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Trans-Pacific Cable Plans Mired In US-China Geopolitical Rivalry

An anonymous reader writes "Attempts to build a new telecommunications cable between the US, New Zealand and Australia have become a nexus for the growing rivalry between the U.S. and China in the Pacific. The U.S. is reportedly creating a technology ring fence to match its military one and contain China's ambitions in the Pacific. The U.S. military could even help pay for any planned new cable to link its bases in American Samoa with its expanding military presence in Australia's Northern Territory. It has been made 'very clear' U.S. authorities would not allow significant Chinese investment in one cable project and it followed that they would not tolerate the use of Chinese gear in its construction. 'It was made very clear. These are cables connecting whole countries. These are very political things,' one insider said."

87 of 162 comments (clear)

  1. Don't mess with America by arcite · · Score: 4, Funny

    Submersible hunter-killer drones lie in wait to defend America's freedom cable and orbital defense platforms defend the space above from communist tyranny. Long live freedom's reign.

    1. Re:Don't mess with America by SB9876 · · Score: 2

      I'm pretty sure the parent was being sarcastic, man.

    2. Re:Don't mess with America by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Yeah, well, we don't execute thousands of people every year like some other nations do.

    3. Re:Don't mess with America by gman003 · · Score: 2

      We Americans are also #1 in sarcasm.

    4. Re:Don't mess with America by davester666 · · Score: 2

      Only because we are having quite some difficultly acquiring the drugs necessary to execute people "humanely", otherwise we would be working on challenging China for executions/100,000...

      IOW, we WANT to kill more people, we just have to find new ways to do it.

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    5. Re:Don't mess with America by GarethIwanFairclough · · Score: 1

      We Americans are also #1 in sarcasm.

      Oh indeed, the United Kingdom does not exist. [/sarcasm]

    6. Re:Don't mess with America by Luckyo · · Score: 1

      What do you call drone attacks then?

    7. Re:Don't mess with America by ebno-10db · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Oh indeed, the United Kingdom does not exist.

      Not in any meaningful sense, anyway.

    8. Re:Don't mess with America by gman003 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      America: Also #1 in forgetting other countries exist.

    9. Re:Don't mess with America by turbidostato · · Score: 1

      Nothing to be proud about.

      Given that there're more than 3000 individuals in the death row in USA, that you aren't executing thousands of people a year it's more a sign of your inability than anything else.

      But, hey, don't be so disappointed, USA is 5th in executions/year... You don't get a medal, but you still get an olympic diplomma.

    10. Re:Don't mess with America by Lennie · · Score: 1

      I wanted to ask what is wrong with using a guillotine ? It's very fast (probably painless) and very efficient, but then I remembered it's French and US citizen don't even like their fries.

      --
      New things are always on the horizon
    11. Re:Don't mess with America by davester666 · · Score: 1

      Some people don't like the ick factor of all the blood, and then there is the wailing of "what if the mechanism jams or doesn't go through". Same with hanging/shooting.

      Maybe an Iron Maiden, with some kind of mechanism to close it fast, and it's sealed so the visual of the pool of blood out the bottom doesn't make the papers.

      --
      Sleep your way to a whiter smile...date a dentist!
    12. Re:Don't mess with America by metaforest · · Score: 1

      I wanted to ask what is wrong with using a guillotine ? It's very fast (probably painless) and very efficient, but then I remembered it's French and US citizen don't even like their fries.

      There was a thread on this in Slashdot not too long ago and it came up that the noggin and its enclosed brain may not lose consciousness for up to a minute or so after a clean decapitation.... I'd think there would be a significant amount of emotional and physical suffering experienced during that final 60 seconds. I tried to find the thread but no luck....

