Re: AW: Semi-OT: Int'l Travellers' Laptops Confiscated...

[Mech <mech@m3ch.net>]

At 11:24 AM +0200 8/3/08, Rainer Thelonius Balthasar Straschill wrote:
>
>Now this sounds great! They may also forward the info to non-federal
>entities and...now if I was with the department of homeland security, I
>would make it a primary goal to confiscate any laptop from someone who is
>with a carmaker, computer or electronics maker etc., have the possibly
>encrypted info hacked open by the NSA and then give it to "non-federal
>entities" (like US carmakers, electronics makers) for a price. Think of 
>the
>commercial possibilities!

Yep, that's one of the first things that immediately occurred to both 
my wife and myself.  In an era of overall intelligence funding cuts 
(first, 8 years of Dems, who are naturally suspicious of the Intel 
community, followed by an administration who is peeved at them 
because that administration completely ignored what Intel told them 
was very likely to occur re: 9/11), and you have Intelligence 
organizations who are scrambling to make budgets.  One of the best 
ways to do that is privatization, and besides: corporate spying has 
always paid better than government spying.

And, if this is working in the best interests of US corporations (as 
opposed to those evil foreign corporations), it helps shore up the US 
economy.  Isn't that all to the good? [sic]

        --m.
-- 
_____
"when you think your dreams are shattered, it's time to dream new dreams"