Re: <nettime> Jamming Echelon

["scotartt" <scot@systemx.autonomous.org>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Andi Freeman <andi@deepdisc.com>
To: <nettime-l@bbs.thing.net>
Sent: Friday, October 22, 1999 10:38 PM
Subject: Re: <nettime> Jamming Echelon


> What I can't understand is that if Ecehlon has been used by the US
> government to undermine foreign trade deals (like Aerospatiale got done 
in
> Argentina) why someone doesn't take them to the WTO ? Surely usage of
> Ecehlon for industrial espionage contravines WTO regulations of which
> Echelon countries are signatories ? Maybe the legal routes offered to
> protect free trade can be used to protect individual privacy...any ideas
> in this direction ?

I think perhaps because, like espionage in general, its a game that
everyone indulges in, but never admits. Spies appear to operate in a
special zone of immunity -- for instance they rarely kill each other --
and I think that this attitude extends to Governments, in that they will
rarely acknowledge their participation, on either side (as spy or target).
So they burn under the collar and unleash *their* spies on the sensitive
points of the enemy. They don't call it The Great Game for nothin' ya
know. 

regs
scot.


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