      However Google delivered a number of references to the observations of Dr Gabriel Beaurieux-1905 (which at least one person in that lost thread referenced) who wrote of interacting with the freshly guillotined head of Henri Languille:

      [T]he eyelids and lips of the guillotined man worked in irregularly rhythmic contractions for about five or six seconds. [After several seconds], the spasmodic movements ceasedIt was then that I called in a strong, sharp voice: “Languille!” I saw the eyelids slowly lift up, without any spasmodic contractions – I insist advisedly on this peculiarity – but with an even movement, quite distinct and normal, such as happens in everyday life, with people awakened or torn from their thoughts.

      He goes on to describe a further interaction by calling the victim's name again in a strong voice and again having Henri's eyes fix him with a well focused gaze that seemed even more determined. A third attempt to call Henri to attend, returned no response.

    13. Re:Don't mess with America by Lennie · · Score: 1

      Then that would be bad.

      --
      New things are always on the horizon
  2. NSA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Of course they need to lay NSA tapped cables.

    1. Re:NSA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Makes one wonder if China's backdoors might conflict with the NSA installed backdoors.

    2. Re:NSA by radiumsoup · · Score: 1

      so far, this ^ is the only comment worth reading :)

    3. Re:NSA by citizenr · · Score: 1

      Remember those cut cables in Suez canal? This was US military/NSA operation.

      --
      Who logs in to gdm? Not I, said the duck.
    4. Re:NSA by icebike · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Of course they need to lay NSA tapped cables.

      Exactly.

      This is nothing to do with politics, just practicality.
      The NSA knows well just how much stuff can be gleaned from an under sea cable, so why would they want anyone else putting their equipment in place to tap into later? Too many taps spoils the surprise.

      When the US worries about Chinese routers and switches it is most likely that someone in government already has "un-detectable" back doors into US made switches, routers and software. When they worry and bluster in congress about Chinese Cellular transmitter equipment it is likely because they already have all the other manufacturers compromised.

      --
      Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
    5. Re:NSA by icebike · · Score: 2

      Cutters aren't the problem the US is worried about.
      Taps are.

      --
      Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
    6. Re:NSA by Dexter+Herbivore · · Score: 1

      NSA tapped, but not Huawei tapped.

    7. Re:NSA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      "NSA on Tap". There's a product line in there somewhere - tshirts, mugs, doormats, etc.

    8. Re:NSA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      > Trust me the Americans are the enemy of the free world.

      And China isn't?

    9. Re:NSA by alexgieg · · Score: 1

      oh gosh, i sense a re-hash of the israeli submarine cable-cutters....
      or was that the Indian-Ocean and the African-Oceans irrespectively....

      Remember, we've always been at war with Eastasia, not Eurasia. Or was it the other way around?

      --
      Conservatism: (n.) love of the existing evils. Liberalism: (n.) desire to substitute new evils for the existing ones.
    10. Re:NSA by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

      Nah, the Illuminati coordinates this sort off thing all the time.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    11. Re:NSA by ebno-10db · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I miss the Cold War, when there were competing systems instead of a race to the bottom.

    12. Re:NSA by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      IEEE 802 should set up a working group to write interoperability standards for communication backdoor systems.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    13. Re:NSA by EmperorArthur · · Score: 1

      While the NSA might have taps. Huawei certainly does. Here's the relevent part of a Defcon 20 presentation: DEF CON 20 - Hacking Redacted Routers.

      Huawei security is so bad that almost anybody could hack the things. Hell, the NSA probably uses these as the "easy" test when hiring hackers.

      --
      So lets pretend that we've just completed writing this code, as opposed to having just completed sabotaging it -Altera
  3. toleration violation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    would not tolerate the use of Chinese gear in its construction.

    Given the USAs recent activities, maybe the use of USA companies and gear should also not be tolerated.

    1. Re:toleration violation by icebike · · Score: 4, Informative

      That's already happening.

