What you get if the President won't read the daily security briefings

[HomerJS]

There is agreement amongst every agency in our government that the Russians hacked our political system and interfered with the election. The only person who doesn't think so is Trump. He just want to "move on" and forget this happened.

There is a critical mass of evidence piling up that would even convince the dimmest bulb Russia is behind it. So now Trump has decided to meet with intelligence agencies and look into the problem.

http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-russia-sanctions-response-2016-12

President Obama has stated top secret reports already exist that prove it was Russia. Committee chairman in Congress have been briefed but can't discuss. These reports would be part of the Daily Presidential Briefings. You know, the reports Trump does not read and leaves it up to Pence and Flynn who obviously have not filled Trump in.

This guy is not doing his job and the country will pay for it.

 

[fskimospy]

It is frankly scary that this guy is so far behind where a normal, competent president would be at this point.

 

[FIVR]

I think it's great, best we've ever had. Competency is overrated.



The inauguration is going to be a spectacular unpresidented bigly very smart event. Hopefully with chachi reading aloud various dilbert columns on camera. I think he does different voices for Dilbert and the Boss/ management.

 

[Double Trouble]

You guys and your drama and hype crack me up. The sky is falling, Trump is the worst ever, we're all doomed, run for your bunkers!

I expect it from some of the other clowns on here, but eskimo, you're normally more level headed. You seem to be losing it over the Trump election. Relax man.

 

[FIVR]

Yeah, chill out Fskimopsy. Everything is gonna be fine.

 

[fskimospy]

You guys and your drama and hype crack me up. The sky is falling, Trump is the worst ever, we're all doomed, run for your bunkers!

I expect it from some of the other clowns on here, but eskimo, you're normally more level headed. You seem to be losing it over the Trump election. Relax man.

I'm fine, but thanks for your concern!

Who is saying we are all doomed? That's silliness and I hope you wouldn't believe that sort of nonsense. Stupid hyperbole aside I mean so far the level of incompetence is pretty concerning, wouldn't you agree? He seems totally in over his head.

 

[jackstar7]

You guys and your drama and hype crack me up. The sky is falling, Trump is the worst ever, we're all doomed, run for your bunkers!

I expect it from some of the other clowns on here, but eskimo, you're normally more level headed. You seem to be losing it over the Trump election. Relax man.

Says a former patriot.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Wow, hacked by Crouching Yeti and Energetic Bear

 

[theeedude]

Last time we had a Republican ignoramus president who ignored intelligence warnings, we got 9/11.

 

[IronWing]

Last time we had a Republican ignoramus president who ignored intelligence warnings, we got 9/11.

And it worked out great for him. What President wouldn't want a Reichstag Fire on their watch? So many opportunities.

 

[Gryz]

There is agreement amongst every agency in our government that the Russians hacked our political system and interfered with the election.

There is agreement amongst your government agencies that they want you to believe it's the Ruskis that are attacking you.

There was also agreement amongst all your government agencies that Iraq had lots of WMD, remember ?

There is a critical mass of evidence piling up

Show me. So far I have not seen any evidence.

When my government, or yours, wants me to start moving towards a state of war against another country, I'd like to see some evidence. The US has not started a full-blown war during the last 8 years, as it has done during the 8 years before that. But the US and its ally completely fucked up Libya and Syria. And made sure Iraq and Afghanistan did not move closer even a centimeter towards peace and civilization. And they were heavily involved in starting a civil war in the Ukraine. And now we need to believe that Russia is our biggest enemy ?

What a bullshit. All "geo-politics". Just a scheme to cause a lot of distress and unrest in the world. Just so someone somewhere can make a buck.

You know what I wanna see ? Germany and other European countries starting sanctions against the US. Because last year you were eavesdropping on our political leaders. And hacking into our financial systems. Pot. Kettle.

Another point to think about. The US has been against secure computer systems. Against encrypting everything. They even actively tried to sabotage standarization efforts for strong encryption technology. Because US leaders thought that they could rule the world if they could eavesdrop on everybody and infiltrate other countries computers. Well, that blew up in your faces, didn't it ?

