Targeting Huawei: NSA Spied on Chinese Government and Networking Firm

[MADem]

43. And that's why the entire EU shares the data they get when the listen in on us.

And that's why they engage in the same kind of shenanigans that every other nation engages in. It's all part of the game:

Allies spy on each other. The French broke into our diplomats' hotel rooms and sifted through luggage, Israel has tried to infiltrate spies into the Pentagon, Mexico stole White House BlackBerry devices, and Germany broke into the email communications of both diplomats and journalists. But why? Read on.

Really--the naive outrage is astounding--of course everyone is spying on each other. As that French government official revealed, the only thing that is surprising is that there are people who are actually surprised at this.

“I am amazed by such disconcerting naiveté,” he said in the interview. “You’d almost think our politicians don’t bother to read the reports they get from the intelligence services.”

Back in the old days, before wiretapping, we used HUMINT. We had people who listened in, who broke into places and stole documents, who used their wiles, personality and more to obtain information, who later, photographed documents and put them on a microfilm, a microDOT, even. This is just an extension of that, and like it or not, it's not going away.

They may--or may not--be able to "place limits" on it, but the only way to categorically assure you are not being tapped on your phone is the same way that you could assure you were not being tapped a hundred years ago--stay off the phone. LIMIT your exposure.

That might be unsatisfactory to some, but that is the simple truth. Shooting the messenger, calling me an "apologist" or other invective, will not change that basic fact. And, mark my words, our intel services may be forced, by outraged "How DARE you!" demands from the citizenry, and ratchet back THEIR domestic surveillance, but those demands will fall on deaf ears beyond our shores. The only thing that will change is WHO is listening to you.

And what will eventually happen is what always happens when there's something we cannot or will not do, for political/ethical reasons--we'll contract it out. Just like Europe has been doing, for YEARS. France already spies for Germany, Germany spies for France, and everyone shares with the Brits. There will just be more "musical chairs" to get around national laws, and the game will play on.

Again, shooting the messenger will not change this, but take your shots, call me names, get your poutrage on, if it makes you feel better.

The NSA is no more of a rogue than every single one of the European security services, most of the South American ones, the Russians, or PLA Unit 61398--what those guys in China do do makes USA look like Goody Two Shoes. And if you think that Edward Snowden has "freedom" from all manner of surveillance in his little Russian hideaway, then Chris Christie has a bridge he will sell you at a very deep discount.

The only thing that has changed--or will change--about this game is that the world is slightly less naive.