      Brazil is pulling away from doing business with US tech firms.
      http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-19/nsa-spying-gives-advantage-to-brazil-s-local-tech-firms.html

      Germany is pissed:
      http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2013/08/14/german-backlash-to-nsa-spying-gets-stronger/

      EU in general is looking elsewhere for technology:
      http://gigaom.com/2013/06/07/nsa-spying-scandal-fallout-expect-big-impact-in-europe-and-elsewhere/

      Business world wide is starting to look elsewhere:
      http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2013/09/10/how-the-nsa-revelations-are-hurting-businesses/

      Cloud Computing was just sentenced to death by NSA
      http://techcrunch.com/2013/07/04/spying-bad-for-business/

      The NSA revelations will prove to be one of the biggest detriments to US computer technology business in decades.
       

      --
      Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
    2. Re:toleration violation by ebno-10db · · Score: 1

      So with both Chinese and American gear unacceptable, where do you buy your networking equipment? Seriously.

    3. Re:toleration violation by c0lo · · Score: 1

      Some chances: Alcatel-Lucent is still a French company.

      --
      Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
    4. Re:toleration violation by Friend+of+Nature · · Score: 1

      Ericsson (and soon, Nokia).

    5. Re:toleration violation by rtb61 · · Score: 2

      Logically as it is bound to essential infrastructure. All government sourced, installed and owned. All based around open source hardware and software to ensure compatibility and so the public can be aware of what is going on. Cost more, hmmm, so what. Greater public control and scrutiny. Basically if a country does not produce their own communications infrastructure then their communications is under the control of who ever does, end of story.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    6. Re:toleration violation by thesupraman · · Score: 2

      You do realise, of course that there has been exactly ZERO evidence of any form of backdooring in the
      chinese gear that the US is working to block and has successfully blocked now from many projects, mainly
      3G/4G cell rollouts?

      You dont think that just perhaps the whole thing was a smokescreen to make SURE that the backdoored US
      gear was used, rather than the actually secure chinese gear?

      Hmmmm.

    7. Re:toleration violation by EmperorArthur · · Score: 1
      --
      So lets pretend that we've just completed writing this code, as opposed to having just completed sabotaging it -Altera
  4. Let me guess by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The US wants to be the only body involved who can spy on the traffic and perform man-in-the-middle attacks.

    It's stopping terrorism.

  5. Giving the example to the world by gmuslera · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Now if the rest of the world have a hint, they just need to use their own words

    It has been made 'very clear' (some country) authorities would not allow significant U.S. investment in one cable project and it followed that they would not tolerate the use of U.S. gear in its construction. 'It was made very clear. These are cables connecting whole countries. These are very political things,' one insider said."

    Brazil is already doing something of this, and more countries should follow.

    1. Re:Giving the example to the world by Dorianny · · Score: 1

      Now if the rest of the world have a hint, they just need to use their own words

      It has been made 'very clear' (some country) authorities would not allow significant U.S. investment in one cable project and it followed that they would not tolerate the use of U.S. gear in its construction. 'It was made very clear. These are cables connecting whole countries. These are very political things,' one insider said."

      Brazil is already doing something of this, and more countries should follow.

      Many Brazilians seem to think that the U.S spying is just an excuse to get social media sites to open offices and place their servers in Brazil where they could be pressured or even censored by the government.

    2. Re:Giving the example to the world by Flere+Imsaho · · Score: 1

      Given that NZ is a willing partner in the "Five Eyes" SIGINT hoovering operation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UKUSA_Agreement , I'd imagine the yanks are pretty worried about losing access to a shit-load of data.
      I wonder if NZ will get any political currency from keeping The Commies at bay - free-trade agreement, anyone?

      --
      It gripped her hand gently. 'Regret is for humans,' it said.
  6. Of course! by Jmc23 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The USA wants only their taps and backdoors working on those cables!

    --
    Don't complain about syntax, grammar, or spelling. There is no.hell like input on android.
    1. Re:Of course! by auric_dude · · Score: 2

      Don't worry, USS JImmy Carter is on the job https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Jimmy_Carter_(SSN-23) , http://defensetech.org/2005/02/21/jimmy-carter-super-spy/ & http://cryptome.org/eyeball/mmp/jimmy-carter.htm but things may well have moved on a fair bit since then.