 

[theeedude]

And it worked out great for him. What President wouldn't want a Reichstag Fire on their watch? So many opportunities.

I am sure Putin has some pointers for Trump on that front.

 

[fskimospy]

There is agreement amongst your government agencies that they want you to believe it's the Ruskis that are attacking you.

There was also agreement amongst all your government agencies that Iraq had lots of WMD, remember ?

If intelligence is wrong ever then I guess we should never believe intelligence.

Lolwut.

Show me. So far I have not seen any evidence.

When my government, or yours, wants me to start moving towards a state of war against another country, I'd like to see some evidence. The US has not started a full-blown war during the last 8 years, as it has done during the 8 years before that. But the US and its ally completely fucked up Libya and Syria. And made sure Iraq and Afghanistan did not move closer even a centimeter towards peace and civilization. And they were heavily involved in starting a civil war in the Ukraine. And now we need to believe that Russia is our biggest enemy ?

What a bullshit. All "geo-politics". Just a scheme to cause a lot of distress and unrest in the world. Just so someone somewhere can make a buck.

I'm not sure what sort of crazy news you are reading but the US is not remotely moving towards a state of war with Russia. You've got to read some more objective and less conspiracy minded sources because this is totally unhinged from reality.

You know what I wanna see ? Germany and other European countries starting sanctions against the US. Because last year you were eavesdropping on our political leaders. And hacking into our financial systems. Pot. Kettle.

How would that serve Germany's interests? You seem to want your leaders to repudiate a half century alliance and tight economic integration out of a fit of pique. It's good that your leaders are more level headed than you are.

Another point to think about. The US has been against secure computer systems. Against encrypting everything. They even actively tried to sabotage standarization efforts for strong encryption technology. Because US leaders thought that they could rule the world if they could eavesdrop on everybody and infiltrate other countries computers. Well, that blew up in your faces, didn't it ?

On what possible basis would you think that this hack wouldn't have happened with stronger encryption technology? The hackers had access to the systems, they didn't intercept it in transit.

 

[Indus]

I am sure Putin has some pointers for Trump on that front.

Putin's like sit back and relax in your condo while I do the heavy lifting and invade Alaska which I can see from my house. I'll give you 4% of the oil revenue too.

 

[alien42]

There is agreement amongst your government agencies that they want you to believe it's the Ruskis that are attacking you.

There was also agreement amongst all your government agencies that Iraq had lots of WMD, remember ?

first of all, the initial evidence to come out regarding the Russian's hack of our politicians was from several private security firms last summer. the government agencies are really just verifying what we already knew from the private sector.

as for WMD in Iraq, there wasn't an agreement among all our government agencies.

you need to take off your tin foil hat and get a grip on reality, your conspiracies are silly.

 

[TheVrolok]

There was also agreement amongst all your government agencies that Iraq had lots of WMD, remember ?

.. No there wasn't? I guess it's more convenient to just make up history to fit your point, though.

 

[MooseNSquirrel]

There is agreement amongst your government agencies that they want you to believe it's the Ruskis that are attacking you.

There was also agreement amongst all your government agencies that Iraq had lots of WMD, remember ?


Show me. So far I have not seen any evidence.

When my government, or yours, wants me to start moving towards a state of war against another country, I'd like to see some evidence. The US has not started a full-blown war during the last 8 years, as it has done during the 8 years before that. But the US and its ally completely fucked up Libya and Syria. And made sure Iraq and Afghanistan did not move closer even a centimeter towards peace and civilization. And they were heavily involved in starting a civil war in the Ukraine. And now we need to believe that Russia is our biggest enemy ?

What a bullshit. All "geo-politics". Just a scheme to cause a lot of distress and unrest in the world. Just so someone somewhere can make a buck.

You know what I wanna see ? Germany and other European countries starting sanctions against the US. Because last year you were eavesdropping on our political leaders. And hacking into our financial systems. Pot. Kettle.

Another point to think about. The US has been against secure computer systems. Against encrypting everything. They even actively tried to sabotage standarization efforts for strong encryption technology. Because US leaders thought that they could rule the world if they could eavesdrop on everybody and infiltrate other countries computers. Well, that blew up in your faces, didn't it ?

