I suspect that the intelligence services of most major countries spy on the UN or at least try to, but I also think if you get caught the person who caught you has the right to disclose the information.
The first is rational behaviour (note _discussing_), the second is fairly blah - everyone assumed that 'the above' was going on, right? The second option seems to miss the mark, to me what has been released is quite different from 'informing' - you could prove what was been talked about without disclosing all of the contents
Put in those terms, it's pretty clear that the first is simply not news (almost all countries are members of the UN, and if they do any spying at all it is on each other; discussion of pre-emptive strikes on Iran has been a staple of Washington Beltway commentary for years) whereas the second is a betrayal of confidence (as zornhau eloquently illustrates above). I'm actually in this game to an extent, and the striking thing to me is how little of the Cablegate stuff is actually news. OK, I'm unusually well-informed, but to me this means that the shock value of releasing the cables is much greater than the intellectual value contained in them; in other words it is a publicity stunt rather than any serious lifting of the lid.
I was shocked by the Saudis urging the US to bomb Iran, I must say, but that was the only thing. It made me laugh that Ahmedinejad called it propaganda and refused to believe it.
The things that the papers mostly seem to be het up about, on the other hand, are people's opinions. People having opinions is not news.
no subject
I suspect that the intelligence services of most major countries spy on the UN or at least try to, but I also think if you get caught the person who caught you has the right to disclose the information.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
no subject
(no subject)
Disconnect
World is now a less safe place
Generally, the world is a safer place if people can resolve international problems behind the scenes.
Re: World is now a less safe place
Re: World is now a less safe place
Re: World is now a less safe place
Re: World is now a less safe place
Re: World is now a less safe place
Re: World is now a less safe place
no subject
(no subject)
(no subject)
no subject
The things that the papers mostly seem to be het up about, on the other hand, are people's opinions. People having opinions is not news.