  7. Flip it by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 3, Insightful

    China is building a cable across the Pacific, and American firms want to invest and use their equipment. Suddenly it sounds rational to disallow foreigners. How's that work?

    I get the idea that Americans just aren't allowed to do anything that's in their national interest. If the Chinese government (and that's what state-owned enterprises means) wants to invest and install their own equipment, then the Americans must allow them! The Chinese will install spyware on the cable? Oh, boo hoo you Americans will just have to take it because you're bad people and hurt puppies!

    --
    Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    1. Re:Flip it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Everybody will just have to build their own transoceanic cables, with only their own equipment. The Chinese will send data down the Chinese cable and the Americans will send data down the American cable, but since neither wants to cooperate, the other end of the cable is not connected to anything, so the whole thing is an exercise in futility.

      The point of these cables is that there are several parties to the project who are going to use them. It is thus entirely unreasonable to insist on excluding one party from the build. Yes, the US may fear that the Chinese will bug the cable, but this is a case of "it takes one to know one". There is no doubt that the Americans will bug the cable, so if the US wants to exclude China, then China would be perfectly justified to demand exclusion of US technology. And then you get the situation with two useless cables. If you don't want to talk to each other because the other might be listening, then don't build a cable.

  8. Re:Easy answer... by Intrepid+imaginaut · · Score: 4, Informative

    China had, at last count, almost two thousand nuclear weapons and climbing.

  9. Re:Easy answer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If they actually hold true to their word is open for debate, but China also tried to push for a "no first strike" agreement but no one would sign on.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_first_use
    "China undertakes not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon States or nuclear-weapon-free zones at any time or under any circumstances."

    I like the nato reponse :"preemptive nuclear strike is a key option"
    So you run around telling the world you will use them only in defense AND wont sign a NFU as it "limits options" such as enless threats of using them?

  10. Re:Easy answer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    There's billions of chinese, and only millions of Americans.

    There is only one order of magnitude difference between the populations of USA and PRC, not three as your post implies.

  11. Step up the game by Reliable+Windmill · · Score: 1

    China and Russia must step up the game. I don't trust U.S gov in their ambitions to rule the world. They care less for the good of everyone, and more for securing their own place at the top.

    --
    Signature intentionally left blank.
  12. Re:Easy answer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    China needs someone in their corner with nuclear weapons. Either that, or develop their own.

    There are only 8 states known to have nuclear weapons (nine if you count Israel). If you are too fucking ignorant to know that China is one of them, which undermines most of your supposed argument, then you have no business discussing foreign policy.

    And China isn't running around hunting down its ex-pats in Russian airports when its citizens come forward and say what its government is up to. They just stare blankly into the camera and then say "We make you iphone! iPhone good! You want more iphones? Shut up." ... and that's the end of it. -_-

    This manages to be both idiotic, ignorant and racist all in one, so that's awesome.

    Do us all a favor and shut the fuck up.

  13. Re:War is coming by Zamphatta · · Score: 1

    Doubt they could prevent it, but I'm sure they would respond very heavy iron fist.

  14. Re:Easy answer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    hey dumbass ... every space faring nation (china is one) has a delivery mechanism.

  15. This Doesn't Help the People by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 2

    the growing rivalry between the U.S. and China

    If anything the US and Chinese people have grown closer over the past decades; scratch that - for certain the US and Chinese people have grown closer over the past decades.

    Only a bunch of crazy old men claiming to represent the people could continually fuck this up. To them I say: "get out of the way."

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    1. Re:This Doesn't Help the People by ColdWetDog · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Are you referring to the US Congress or the Joint Chiefs of Staff?

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  16. Re:Easy answer... by hedwards · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Until somebody develops the ability to nuke all it's enemies globally instantly, and synchronized down to the second globally, there's no point in signing such an agreement as MAD pretty much ensures that nobody is going to be using nuclear weapons.

    Consequently, that treaty was just an effort to bolster China's image on the world stage. If there were really any purpose to such a treaty, it would have been signed a long time ago.