Lets all falsely compare the actions of totalitarian regimes with democratic ones.

And the Iraq war fiasco was much more than an intelligence community failure.

 

[WHAMPOM]

There is agreement amongst your government agencies that they want you to believe it's the Ruskis that are attacking you.

There was also agreement amongst all your government agencies that Iraq had lots of WMD, remember ?


Show me. So far I have not seen any evidence.

When my government, or yours, wants me to start moving towards a state of war against another country, I'd like to see some evidence. The US has not started a full-blown war during the last 8 years, as it has done during the 8 years before that. But the US and its ally completely fucked up Libya and Syria. And made sure Iraq and Afghanistan did not move closer even a centimeter towards peace and civilization. And they were heavily involved in starting a civil war in the Ukraine. And now we need to believe that Russia is our biggest enemy ?

What a bullshit. All "geo-politics". Just a scheme to cause a lot of distress and unrest in the world. Just so someone somewhere can make a buck.

You know what I wanna see ? Germany and other European countries starting sanctions against the US. Because last year you were eavesdropping on our political leaders. And hacking into our financial systems. Pot. Kettle.

Another point to think about. The US has been against secure computer systems. Against encrypting everything. They even actively tried to sabotage standarization efforts for strong encryption technology. Because US leaders thought that they could rule the world if they could eavesdrop on everybody and infiltrate other countries computers. Well, that blew up in your faces, didn't it ?

AH NO. The only Government agency that believed in WMDs resided in the White House, Ya must remember the Prez filmed looking under furniture for them. As for the rest just more "do as we say not as we do" rhetoric from the self interest crowd.

 

[Gryz]

If intelligence is wrong ever then I guess we should never believe intelligence

That's the other end of the spectrum. We should be careful with partial information that is presented to us.

I'm not sure what sort of crazy news you are reading but the US is not remotely moving towards a state of war with Russia.

Not a full state of war. But during the last 3 years the tone of western news about Russia has completely changed. Nobody can not have noticed that. Three years ago we were all having a party in Sochi. And suddenly "Putin is the new Hitler". (Yeah, I know, I am exaggerating). Just like the media managed to make half the US believe that Hussein was responsible for 911, right now the western media are trying to make us believe that Putin is responsible for the wars in Ukraine and Syria. While we (the west) did that.

How would that serve Germany's interests?

Of course it wouldn't. That is why everybody acted as if nothing had happened. Guess what would have happened if someone had been eavesdropping on all Obama's phone conversations. Do you think the US would have ignored that ? Maybe, maybe not. But if the wrong guy would have done that, all hell would have broken lose.

On what possible basis would you think that this hack wouldn't have happened with stronger encryption technology? The hackers had access to the systems, they didn't intercept it in transit.

We're talking about the hack into email accounts of Democrats, right ? I believe that happened because of malware installed when someone clicked on a phising email. Indeed, encryption would not have solved that. Maybe proper authentication (which is the same kind of math/tech as encryption) would have helped. Another way I would look at it is the whole security situation on Windows systems. It's terrible. People want us to believe it is because "computers are inherently insecure". But that's not true. In the case of phishing emails it is because Microsoft (and others) have decided 20-25 years ago that there should be no distinction between data and programs. And that most stuff should just "automatically work without user intervention". That's how we have a system that someone by clicking on a link ("I want to watch something passive") actually does an action ("install software that I'm not aware of what it is").
You might think that "this is how it happens to be". But I think it is deliberate.
Anyway, that's a technical discussion, maybe not best done on P&N.

The point I tried to get across was: technically it is possible and feasible to have much thighter security in computer systems. People have been thinking about security since the sixties. The current state of security on customer devices is terrible. Politicians see true end-to-end encryption as the work of the devil. Is that all a coincendence ? I think not.

The Democrats found out what happens if you think privacy is not important. Now we need the Republicans find out the same. Maybe then we'll finally get real privacy.

 

[Jaskalas]

You know, the reports Trump does not read and leaves it up to Pence and Flynn who obviously have not filled Trump in.

This guy is not doing his job and the country will pay for it.

You want to inform Trump, you speak to the senior staff. That's their job. To manage the details.
You thinking that's a big deal is adorable.

