Hypocrisy is alive and well (22 Mar, 2021)

[aardvark_admin]

This column is archived at: https://aardvark.co.nz/daily/2021/0322.shtml

Leading by example is clearly not "the American way" but blatant hypocrisy is standard practice within governments across the globe.

How can a rapidly escalating cyber-war benefit anyone and end well?

Surely governments on both sides of the planet have much better and more important things to do than engage in a giant pissing contest to prove who has the best hackers on team?

[shadesnz]

It's not about tit-for-tat. It's about public affairs.
It is designed to enrage the public and make them want to see the dissolution of the government. The people will be happy when it happens. Then, a new system gets put in.
If our governments focussed on more important things, such as fixing the homeless problem and addressing housing, the current system of rule stays and the pollies get bored.
That's not a conspiracy theory by the way. Maybe not in NZ but over in Europe and North America, there is a lot of dissatisfaction with governments over there and the govs know it. So, they just engage in behaviour that pushes people over the edge. Protests increase. etc.
The other way of looking at it is to make people worry about their online safety. Many already are. If the online environment becomes too risky to do business in, how are you going to manage your life? So, you are threatened and harm is perceptably put in place. Then what? You rebel. Precisely what the PTB want.

[hagfish]

I was thinking 'surely that's an exaggeration' but - nope - it's exactly what the article says. Why can't they use good, ol'fashioned bombs? They're much more TV-friendly, the effects are finite, and there's a nice payday for the weapons-maker. Oh well, here's some drone footage of the volcano erupting in Iceland.

[pid@ifm.net.nz]

>If foreign hackers cripple the US power grid for example

You don't have to worry about foreign hackers crippling the US power grid. US politicians will do a far more effective job at that. Hello Texas.