  17. Re:FP by Bartles · · Score: 1

    Nobody understands debt, including Paul Krugman.

  18. Re:Easy answer... by hedwards · · Score: 1

    You seriously think they'd be able to get a nuke onto a ship without being noticed? If it were truly that easy, we wouldn't be bothering with missiles at all.

  19. what's the difference? by slick7 · · Score: 1

    American cable = NSA, CIA, FBI, DHS, ICE spying
    China cable = PLA, Korea spying

    --
    The mind conceives, the body achieves, the spirit manifests.
  20. Re:Easy answer... by Intrepid+imaginaut · · Score: 3, Informative

    And they presently lack an effective delivery mechanism.

    Except for the 65 odd ICBMs.

  21. Re:Easy answer... by artor3 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    So you run around telling the world you will use them only in defense AND wont sign a NFU as it "limits options"

    What's so hard to understand about that? NATO will only use nukes in defense. That includes defending against chemical or biological attacks, for example. Signing on to a NFU treaty would take away that option.

  22. Re:Flip it back by artor3 · · Score: 1

    So you want the objectively more oppressive country on top, to the detriment of billions, because it won't personally affect you. What a great guy you are.

  23. Because we can trust American hardware by msobkow · · Score: 1

    <SARCASM>Because we can trust American hardware not to have NSA back doors, right?</SARCASM>

    Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

    --
    I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
  24. What a laugh by asamad · · Score: 1

    What they are worried somebody else it going to be listening in on every conversation apart from them !

  25. Re:Easy answer... by auric_dude · · Score: 1

    Would the United States ever actually use nuclear weapons? http://thebulletin.org/would-united-states-ever-actually-use-nuclear-weapons# would suggest that targets and reasons for the use of the US nuclear weapons are rather limited and the perhaps the US has an over abundance of kit in the post Cold War era.

  26. Re:Easy answer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    That's why Bush was trying to get the U.S. to develop nuclear bunker busters?

  27. Re:Easy answer... by alexgieg · · Score: 1

    Would the United States ever actually use nuclear weapons?

    Er... the United States is the (singular) country to ever have used nuclear weapons (plural). Granted, it probably won't use them (again). But as far as statistics go, so far it's still USA 2 x 0 Everyone-Else-Summed.

    --
    Conservatism: (n.) love of the existing evils. Liberalism: (n.) desire to substitute new evils for the existing ones.
  28. Re:Easy answer... by peragrin · · Score: 1

    um 1.3 billion verses .3 billion

    where is that order of magnitude again?

    --
    i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
  29. Then let the countries decide by argStyopa · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Who do you prefer listening into your communications? The US or China?

    Given the inherent malignity of state entities, which is the least-worst?

    --
    -Styopa
    1. Re:Then let the countries decide by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The US, certainly. In China, Snowden would have been hunted down by internal security, given a quiet trial, and executed shortly thereafter and his organs harvested. In America not only was Snowden able to escape due to not having to go to a government office and get an exit visa for his passport (documenting where you're going, when, for how long, and showing airline tickets and hotel reservations, then the government will allow you to leave) but he was soundly cheered by many Americans.

      As a Westerner who has been in China for years now and speaks Mandarin, people only like China because they reflexively hate America and either don't know anything about China or project their wants and desires on China. "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know."

      You can shame America into doing things...what just happened in Syria? China just doesn't care unless you're Chinese. And even then, it's a stretch.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    2. Re:Then let the countries decide by fido_dogstoyevsky · · Score: 1

      Who do you prefer listening into your communications? The US or China?

      Given the inherent malignity of corporate entities, which is the least-worst?

      An alternative and eqally valid wording.

      --
      It's NOT a conspiracy... it's a plot.
    3. Re:Then let the countries decide by DNS-and-BIND · · Score: 1

      Ah, yes. Rwanda. If America did get involved it would have been cast *just like Somalia*, white people killing black people. If America didn't get involved, it's the callous whites allowing genocide to happen. I notice you conveniently left out the fact that the UN refused to authorize action in Rwanda, and America should never act unilaterally.

