Say Anything Blog

So now the New York Times has created a financial hassle-free zone for the terrorists, that’s just brilliant.

What benefit did the public receive in return that made that worthwhile? Smug satisfaction that Bush got it stuck to him again, and there is nothing he can do about it?

Doc,

Which one?  The current headquarters building… or tha new signature one that is about to be constructed on a piece of prime Manhattan real estate that was conveniently condemned by the city and its owners kicked out to make way for the Ol’ Grey Whore” as in Kelo v. New London?

Stop whining. We will get the information the old fashioned way. We’ll steal it.
Total Information Awareness, Carnivore, and who knows what else.

Blame the Leaker.

Try the Leaker as a Traitor.

Can we label the New York Times an enemy combatant and send it to Gitmo?

Woof: Do you understand the meaning of the work “broadcast”?

Bat: You have become aware of the next NYT scandal a-brewin’.  Good going.

That was “word”, not “work”.

WOOF:

Stop whining. We will get the information the old fashioned way. We’ll steal it.

Well, that’s a relief.

Or would have been, had there not been a long list of terrorist attacks that could have been stopped by this sort of financial tracking.

I don’t know where the problem is.
The european countries already monitor the european money transfer. If something interesting for the US will be found they will get informed.

By the way a lot of people in Germany have moved their money to Austria or Switzerland because they don’t like to be watched by the ‘Big Brother’. This doesn’t mean they assemble bombs, they just want to keep their private data private (which includes the amount of money they have placed at the bank).

What would you think if Germany for example has access to the money transfer data that’s happening in the US. Would you like it? I don’t think so.

It’s the same with the data the US can currently access from the airlines. There are 30 elements of the passenger they can access when the plane leaves the airport (Credit card number, choosen food,...).

SFTE:

The european countries already monitor the european money transfer. If something interesting for the US will be found they will get informed.

The problem is that separating the data available to the US & the EU makes the information meaningless.  It’s the pattern of millions of otherwise vanilla bank transfers combined with other intel data that generate meaningful patterns that can be exploited by intelligence organizations.

There are also the very real questions of capability and determination… both of which, in the case of the EU, are quite validly in doubt.

Or would have been, had there not been a long list of terrorist attacks that could have been stopped by this sort of financial tracking.

Carrick on June 28, 2006 at 5:14 PM

Really?  Would you mind updating us on what the Bush Whacko administration has saved us from by snooping into our private lives?

Really? Would you mind updating us on what the Bush Whacko administration has saved us from by snooping into our private lives?

Useless drivel.

Useless drivel.

likwidshoe on June 28, 2006 at 8:43 PM

Yes, it is.  Please stop.

Yes, it is. Please stop.

You’re asking yourself to stop? Good grief! What’s wrong with you? Just stop. You are the one in power of it.