Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Wikileaks: The Cable Guys

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  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Simon Grigg,

    I’m throwing my lot in with them just for this

    While it was decades ago, I'd never quite recovered from the banality-induced nausea inflicted by my single never-to-be-repeated exposure to Spanish Train.
    Thanks Wikileaks, I feel so much better now.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby,

    ever wonder why @anonops sound like teens?

    because they probably are

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Parks, in reply to Sacha,

    Ahem, award winning.

    But seriously, well, umm… not so seriously, I liked this bit of satire from Daily Mash (not directly related to the topic at hand):

    Julian Cook, professor of freedom at Delingpole University, rejected claims that the Teapot movement is intellectual monkey shit led by manipulative scum and generally followed by people who don’t know where Europe is.

    He said: “It has been grotesquely misrepresented, especially by dishonest, ideologically bankrupt know-it-alls who have shamelessly read and listened to what the Teapotters have actually said.

    “The typical Teapotter is a modern-day Thomas Jefferson, an intellectual colossus who is exercising the freedom to believe that Canada is next to Germany and that God made fish.

    “It is not about racism or religion, it is about freedom from big government, it is about living your life the way you want to, unless of course you and your gay partner want to get married or you’re a woman who wants to choose whether or not she grows something in her womb."

    But I digress. As you were.

    Wellington • Since May 2007 • 1165 posts Report Reply

  • Kracklite, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    banality-induced nausea

    It was called ennui, or sometimes spleen before the existentialists got their hands on it. Absinthe is usually prescribed. It's either that or bloody Sartre.

    The Library of Babel • Since Nov 2007 • 982 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Kracklite,

    bloody Sartre

    Is that a coffee and tomato juice? FFS I drink that most mornings, now I feel disgustingly Euro. Need to watch some provincial rugby to get over it.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Seriatim,

    "Assange is a fool but he is our fool ..." Yes, what a bugger that he is probably going to go down in history as a genius, a world changer, a man of phenomenal courage and vision - and a bit of a stud, to boot. Damn. And all us deserving really clever on-to-it people can do is potter on with our trivial little lives being arrogant about all those people like him who have the guts to put their lives on the line for a cause. How irritating.

    Wellington • Since Dec 2010 • 57 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Simon Grigg,

    Pro-Wikileaks activists brought down the Visa and Mastercard sites just as Martin Bishop, from Stevenage, was about to do a ‘one click’ purchase of the Irish singer’s 2006 assault on basic human decency.

    This is genius.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Seriatim,

    There's a bridge. Go sit under it until you can stop. fucking. trolling.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso, in reply to Russell Brown,

    This is genius.

    The casual use of the name Martin Bishop was pretty clever I thought.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • andin,

    And all us deserving really clever on-to-it people can do is potter on with our trivial little lives being arrogant about all those people like him who have the guts to put their lives on the line for a cause.

    Glad to see you include yourself (as in the royal us)in your little caustic outburst.

    raglan • Since Mar 2007 • 1891 posts Report Reply

  • 3410, in reply to giovanni tiso,

    The casual use of the name Martin Bishop was pretty clever I thought.

    I don't get it.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • 3410,

    Ok, now I get it.

    Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Steve Parks,

    And more 'it's just inane chatter' claims:

    "It's just flash gossip."

    Paul Holmes is an award-winning Herald on Sunday columnist, just so you know.

    Looks like he and his ilk know the barbarians are at the gate, but are in denial about it.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    Looks like he and his ilk know the barbarians are at the gate, but are in denial about it.

    I thought he and his ilk were the barbarians at the gate #confused

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Che Tibby, in reply to Steve Parks,

    you wonder what the subeditor had to say to their boss

    boss: "retype then print this"

    subby: "but... but... it's written in poo... and lipstick"

    the back of an envelope • Since Nov 2006 • 2042 posts Report Reply

  • chris, in reply to Manakura,

    e Chris, i tahae koe i tērā whakatauki mai i te māori dictionary.com pea? SNAP! hei aha, he whakatauki pono hei katakata au! :-) en’ari, he aha te honotan’a mai i te you-tube clip ki n’a whiti whakatūpato? kore e kitea

    Aroha mai, tōmuri au, kātahi nā ka. Whakakatakata tikinare! Kei te taka mai ngā rā e mahia nuitia ai e te Pākehā te mahi whakamaroke me te mahi tini i te paramu me ērā atu huarākau! Mā tātou katoa tēnei mahi;) .Mā te wā. Mau te rongo.

    Mawkland • Since Jan 2010 • 1302 posts Report Reply

  • James Bremner,

    I like this take on Wikileaks. Bad news for the tinfoil hat brigade.

    For the European and Latin American left, just as for the Chinese or Russian nationalist right, it has long been all but assumed that whatever the Americans say publicly about their foreign policy is simply a cover story for some sort of secret agenda. What that agenda is can vary, according to taste – the interests of a powerful company (Halliburton!), the subversion of a leftwing government, the weakening of a rival nation. But whatever the Americans’ secret agenda was held to be, they definitely had one – only the absurdly naive could believe otherwise.

    Turns out they were wrong. The crackpots will have to find some other grand conspiracy to endlessly dribble on about. It must suck to foam at the mouth about something for decades only to find out that it isnt true.

    http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/61f8fab0-06f3-11e0-8c29-00144feabdc0,s01=1.html#axzz18C9Fmzoe

    NOLA • Since Nov 2006 • 353 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to James Bremner,

    . . . tinfoil hat brigade.

    Being, in your case, anyone who you or those you currently parrot don't happen to like. Unless they're female, when they're the hairy armpit brigade. Bet that really cracked you up the first time you heard it.

    Say "Obambi", James, you know you want to.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    The problem is James, it doesn't actually say much of anything at all aside from putting up a straw man which the writer then demolishes. But, hey, if you like it it, who am I to burst your bubble.....

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    Swedish Department of Justice caught bending Swedish law to cooperate with US in 2008.

    I doubt if it means anything but it's kerosene when least needed.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Christiaan, in reply to Simon Grigg,

    That's precisely what I was thinking. Just the FT dribbling on about crackpot boogymen.

    Portugal • Since Dec 2006 • 121 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie,

    The other FT has a less shriekingly partisan take on Wikileaks.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Aw, we spied on Fiji, but the cables don't contain any juicy details of Fijian military communications. Just cellphones.

    Goes to show that hi-tech spying just isn't really up to much. We might live in a 'surveillance society' but it's still very easy to communicate secretly - you just use ITF technology, which most humans are equipped with at birth.

    As for the Fijian coup, where there even any secrets? Friends who lived there said it was virtually announced in advance what day the latest coup would be on, so that people could be prepared, and no important rugby games would be interrupted.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Greg Dawson, in reply to Che Tibby,

    I thought he and his ilk were the barbarians at the gate

    I thought big mama grizzly had shot all the ilk?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 294 posts Report Reply

  • Rich of Observationz,

    Does anyone have an explanation of how Waihopai could read Fijian cellphone traffic?

    The only method I can think of involves acting as the ground segment for a US controlled satellite. Aside from that, NZ could read the signals from overt or covert land receivers (e.g in the embassy), an offshore warship or an Orion flyby. Nothing that would involve Waihopai, except as an office building.

    I guess its possible that Waihopai might intercept Intelsat traffic, but this would have limited relevance. It could also intercept fixed satellite traffic, but these are largely obsolete. (most Fijian voice and Internet would go via Southern Cross).

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report Reply

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