      Actually, I am quite a rare bird. I am both pro-America and pro-China. You don't find those very often.

      --
      Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
    4. Re:Then let the countries decide by argStyopa · · Score: 1

      First, it's not a "defense" or justification. My point is that "not being snooped-upon" is not a credible option in 2013. SOMEONE - usually multiple someones - will be snooping on everything you do. In many cases it's corporate, and in some it's government(s). Some people misunderstand, and compare what's happening vs some utopian ideal of what they think "should be". This is misleading; our choices aren't about the "best" alternative, they're about the least-worst.

      Second, I entirely disagree with you: every one of my Chinese friends (granted, they're all studying in the US) says that they would MUCH rather have the US spying on them because there's at least a reasonable certainty that the US will work aggressively to PREVENT Chinese spying, and this is a pure good from their point of view. In fact, having grown up in China, they're far more blase about the concept of privacy in the first place, which (today) is probably a healthier viewpoint to have anyway.

      --
      -Styopa
  30. Re:Easy answer... by ColdWetDog · · Score: 1

    China needs someone in their corner with nuclear weapons

    Are you forgetting Dennis Rodman's batshit insane friend? North Korea's existence depends entirely on being China's delightfully-insane-but-moderately-dangerous second cousin who is locked in the basement and only let out to amuse the neighborhood kids.

    --
    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
  31. Re:FP by AHuxley · · Score: 1

    So other countries get soft loans and have to pay them back in real hard currency... via massive taxes or selling off national infrastructure.
    "Debt" on a "US" national scale doesn't work that way? - as in never pay back "work that way" or some other trading/computer/war/political trick?

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  32. Sovereign nations? by manu0601 · · Score: 2

    I am not sure I understand this story: why US has its word to say about who is connecting Australia and New Zaeland? Aren't theses territories sovereign nations?

    1. Re:Sovereign nations? by fido_dogstoyevsky · · Score: 2

      I am not sure I understand this story: why US has its word to say about who is connecting Australia and New Zaeland? Aren't theses territories sovereign nations?

      We like to think so, but we have our doubts (especially now that Tony is PM).

      --
      It's NOT a conspiracy... it's a plot.
    2. Re:Sovereign nations? by manu0601 · · Score: 1

      The submarine cable map is insightful.

      The idea to add another cable through Hawaii is not obvious. In order to improve path redundancy, going to south america would be a better idea. And at least Brazil could be interested

    3. Re:Sovereign nations? by manu0601 · · Score: 1

      You deserve mod points;

  33. Re:Easy answer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    So you run around telling the world you will use them only in defense AND wont sign a NFU as it "limits options"

    What's so hard to understand about that? NATO will only use nukes in defense. That includes defending against chemical or biological attacks, for example. Signing on to a NFU treaty would take away that option.

    Everybody understood just fine. Everybody also knew full well that "defense against chemical or biological" attacks also include potential ones, i.e. pre-emptive strike. And of course, whenever convenient, cyberattacks or humanitarian disaster would be included in the list of potential "attacks" to be defended against, which basically opens the door to strike anyone anytime.

    A kind of "defense" which, for most of the world, just means "offense".

    Take a clue, nobody buy these word games anymore.

  34. Re:NSA and cable taps by stan_qaz · · Score: 1

    The USA is reported to have a long history of cable tapping, Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage

    http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Mans-Bluff-Submarine-Espionage/dp/006097771X/ref=sr_1_1

    "For decades American submarines have roamed the depths in a dangerous battle for information and advantage in missions known only to a select few. Now, after six years of research, those missions are told in Blind Man's Bluff, a magnificent achievement in investigative reporting. It reads like a spy thriller -- except everything in it is true. This is an epic of adventure, ingenuity, courage, and disaster beneath the sea, a story filled with unforgettable characters who engineered daring missions to tap the enemy's underwater communications cables and to shadow Soviet submarines."

