tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post4728413153361686447..comments2024-03-18T11:10:18.708-07:00Comments on dangerous idea: Christine Blasey Ford in the land of Narnia? Victor Repperthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10962948073162156902noreply@blogger.comBlogger244125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-22014442403898365112019-10-28T17:14:30.113-07:002019-10-28T17:14:30.113-07:00?I used to be very pleased to seek out this net-si...?I used to be very pleased to seek out this net-site.I wished to thanks to your time for this glorious learn!! I positively having fun with each little bit of it and I've you bookmarked to take a look at new stuff you blog post. <a href="https://onlinecasino1488.us.com" rel="nofollow">online casinos for us players</a>yaklibber924https://www.blogger.com/profile/05349925023206914461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-58921393326529149702018-10-10T06:17:38.326-07:002018-10-10T06:17:38.326-07:00That should have read, "but what does it have...That should have read, "but what does it have to do..."Starhopperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350334327301656588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-37767433269758349962018-10-10T05:58:31.965-07:002018-10-10T05:58:31.965-07:00Terrific article on Soviet Communism/atheism, but ...Terrific article on Soviet Communism/atheism, but does it have to do with "what has transpired"?Starhopperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350334327301656588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-56903104951513320072018-10-09T19:16:55.839-07:002018-10-09T19:16:55.839-07:00THIS is worth a read in light of what has transpir...<a href="https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/among-the-disbelievers/" rel="nofollow">THIS is worth a read</a> in light of what has transpired.bmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05855545675821692382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-76863770174151901432018-10-09T18:18:38.458-07:002018-10-09T18:18:38.458-07:00Hmmm. I never would have thought they called them...Hmmm. I never would have thought they called them sins at *that* church.bmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05855545675821692382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-12773195751796830022018-10-09T16:18:37.934-07:002018-10-09T16:18:37.934-07:00My sins are many. I need to cover a lot of bases.My sins are many. I need to cover a lot of bases.Starhopperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350334327301656588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-3546669628844705242018-10-09T15:21:21.205-07:002018-10-09T15:21:21.205-07:00Ah, finally admitting which Church you go to for r...Ah, finally admitting which Church you go to for reconciliation.bmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05855545675821692382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-15398504219458609722018-10-09T10:30:32.501-07:002018-10-09T10:30:32.501-07:00But all is now well. As an activist with and finan...But all is now well. As an activist with and financial contributor to <a href="https://www.veteransforpeace.org/" rel="nofollow">Veterans for Peace</a>, I now do penance for my past sins.<br /><br />Watch for me on the National Mall! I am frequently there with the "angry mob" (Trump's characterization).Starhopperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350334327301656588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-10249433399482686422018-10-09T09:39:24.120-07:002018-10-09T09:39:24.120-07:00You're asking for consistency! Oh, vain pursui...You're asking for consistency! Oh, vain pursuit - you might as well try to reach the horizon!<br /><br />Another example of professional inconsistency: Despite being openly and vocally opposed to the war in Iraq, I busted my hump doing everything I could to support the war effort, and demanded the same from everyone who worked for me.Starhopperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350334327301656588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-14999089479226620652018-10-09T07:53:51.361-07:002018-10-09T07:53:51.361-07:00Did you not understand that the Department of Defe...Did you not understand that the Department of Defense is prepared to use nuclear weapons when you agreed to work for them? <br /><br />Don't get me wrong. I understand why you could object to nuclear war since the weapons almost certainly will kill innocents along with combatants. Why did you join at all if you knew this?<br /><br />bmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05855545675821692382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-19403902749049764872018-10-09T04:46:57.072-07:002018-10-09T04:46:57.072-07:00Nope. We just "deep stated" it. Can'...Nope. We just "deep stated" it. Can't recall the exact year, but it was sometime in the late 90s.Starhopperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350334327301656588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-52437583581954640802018-10-08T19:13:06.252-07:002018-10-08T19:13:06.252-07:00Regarding the nuclear war simulation. Did you dis...Regarding the nuclear war simulation. Did you discuss with your supervisor that you could not proceed and he should get someone else to do it?bmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05855545675821692382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-64153769860508696542018-10-08T16:52:41.340-07:002018-10-08T16:52:41.340-07:00Holy cow! I just read through my last posting, and...Holy cow! I just read through my last posting, and am appalled by the typos.<br /><br />The first one was in the very first line. I should have written "Such things would have been" without the extraneous "were".<br /><br />The second was in the middle of the big paragraph. I should have written "I felt (and still do) that to do so would be..." instead of the gobbledygook that I actually typed.Starhopperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350334327301656588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-75989224165645716802018-10-08T15:01:31.335-07:002018-10-08T15:01:31.335-07:00Sorry, but I have no idea. Such things were would ...Sorry, but I have no idea. Such things were would have been, as we say, way above my pay grade.<br /><br />In my entire 34 year career, I only had to disobey what I felt was an unethical directive twice. The first time was when the then Deputy Director of NSA basically ordered me to hire on as a highly paid consultant to my office a retired general who was a friend of the DepDir. I refused, and told his office they'd have to fire me first before he was hired. (My exact words in my response were "Next you'll be telling me to toss babies into ovens." No kidding.) Never heard anything more about it, so I won that one. The second time was, as the Chief of the exercise support division at NSA, my office was directed to participate in a nuclear war simulation. I felt (and still do) that to do was would be a gravely immoral act and put my immortal soul in grave peril. This time, I made no "line in the sand" declaration, but merely acknowledged the directive, and then instructed my subordinates to do absolutely nothing to carry it out (passive resistance). I guess you could say I was a member of the "Deep State" before there even was such a thing. My career survived that speed bump as well.Starhopperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350334327301656588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-79532793591098198622018-10-08T10:08:58.503-07:002018-10-08T10:08:58.503-07:00Such a request would itself be illegal.
