Orders To Destroy Guardian Hard Drives Came Directly From PM David Cameron
from the and-now-the-nation-is-more-secure-than-ever! dept
More details continue to emerge on the UK government's two recent anti-journalist actions. The Guardian reports that the order to (pointlessly) smash up Guardian hardware came from the top.
A spokesman for Clegg made clear that Heywood was acting on the authority of both the prime minister and his deputy. The spokesman said: "We understand the concerns about recent events, particularly around issues of freedom of the press and civil liberties. The independent reviewer of terrorism legislation is already looking into the circumstances around the detention of David Miranda and we will wait to see his findings.So, let's get this straight. The UK government "understands the concerns" about its recent actions, but apparently wouldn't change a thing if it had to do it all over again.
"On the specific issue of records held by the Guardian, the deputy prime minister thought it was reasonable for the cabinet secretary to request that the Guardian destroyed data that would represent a serious threat to national security if it was to fall into the wrong hands.
"The deputy prime minister felt this was a preferable approach to taking legal action. He was keen to protect the Guardian's freedom to publish, whilst taking the necessary steps to safeguard security.
"It was agreed to on the understanding that the purpose of the destruction of the material would not impinge on the Guardian's ability to publish articles about the issue, but would help as a precautionary measure to protect lives and security."
The usual justification presents itself repeatedly: security uber alles.
The government forced (statement says "request" but we know how these things work) the Guardian to destroy hard drives containing content that was "a serious threat to national security" but still existed elsewhere. The government knew this and still forced the issue and then has the temerity to claim the pointless show of force was about "safeguarding security."
Look at how many times that empty word shows up in this brief statement.
"...serious threat to national security…"None of this was "necessary" or "precautionary." It did nothing. The data that might "threaten national security" is still out there. The government knows because its own defensive statement says the action "wouldn't impinge on the Guardian's ability to publish articles." It was pure muscle-flexing. This security-heavy statement pretty much says precisely that while expending many more words.
"...taking the necessary steps to safeguard security…"
"...a precautionary measure to protect lives and security…"
There's also this:
The deputy prime minister felt this was a preferable approach to taking legal action.Awesome. The government would rather throw its weight around than pursue any sort of process that might have allowed the Guardian to dispute the order. How telling. How utterly and vilely telling. Of course the government felt this "approach" was "preferable." Screw the adversarial process. We've got the nation's "security" at stake. Everything else is secondary, including the public's outdated ideals about a free press and a government willing to respect the rights of its citizens.
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Filed Under: david cameron, ed snowden, freedom of the press, glenn greenwald, hard drive, the guardian
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Cameron and Obama should nuke the entirety of Afghanistan, Iran and whatever country they think that hosts terrorists to ensure "national security", right? After all, it's being used to justify all sorts of Human Rights violations, what's a little genocide to protect our precious security? I'm sure they'd get the Nazi Seal of Approval.
Hypocrites.
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But yes it would have been, though I don't blame them.
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Enabling Act (German: Ermächtigungsgesetz)
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This is all about picking your battles.
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(Carl Gardner's blog)
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http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/aug/20/guardian-editor-alan-rusbridger-nsa
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Yes, they said they thought about it, but realized going the legal route would have resulted in injunctions that blocked them from reporting -- so doing the totally symbolic thing of destroying the hard drive, continuing to report from NY, and then talking about the destruction seemed more effective. Probably true.
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Maybe this is a ploy to find out what he took from the NSA.
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Take a little break and analyze what would happen if the USA would used nuclear power.
1. If you used Nuke-clear power countries like China and Russia would automatically counter attack.
2. By nuking any country you not only destroy the land with radio active isotopes but the cloud would travel the globe (and guess what you would end up with terminal cancer and die 20 year later).
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Response to: Ninja on Aug 22nd, 2013 @ 7:59am
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Guardian: Umm ok?
Cameron: Fall on your... ah, I mean destroy your hard drives.
Guardian: But we are using them.
Cameron: I could get a court order but if I have to do that I'll take everything, now be a good chap and destroy your hard drives.
Guardian: done.
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Cameron: Oh, Barry, I love you!
Guardian: Well, they're idiots, so we may as well play our part in this farce.
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"...taking the necessary steps to safeguard security…"
"...a precautionary measure to protect lives and security…"
One minor point. Not once, has the all encompassing surveillance of the US or UK, been shown to have stopped an actual plot, saved a life, or safeguard security.
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Do your research.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/boy-bomber-plots-school-massacre-1487471
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Notice the word "amounts"..no specifics so it could be anything from kilograms to nanograms.
Hell the sulphur and potassium nitrate could have come from a poorly cleaned toilet based solely from that article.
Secondly you'll notice how child-abuse gets lumped into the mix...well if they don't believe us about terrorists anymore perhaps some paedophilia shoved in there will help?
Finally, its the Daily Mirror...which once ran a picture of an action man doll claiming it was a soldier that had been kidnapped whilst on duty in Iraq (so not the most believable source for anything).
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Porn? Nay...
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Liberal?
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Did no one think to tell this idiot that the destruction of ONE set of records was absolutely pointless and would serve only to anger the people it was being done to? Something like "Awakening a sleeping Giant", perhaps? As Clemons once said "It's not wise to anger people who buy printers ink by the barrel."
The "wrong hands"? Meaning someone who would publish it and show the world thet they are somewhat less than honest and forthright? Those "wrong hands"? I soitainly hope so - the sooner the better. IMHO, the only danger is in showing them to be the liars, cheats, and thieves they are. Personal security? Maybe. National security - not so much.
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No, what should be put in place is 'competency/knowledge tests', where a politician/judge has to pass a mid-level knowledge/competency test on a subject before they are allowed to make any laws or rulings affecting it. Don't know anything about computers? You're forbidden from proposing, making suggestions, or voting on any laws that affect them until you learn.
Just like in any other job where you have to prove you know what you're doing before they let you have at it, politicians/judges should have to prove they know the subject at hand before being allowed to write laws or make judgements affecting it.
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Absolutely brilliant idea. Too bad it'll never happen. Those that understand are obvious. Those that don't fall back on the usual obfuscation, BS, and snow jobs, and refuse to learn. I mean they can use a smart phone, can't they? Why should they need to learn? That's for geeks.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VgwxKW0J6I
It applied then and still applies now!
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"Obey Me, Cameron! - Yes, master! Miranda will be arrested immediately, as you requested..."
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Is the UK really concerned that Al Qaeda could reveal the existence of another top secret NSA spying program? The UK really needs to seriously think things through before they act on impulse.
The British government taking orders from their masters in the U.S. Government? lols Clegg and Cameron are both idiots.
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What Would James Bond Have Done?
Possibly he died and Spectre won. That would explain this and many other things...
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Call to the cloud
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Impeachment?
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security uber alles
At what point does reasonable safety turns into cowardly society?
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Go figure.
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'The pen is mightier than the sword' and the ignorance/naivety of the masses will breed inactivity for years to come.
As for data: there are people prepared to die who report on moral discrepancies around the world. This scaremongering by the puppets Cameron et al is confusing at best.
“We build but to tear down. Most of our work and resource is squandered. Our onward march is marked by devastation. Everywhere there is an appalling loss of time, effort and life. A cheerless view, but true.” - Nikola Tesla
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WORK on inustries
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