  35. Re:NSA and cable taps by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

    The USA has spent it's history thinking that the enemy was

    1) The British
    2) The native Americans
    3) The Mexicans
    4) The Russians
    5) The Chineese

    In time they may work out what the rest of the world has known all along. The French are the real enemy,

    --
    I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
  36. Re:Easy answer... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    > ... as MAD pretty much ensures that nobody is going to be using nuclear weapons.

    Unless there is a mistake, such as the one where a training program was left in NORAD computers. Or there is a system failure, such as the one that happened to Russian computers. Or there is an accidental detonation during transportation, such as nearly happened in 1961 in North Carolina. And it can be helped along by poor security, such as the US launch code of 0000.

  37. Re:NSA and cable taps by GNious · · Score: 1

    When I was in Mississippi some years ago, I got the impression they already considered the French an enemy.

    Their War-On-Frenchfries was already well under way.

  38. Re:Easy answer... by Half-pint+HAL · · Score: 1

    I love how the anti-American bigots trot this sort of bullshit out, without context.

    Talking of context... anti-American? The guy kept saying EU/US, which means a shedload of other developed countries, and you immediate peg it as an attack on American masculinity. Nice.

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  39. Re:Easy answer... by girlintraining · · Score: 1, Troll

    Except for the 65 odd ICBMs.

    After thumbing through the dense tomb that you posted, which was moderated +4, Informative, I find no mention of any intercontinental ballistic missiles. It is also three years older than my link, which wasn't in PDF form, and indicated they only had regional launch capability. The document you provided indicated they had only managed to create missiles with a 500 or so mile range. Barely enough to get the nuclear ordinance they've developed far enough up-wind to not eat the radioactive fallout after. China is a big country.

    Perhaps a more careful investigation of documentation in the future would be helpful? But given how many times my factual statements have been moderated down in this thread in favor of bullshit exaggeration... it's not surprising. I expect the moderation on this one will serve to further confirm that Slashdot has become the Fox News of the IT world...

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  40. Re:Flip it back by blackraven14250 · · Score: 1

    Oh yeah, because China doesn't silence critics.

  41. typical American Exceptionalism BS by Uberbah · · Score: 2

    The US, certainly.

    How many Al Jazeera offices has the Chinese military bombed in the last 10 years? Has the PM of China personally called a third world dictator to keep a journalist imprisoned and tortured, like Obama did with Yemen?

    In America not only was Snowden able to escape due to not having to go to a government office and get an exit visa for his passport

    Nonsensical talking point. Getting an exit visa wouldn't have changed anything, because Snowden chose Hong Kong precisely because it wouldn't raise red flags with the government as opposed to flying to Caracas.

    but he was soundly cheered by many Americans

    By people like Bradley Manning, who was subjected to two years of psycological torture before being tried in a kangaroo court.

    As a Westerner who has been in China for years now and speaks Mandarin, people only like China because they reflexively hate America and either don't know anything about China or project their wants and desires on China. "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know."

    Or, they aren't total morons and can see who the most belligerent bully in the world is. How many nations has China bombed, how many worldwide torture programs has it run while trying to tap and store the communications of everyone on the planet.

    what just happened in Syria?

    The Nobel Peace Prize winner, who desperately wanted to bomb a country, was clowned by a former KGB stooge who swooped in with a peace deal. What about it?

  42. Compared to the USA? Not even close. by Uberbah · · Score: 1

    How many overseas military bases and carrier groups does China have compared to the 700+ of the United States.

    And China isn't?

    In the last 12 years, the U.S. has started two illegal wars of choice that have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, millions of refugees, destabilized entire regions, conducted a worldwide kidnapping & torture program, and marks 50 innocent people for death for every alleged terrorist it bombs. And used chemical weapons on civilians in Iraq, the sort of thing it's claiming Assad should be bombed for doing.

    Tell me how China gets remotely close to any of that.