“Hallo Ernestine, Chancellor Merkel here. Ein moment bitte. Barack, you can hank op please. Dis ist nicht ein konferenz call.”
Funny? German Chancellor Angela Merkel didn’t think so when
she found out the NSA has been consistently listening to her call phone calls.
In fact, the NSA listens to phone calls of many leaders of our friendly allies.
While some allies take it in stride, others who grew up in oppressive
governments – like NAZI Germany and communist East Germany – are understandably
concerned.
But we’re the good guys! The NSA is just trying to keep the
US safe from terrorists. Although that is a laudable goal, just what makes them
think Angela Merkel would be having conversations with terrorists. Sure,
leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood might be cooking up some nasty business, and
eavesdropping on them would be a real good idea.
Is there a difference between gathering intelligence and
just plain snooping? I believe there is, but to differentiate one would
probably be accused of “profiling”. It’s the same affront to logic that
requires the TSA to pat down 80-year-old grandmothers and 4-year-old girls at
the airport while passing Muslim men for fear of being labeled as profiling.
So now we are paying the National Security Agency to listen
to the German Chancellor make a hairdresser appointment, or campaign strategy,
or maybe confidential EU strategy with an Italian Minister. It is almost
certain, though, that she will not be discussing terrorist hits on America.
The NSA has some of the most technologically advanced
equipment in the world, much of it evolved from that of the cold war when spy
craft was a necessary factor in survival of the free world. While other
countries may not have the advanced technology we do, there can be no doubt
they are spying on us too.
When Obama took office, he became the first president to use
cell technology – his Blackberry. There was always the fear that wireless
technology could be hacked. Apparently, that was a valid fear, but our own
security agency seems to be the ones doing the hacking. If we can hack cell
phones, it’s a safe bet other technologically proficient countries or groups
can too, for instance China or Russia, maybe even Al Qaida. Do you think they
might be interested in hearing about Obama’s golf game? Maybe they are
spellbound listening to him recount about Michelle’s latest taxpayer-paid
multi-million dollar vacation.
I guess the bottom line is even though we have the ability
to snoop on anyone in the world, logic and common sense should dictate whom we
target. Shame on us for spying on our friends. The thing is, if we can do it,
so can other, maybe not so friendly, entities. Folks using unsecured devices
for communication should not expect privacy. Critical conversations over these
devices should always be handled as if they were being broadcast to everyone in
the world.
If Angela Merkel or any other high-profile government leader
is communicating critical information over unsecured devices, they are too
naïve to be in a leadership position. If your cell phone is limited to benign,
droll, personal chitchat, the NSA and probably anyone else listening will
become so bored they will eventually give up.
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