Replying to a message of Dan Ceppa to Richard Webb:

 DC> It's a slippery slope, for sure.  Newer technology makes it even
 DC> scarier  as it's becomin feasible to record everything almost
 DC> everywhere.  The  joke in Get Smart about the need for a Cone of
 DC> Silence is becoming a  reality.  

Note that there really is such a thing as a 'cone of silence.'  It's a term
used in aircraft navigation by ADF, as long as the aircraft is pointed directly
at the transmitter the pilot hears nothing, if it deviates a couple of degrees
he hears a tone in his headset.

 RW>> Be real men, quit with the plattitudes about unprovable
 RW>> future attacks and tell us how many qaedas you really took
 RW>> out of action with the information you illegally obtained.

 DC> Based on former operatives, the intel they got from "enhanced
 DC> interrogation"  was next to worthless.  In fact, it was worse than
 DC> that in that many man  hours were lost chasing down false leads.  

 RW>> OToh if you ordered it MR. CHeney and you didn't get lots of provable
 RW>> goodies for your trouble then you're an international criminal.  IN

 DC> We need to send him on an all-expenses paid visit to Spain. 

 RW>> that case, they're called war crimes bud.  But, war crimes or not, I
 RW>> think a lot of average middle AMerican folks would cheer you on
 RW>> nonetheless if they think you really got something for your trouble,
 RW>> and for dragging the name of the United STates through the mud. BUt,
 RW>> it's all just a goddamned piece of paper, and we'll do whatever we
 RW>> want. 

 DC> The Constitution needs to mean something again.  Many US citizens, 
 DC> when questioned on particular points of it, state that the rights 
 DC> provided by it aren't legal.  

Many if not most US citizens also believe that their rights are bestowed by
the Constitution, and are limited to those stated in the Constitution (Ninth
Amendment notwithstanding).

 RW>> happens all the time in war.  WIthout modern methods of
 RW>> communication though we don't hear about it.  In bygone days these

 DC> That's why the loss of news papers is so critical.  TV news rarely 
 DC> provides anything more than a snippet of what is going on.  It's also 
 DC> why a free internet is so critical.  Coupled with that is the loss of 
 DC> investigative reporters.  People need to be asking the hard questions 
 DC> instead of parroting gvt or business hand outs.  

 RW>> Abu Ghraib would have never come to the world's attention if not for
 RW>> some soldier with a camera. 

 DC> It would not have been as graphic, that's for sure.  

That was Rummy's gripe.  Not that it happened, but that it got out.
"How can we have secrets when everybody over there has a digital camera?" -
Donald Rumsfeld on Abu Ghraib.

--- FleetStreet 1.19+