If the re...<b>Such a request would itself be illegal.</b><br /><br />If the request was made, who would the other agency report the misdeed to?<br />Also, what if they complied? Who would they be accountable to?bmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05855545675821692382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-66283576426656766592018-10-08T08:25:17.637-07:002018-10-08T08:25:17.637-07:00Our postings were made simultaneously, and I misse...Our postings were made simultaneously, and I missed your last question.<br /><br />Such a request would itself be illegal.Starhopperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350334327301656588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-32305770173379511552018-10-08T08:24:02.785-07:002018-10-08T08:24:02.785-07:00bmiller,
I need to make my above statement more e...bmiller,<br /><br />I need to make my above statement more emphatic.<br /><br />Imagine 2 guys rob a bank. Now there are laws against robbing banks. But we have a reporter who blames the bank robbery on there being laws against robbing banks.<br /><br />That is essentially what Snowden did. He was absolutely correct that illegal spying on US (and allied) nationals was taking place. But this illegal activity was being done despite there being very clear laws against doing such. You cannot blame a criminal's activity on the law.<br /><br />When I worked for the NSA, it was deep in our culture to <b>NEVER</b> spy on a US person. If we accidently did so (happened all the time, due to the nature of technology) we immediately destroyed all traces of the accidental collection and no records were kept of the event.<br /><br />I was as appalled by the Snowden revelations as anyone else. They happened after my retirement, but I nevertheless felt deep shame over the besmirchment of what had been a fine agency with an until then pristine record. I still think Snowden was a dope for the way he went about his disclosures, but I am very glad that he made them. I firmly think he deserves a presidential pardon.Starhopperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350334327301656588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-58805767832680335142018-10-08T08:23:23.399-07:002018-10-08T08:23:23.399-07:00No, they cannot spy on each other's citizens -...<b> No, they cannot spy on each other's citizens - quite the reverse. </b><br /><br />Not even if one of the "5 Eyes" legitimate government actually requests one of the others to do it? bmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05855545675821692382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-23637331443479990642018-10-08T04:50:10.865-07:002018-10-08T04:50:10.865-07:00Excellent question! No, they cannot spy on each ot...Excellent question! No, they cannot spy on each other's citizens - quite the reverse. Part of the "5 Eyes" treaty (and it is an actual treaty, signed way back under President Truman) is that no 5 Eyes nation may spy on any of the others.<br /><br />I know what Edward Snowden said about the arrangement, but he was quite wrong. He was correct that many inexcusable abuses of the system were going on, but they were actually in defiance of the 5 Eyes agreements and our own US laws. Had the responsible parties been obeying the law, Snowden would have had nothing to complain about.Starhopperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350334327301656588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-45855515568903170852018-10-07T20:14:47.810-07:002018-10-07T20:14:47.810-07:00@Starhopper,
I'm interested in the rules. Wi...@Starhopper,<br /><br />I'm interested in the rules. Without any sort of agreement, everyone spies on everyone else I assume. However, in the US, citizens are supposed to be protected from being spied upon unless there is a warrant.<br /><br />Could a "5 Eyes" country spy on a US citizen and then share that info with the US government without a warrant?<br /><br /> bmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05855545675821692382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-36540771239776126912018-10-07T20:04:57.358-07:002018-10-07T20:04:57.358-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.bmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05855545675821692382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-76031055667954540672018-10-07T18:58:11.673-07:002018-10-07T18:58:11.673-07:00bmiller,
It indicates intelligence that is shared...bmiller,<br /><br />It indicates intelligence that is shared/releasable to the "5 Eyes" community (USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand). Why the question?Starhopperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350334327301656588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-27761048268988409372018-10-07T17:47:38.406-07:002018-10-07T17:47:38.406-07:00I used to think we paid some taxes to philosophy p...I used to think we paid some taxes to philosophy professors to help the citizens sort out conflicting questions in a democracy. I'm convinced we are just paying taxes.David Duffyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01222419875209542723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-74334044008871544622018-10-07T16:06:54.784-07:002018-10-07T16:06:54.784-07:00Starhopper,
You were in the NSA right? What is F...Starhopper,<br /><br />You were in the NSA right? What is FVEY?bmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05855545675821692382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-5276687171613675842018-10-05T17:40:52.567-07:002018-10-05T17:40:52.567-07:00Could have said it was a stupid joke though.Could have said it was a stupid joke though.bmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05855545675821692382noreply@blogger.com