about protecting government systems (and yeah, the other half is the SID, who are all about compromising every communique they can). So yeah, by design, if you're not the gov, they can has your cheezburgers.

      --
      ehintz
    3. Re:Who's he kidding? by matunos · · Score: 1

      Simce when do black hats respect privacy? See? Shared values.

    4. Re:Who's he kidding? by Atryn · · Score: 1

      Simce when do black hats respect privacy? See? Shared values.

      +1

      Yes, I think both communities generally agree... the privacy of *my* information should be respected but *your* information wants to be free!

      --
      Come play Moral Decay!
  12. "Civil liberties" by Alex+Belits · · Score: 1

    In US officials' language "civil liberties" means "something that we claim, our enemies disrespect when we want to attack them".

    --
    Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.
    1. Re:"Civil liberties" by Alex+Belits · · Score: 1

      Shoud I post everything (fictional and real, as your examples also include plenty of fiction) about US government tortuting, killing and in other ways abusing people?

      --
      Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.
    2. Re:"Civil liberties" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You should learn about these things called numbers. They will help you understand the scale of things.

    3. Re:"Civil liberties" by Alex+Belits · · Score: 1

      The numbers you have, are written by your friendly propaganda workers, with some help from one fiction author (who was legitimately pissed off, but there the reality ends as far as he is concerned).

      --
      Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.
    4. Re:"Civil liberties" by Alex+Belits · · Score: 1

      Of course, gulags never really existed, that is clearly fiction.

      Actually "gulags" could not possibly exist in more than one instance, as "GULAG" means "Department of [Penitentiary] Camps", the organization that overseen prisons and prison camps. You don't know what the word means, why do you think, you are not similarly misinformed about details?

      The truth is, the word "GULAG" entered into the English-use language through Solzhenitsyn's "GULAG Archipelago", a work of fiction.

      Under Communism,

      Under Communists in power. The social system is called Socialism, not Communism.

      everyone was eating cotton candy all the time.

      I can assure you, when I lived there, there were no shortages of cotton candy.

      --
      Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.
    5. Re:"Civil liberties" by Alex+Belits · · Score: 1

      You were probably born in to a working class family under communist regime..

      Actually I am Electrical Engineer in the third generation.

      and abandoned everything and ran into the loving arms of the USA to live a relatively comfortable and safe life the moment things got a little tough back home.

      If Capitalism is so wonderful, why would I move to the center of your colonial empire instead of waiting for it to bestow the unimaginable benefits upon me at home?

      Now after grown up and fed on some anti-us propaganda you yearn for "fixing" what you think is mistakes people made in history books. There are no such mistakes.

      I lived in USSR for 22 years and in US for 19 years. I am still surprised how accurate Communists' portrayal of Capitalism was, especially considering how inaccurate was their view of their own actions.

      The consensus has been reached on USSR history and it is accurate.

      Your "consensus" nothing but impression that US propaganda is trying to make. Your "historians" can't even spell out what caused your own Great Depression almost a century ago -- no sane person can take them for anything other than paid propaganda hacks.

      So, keep your mouth shut when you don't know what the fuck you're talking about.

      I am sure, I know what I have witnessed myself. You, on the other hand, only heard the output of your friendly propaganda workers. No wonder, you sound so confident.

      --
      Contrary to the popular belief, there indeed is no God.
  13. Shared Values? by Bob9113 · · Score: 1

    the respect and protection of privacy and civil liberties, and the opposition to malicious and criminal behavior

    I guess, in a sense, those are shared values. Both sides share the view that half of the above pair is a "nice to have" that can be infringed when it conflicts with the other half.

    But I don't think the two sides agree on which half can be justly infringed.

    If you look at it that way, it is such an elegant turn of phrase -- and in a context where riddles and half truths are held in such esteem -- that I almost think it must be intentional. Except what kind of scumbag would ever admit to being on the wrong side?

  14. " malicious and criminal behavior." by jcr · · Score: 1

    What, like violating the fourth amendment?

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
  15. Top Decision Maker by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 2

    No matter where in the hierarchy, the top of that decision tree is the Commander in Chief.

     
      That's what they want you to believe ....
     

    --
    Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
    1. Re:Top Decision Maker by hoggoth · · Score: 1

      "Congratulations Mr. President! As this is your first day as Commander-In-Chief we thought we'd show you some pictures to get you orientated. These are of John F. Kennedy. I particularly like this one here from the warehouse. And we even liked him. Do we understand each other?"

      --
      - For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat /dev/random (may take some time)
  16. It's going to be an interesting con by Minupla · · Score: 1

    I'm packing as I type this... Defcon XX here I come.

    Min

    --
    On the whole, I find that I prefer Slashdot posts to twitter ones because I don't get limited to 140 chars before
    1. Re:It's going to be an interesting con by EETech1 · · Score: 1

      your bags?

      or concealed weapons?

      hmmm...

  17. Here's an idea. by aristotle-dude · · Score: 1

    If you don't feel patriotic or disagree with your current government, consider using your leet skills for the benefit of all mankind by taking on people like Assad. He is killing his own people. Think about forming a temporary partnership/truce for the good of all people. Get him where it hurts by taking out his bank accounts, taking out his internal networks. Help out the people of Syria and the world at large by helping the NSA/CIA find and seize his offshore accounts.