 

[Sonikku]

The inauguration is going to be a spectacular unpresidented bigly very smart event.

/thumbsup

 

[fskimospy]

That's the other end of the spectrum. We should be careful with partial information that is presented to us.
Not a full state of war. But during the last 3 years the tone of western news about Russia has completely changed. Nobody can not have noticed that. Three years ago we were all having a party in Sochi. And suddenly "Putin is the new Hitler". (Yeah, I know, I am exaggerating). Just like the media managed to make half the US believe that Hussein was responsible for 911, right now the western media are trying to make us believe that Putin is responsible for the wars in Ukraine and Syria. While we (the west) did that.

Yes, clearly the west is responsible for Russia invading its neighbors.

Again, I don't know what news sources you've been reading but you're getting some seriously bad information. Russia is to blame for invading its neighbors. No one else. It's not like this is a new thing for them either. Why do you think the countries surrounding Russia want to join NATO so badly? Because for their entire history Russia has been invading them.

Of course it wouldn't. That is why everybody acted as if nothing had happened. Guess what would have happened if someone had been eavesdropping on all Obama's phone conversations. Do you think the US would have ignored that ? Maybe, maybe not. But if the wrong guy would have done that, all hell would have broken lose.

It's not like that sort of thing hasn't happened before. Every major country spies on every other, allies included. Such is life.

We're talking about the hack into email accounts of Democrats, right ? I believe that happened because of malware installed when someone clicked on a phising email. Indeed, encryption would not have solved that. Maybe proper authentication (which is the same kind of math/tech as encryption) would have helped. Another way I would look at it is the whole security situation on Windows systems. It's terrible. People want us to believe it is because "computers are inherently insecure". But that's not true. In the case of phishing emails it is because Microsoft (and others) have decided 20-25 years ago that there should be no distinction between data and programs. And that most stuff should just "automatically work without user intervention". That's how we have a system that someone by clicking on a link ("I want to watch something passive") actually does an action ("install software that I'm not aware of what it is").
You might think that "this is how it happens to be". But I think it is deliberate.
Anyway, that's a technical discussion, maybe not best done on P&N.

The point I tried to get across was: technically it is possible and feasible to have much thighter security in computer systems. People have been thinking about security since the sixties. The current state of security on customer devices is terrible. Politicians see true end-to-end encryption as the work of the devil. Is that all a coincendence ? I think not.

The Democrats found out what happens if you think privacy is not important. Now we need the Republicans find out the same. Maybe then we'll finally get real privacy.

That's an awfully, awfully large logical leap there.

 

[dank69]

.. No there wasn't? I guess it's more convenient to just make up history to fit your point, though.

Give the guy a break, he is just parroting what his "news" sources tell him to think. He has no idea they are lying to him, has no ability to verify what is fact or fiction and no desire to learn about any of it.

 

[IronWing]

Willful ignorance used to top my personal list of deadly sins. But seeing willful self delusion in practice on a mass scale is causing me to reconsider.

 

[Gryz]

Yes, clearly the west is responsible for Russia invading its neighbors.

I think we're done here.

Russia didn't invade Ukraine. The west supported a (violent) revolution that overthrew a democratically elected goverment in Kiev. Maybe you or the west didn't like that government, but it was the democratically elected goverment. I guess the word democracy has only meaning when you like the results.

The resulting civil war is just as much our responsibility as Russia's. If you can't see that, well, there's not much I can do. I'm not a Russia-lover, I don't like Putin. I got no personal stakes here. But I've watched the news, read background stories, kept up. And I don't follow the popular view in our own media.

And again, the Krim joining Russia is something that is supported by the vast majority of citizens in the Krim. As made obvious by the referendum that they held. Maybe you don't like referenda, unless the outcome is what you want. That seems to be the opinion of the western establishement. (My own government whent straight against two referenda we held here). It hardly matters if Russians had entered the Krim before the referendum. The Krim got what its people wanted.

Talking about Russia invading neighbors is pure bullshit.

And don't get me started on Syria. That's an even bigger false story set up by our own media to mask the fact that we in fact started a civil war there that cost 400k people their lives.