Signalgate is far worse than you think

[Muse]

Peter Zeihan explains this. From what I'd seen I figured it was just oh, the editor of the Atlantic saw their plans, big deal. NO! The whole thing reveals that the Trump administration is a ginormous clusterfuck.

 

[Pens1566]

It was the tip of the proverbial iceberg. There's no way in hell that the one Goldberg was mistakenly added to was the first time something like this has happened. It's also highly unlikely that it was the worst one either.

 

[MtnMan]

When Trump is the smartest person in the room, we are in deep deep shit.

 

[mikeymikec]

Next time you see a Hollywood movie with Michael Bay-quality script ideas about how the WH could get compromised by an outside attack and you think "it would never work like that", with a Trump administration it could easily work like that. They probably have McDonalds couriers who are also casually tasked with transferring classified documents from A to B. "Oops, sorry about the ketchup stain... oh, that was an official Presidential ketchup stain, I meant this other one..."

 

[Moonbeam]

When Trump is the smartest person in the room, we are in deep deep shit.

That could probably only happen when he's alone.

 

[pmv]

Next time you see a Hollywood movie with Michael Bay-quality script ideas about how the WH could get compromised by an outside attack and you think "it would never work like that", with a Trump administration it could easily work like that. They probably have McDonalds couriers who are also casually tasked with transferring classified documents from A to B. "Oops, sorry about the ketchup stain... oh, that was an official Presidential ketchup stain, I meant this other one..."

The Trump years make me look at so many Hollywood tropes in a new, more cynical, light.

Just imagining movies like "Air Force One" or "White House Down" with Trump as the President boggles the mind (and turns them into comedies).

 

[Thump553]

It was the tip of the proverbial iceberg. There's no way in hell that the one Goldberg was mistakenly added to was the first time something like this has happened. It's also highly unlikely that it was the worst one either.

Absolute and indisputable truth.

 

[mikeymikec]

The Trump years make me look at so many Hollywood tropes in a new, more cynical, light.

Just imagining movies like "Air Force One" or "White House Down" with Trump as the President boggles the mind (and turns them into comedies).

Maybe Donald's monument in history is going to be that other-culture trope of "if you (as a leader) are too inept to hold on to power, then you deserve to lose it to whomever is willing to take it from you". Trump's tenure really would have rivalled Liz Truss's for how quickly he would have been replaced

 

[pmv]

Maybe Donald's monument in history is going to be that other-culture trope of "if you (as a leader) are too inept to hold on to power, then you deserve to lose it to whomever is willing to take it from you". Trump's tenure really would have rivalled Liz Truss's for how quickly he would have been replaced

Well, it would have done, if the US system wasn't so broken. This is "Truss on steroids", or "Brexiting from the world".

US fantasies about itself, as reflected in so many Hollywood action movies, are just preposterously far from the reality. Though, I suppose, to be fair, there are plenty of comedies and satires that get a lot closer to the truth.

Going off on a complete tangent, was just remembering that "Olympus has Fallen" flick - which was pretty entertaining for what it was - and I recall one weird unintended message I got from it was that North Koreans are remarkably competent and ruthless in their evil plans.
The scheme they used to take the White House was impressively effective (though it makes one wonder why, given such competence and cunning, North Korea itself is in such a terrible state).
But few of these 'dastardly foreigners - or aliens - attack God's Own Country' movies compare to the damage the US has inflicted on itself.

 

[mikeymikec]

Well, it would have done, if the US system wasn't so broken.

I meant fictional tropes like "you keep what you kill" in Riddick-verse etc.

 

[cytg111]

Most likely reason for using signal is they dont want an audit trail. As I understand it widely illegal by American law.
Second runner-up reason is to share the information with those with an ear to the wire.

 

[Brainonska511]

Most likely reason for using signal is they dont want an audit trail. As I understand it widely illegal by American law.
Second runner-up reason is to share the information with those with an ear to the wire.

That's part of it.

The Guardian had an article describing the incident and the results of how it happened. In brief, there aren't great ways for people across agencies to text in real time, so the Trump administration continued to use signal, as they were during the transition. As for the reporter, allegedly, his phone number got added to another contact's because of some auto suggestion from an iPhone and emails the people were sharing amongst themselves.

Regardless, the episode shows how they are extremely careless with classified information, and that even after they were exposed, they just dug in and claimed they did nothing wrong.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

That's part of it.

The Guardian had an article describing the incident and the results of how it happened. In brief, there aren't great ways for people across agencies to text in real time, so the Trump administration continued to use signal, as they were during the transition. As for the reporter, allegedly, his phone number got added to another contact's because of some auto suggestion from an iPhone and emails the people were sharing amongst themselves.

Regardless, the episode shows how they are extremely careless with classified information, and that even after they were exposed, they just dug in and claimed they did nothing wrong.

One of the things you learn in the military is that there's a lot of gaps in how things 'could' get done vs how they do get done, but the gaps are there for a good reason. If you can prove they are not there for a good reason, you may be able to facilitate change and make things better, but you do not side-skirt rules you don't like. That gets people killed.