    Assad obviously does not give a crap about his own people but he does care about his money. Steal it from him in a concerted effort with your temporary allies in the western nation governments.

    --
    Jesus was a compassionate social conservative who called individuals to sin no more.
    1. Re:Here's an idea. by aristotle-dude · · Score: 1

      Assad? Bullshit. This is a coup that the US and Saudi Arabia are funding the rebels with. Weapons, communications equipment, etc. You honestly condone the suicide bombing that took out Assad's brother in law, and his top defense ministers? Or the massacre that was plastered all over the news saying that children were slaughtered by the Assad regime, only found to be a complete fabrication? Do you really want to fuck with a country that has an arsenal of WMD's sitting on your fat, pimply ass in the US to have bragging rights? You're just asking for a bitch slap from China and Russia, both good friends with Assad and Syria. Here's an idea: don't provoke them and mind your own business.

      So are you saying that Assad did not kill innocent civilians who were peacefully protesting when there were no rebels to speak of? Are you saying none of that happened? Are you allowing your politics to blind you to the atrocities? Typical liberal. Instead of discussing the real danger of harm posed to civilians before and after the protests and rebellion, you would instead shift focus onto who is supplying weapons to the rebels. People on the left often change the subject instead of examining the "big picture" on the ground because they feel an uncomfortable incongruity between their ideology and their emotions so they instead turn their focus on a side issue ignoring the real human toll. I have seen the same changing of subject and goal post moving so many times before. Just admit that you have no skills instead of trying to turn it into an American politics issue.

      You are doing humanity a disservice by pandering to ideology instead of examine who is being hurt by the status quo. If you expended as much effort in looking for solutions instead of problems then you could possibly change the world for the better.

      PS. I'm not an American.

      --
      Jesus was a compassionate social conservative who called individuals to sin no more.
  18. So...this amused me, by Starfleet+Command · · Score: 2

    I can't help but think this is abit like Darth Vader addressing the Rebel forces... just saying

    _______________________________

    "it's like, whatever..."

  19. Politics aside by Sparticus789 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    General Alexander is actually a funny guy. I was doing an installation run at Fort Meade a few years back. Turns out the General didn't leave his house early enough and he got stuck in his driveway while the entire base ran by. Since he had to wait for a few thousand people to run by, he made the best of it and did some road-side stand-up comedy for us. Mostly the General was satirizing himself and the rest of the Generals out there, by sarcastically complaining about us doing this run and not slaving away inside our cubicles.

    --
    sudo make me a sandwich
  20. Speech leaked! by aaaaaaargh! · · Score: 2

    Apparently, a shortened version of the speech has been leaked. Here is it:

    Uhm. Hello guys! We do some really cool stuff at the NSA and have some really big machines. Unfortunately, I cannot go into the details here, so just trust in blind faith when I say that work at NSA is pretty cool and some of you might be interested in joining us -- provided you are "flexible", patriots up to a pathological level and willing to totally submit to superiors, of course. Because we're the good guys (again, I cannot really justify why we are the good guys, as this is all top secret, etc.). Thanks a lot and hope to see you soon at NSA!

  21. Why shouldn't I work for the N.S.A.? by seandiggity · · Score: 1

    That's a tough one, but I'll take a shot. Say I'm working at N.S.A. Somebody puts a code on my desk, something nobody else can break. Maybe I take a shot at it and maybe I break it. And I'm real happy with myself, 'cause I did my job well. But maybe that code was the location of some rebel army in North Africa or the Middle East. Once they have that location, they bomb the village where the rebels were hiding and fifteen hundred people I never met, never had no problem with, get killed. Now the politicians are sayin', "Oh, send in the Marines to secure the area" 'cause they don't give a shit. It won't be their kid over there, gettin' shot. Just like it wasn't them when their number got called, 'cause they were pullin' a tour in the National Guard. It'll be some kid from Southie takin' shrapnel in the ass. And he comes back to find that the plant he used to work at got exported to the country he just got back from. And the guy who put the shrapnel in his ass got his old job, 'cause he'll work for fifteen cents a day and no bathroom breaks. Meanwhile, he realizes the only reason he was over there in the first place was so we could install a government that would sell us oil at a good price. And, of course, the oil companies used the skirmish over there to scare up domestic oil prices. A cute little ancillary benefit for them, but it ain't helping my buddy at two-fifty a gallon. And they're takin' their sweet time bringin' the oil back, of course, and maybe even took the liberty of hiring an alcoholic skipper who likes to drink martinis and fuckin' play slalom with the icebergs, and it ain't too long 'til he hits one, spills the oil and kills all the sea life in the North Atlantic. So now my buddy's out of work and he can't afford to drive, so he's got to walk to the fuckin' job interviews, which sucks 'cause the shrapnel in his ass is givin' him chronic hemorrhoids. And meanwhile he's starvin', 'cause every time he tries to get a bite to eat, the only blue plate special they're servin' is North Atlantic scrod with Quaker State. So what did I think? I'm holdin' out for somethin' better. I figure fuck it, while I'm at it why not just shoot my buddy, take his job, give it to his sworn enemy, hike up gas prices, bomb a village, club a baby seal, hit the hash pipe and join the National Guard? I could be elected president.

    --
    Geeks like to think that they can ignore politics, you can leave politics alone, but politics won't leave you alone.-rms