# Smapti is Pitted **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 21, 2014, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907 "2014-05-21T08:14:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/121 "2014-05-22T11:58:02Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Your next search terms: “war crime perfidy”. Maybe you should ask the terrorists dressing up as local police or relief workers or women in headscarves if they know what the term means. And then explain why we should respect a “rule of war” that they don’t give a shit about. > [@](#): > > Which prison are they in, in case you want to send them a card? I don’t know. I don’t need to know. It’s for the best that we not even have the capacity to discuss it in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Fuji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@Fuji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/122 "2014-05-22T13:37:10Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Maybe you should ask the terrorists dressing up as local police or relief workers or women in headscarves if they know what the term means. While he’s doing that, maybe he could also ask those folks about the term “false equivalence”. > [@](#): > > And then explain why we should respect a “rule of war” that they don’t give a shit about. Maybe because, oh - I don’t know - your side is supposedly operating from a higher moral plane? I thought that was the big fooferah about “terrorism” in the first place, that it was an immoral way of settling international disputes. > [@](#): > > I don’t know. I don’t need to know. It’s for the best that we not even have the capacity to discuss it in the first place. If I may add one more search term to **Steve MB** ’s suggestions for your perusal: “Night and Fog”. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/123 "2014-05-22T13:46:12Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > It’s for the best that we not even have the capacity to discuss it in the first place. I’m afraid that _your_ incapacity to discuss it rationally will have to do. The rest of us are busy patching the security holes caused by the agency’s manipulations and excessive secrecy: > [@](#): > > [NSA Said to Exploit Heartbleed Bug for Intelligence for Years](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-11/nsa-said-to-have-used-heartbleed-bug-exposing-consumers.html) > > The U.S. National Security Agency knew for at least two years about a flaw in the way that many websites send sensitive information, now dubbed the Heartbleed bug, and regularly used it to gather critical intelligence, two people familiar with the matter said… > [@](#): > > [The NSA is Making Us All Less Safe](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/10/nsa-making-us-less-safe) > > By weakening encryption, the NSA allows others to more easily break it. By installing backdoors and other vulnerabilities in systems, the NSA exposes them to other malicious hackers – whether they are foreign governments or criminals. As security expert Bruce Schneier explained, “It’s sheer folly to believe that only the NSA can exploit the vulnerabilities they create.”… > [@](#): > > [Is the NSA Hiding Another Heartbleed?](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/05/03/is-the-nsa-hiding-another-heartbleed.html) > > Heartbleed was truly a lose-lose situation for the NSA. If the agency’s analysts did know about the bug, they’d be nefarious; if they didn’t know about it, they’d be incompetent… > > …[T]he longer an intelligence agency like the NSA holds onto a bug without giving the vendor a chance to fix it, the chances that someone else will discover and exploit it—a rival nation-state or a Russian cybercrime gang, for example—approach near certainty. And if the scales are tipped too much in favor of offense, as the Snowden leaks seem to suggest, the security systems which consumers, businesses, and even the U.S. government itself depends on are put at risk… Luckily, we found out what’s going on behind the curtain. Maybe we found out before the NSA’s incompetence or malice (depending on whether you consider them incompetent or nefarious; as noted above, those are the only two options) gave _everything_ away to the People’s Liberation Army hackers, the Russian Mafia, and Ghu knows who else… ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/124 "2014-05-22T14:33:55Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Maybe you should ask the terrorists dressing up as local police or relief workers or women in headscarves if they know what the term means. > > And then explain why we should respect a “rule of war” that they don’t give a shit about. Because we’re not them. Because we’re supposed to be better than them. Because “better than a bunch of murderous, hyperreligious thugs” shouldn’t be a particularly lofty goal to adhere to. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/125 "2014-05-22T14:35:30Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > Because “better than a bunch of murderous, hyperreligious thugs” shouldn’t be a particularly lofty goal to adhere to. And here I was, feeling all smug. Way to bring a guy down. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/126 "2014-05-22T14:43:38Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > Because we’re not them. Because we’re supposed to be better than them. Because “better than a bunch of murderous, hyperreligious thugs” shouldn’t be a particularly lofty goal to adhere to. For that matter, being _smarter_ than a bunch of murderous, hyperreligious thugs shouldn’t be a particularly challenging goal. A key element of the enemy strategy is to troll the Western powers into making stupid mistakes – their leaders up to and including Osama himself have said as much – and leaders on our side who think (if that’s the right word for it) like **Smapti** have taken the bait hook, line, and sinker. [QUOTE=Osama bin Laden] [October 2004 video:](http://www.aljazeera.com/archive/2004/11/200849163336457223.html) All that we have mentioned has made it easy for us to provoke and bait this administration. All that we have to do is to send two mujahidin to the furthest point east to raise a piece of cloth on which is written al-Qaida, in order to make the generals race there to cause America to suffer human, economic, and political losses without their achieving for it anything of note other than some benefits for their private companies. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/127 "2014-05-22T14:48:09Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Ahem; > > …You were saying? Still don’t see where it says those are “fundamental freedoms”. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/128 "2014-05-22T16:26:44Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Still don’t see where it says those are “fundamental freedoms”. But those words are _also_ in the Fifth Amendment! Therefore fundamental!!! ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/129 "2014-05-23T03:05:48Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Maybe you should ask the terrorists dressing up as local police or relief workers or women in headscarves if they know what the term means. > > And then explain why we should respect a “rule of war” that they don’t give a shit about. Do you hate doctors? Do you want them to die? Because supporting perfidy, torture and similar crimes isn’t just unethical, it’s _stupid_. Medics and doctors on humanitarian missions are off limits only because they are not going to abuse those protections to take action against the people giving them free passage. The dumb fuckers at the CIA just threw that protection away because they thought that it was a good cover for an espionage mission that didn’t even fucking work. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/130 "2014-05-23T14:21:42Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > Do you hate doctors? Do you want them to die? “…serve the bastards right… try to steal _my_ organs, will they?..” ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/131 "2014-05-23T19:51:42Z")
Hey, Brian Williams scored an interview with Snowden and it will air this Wednesday. Finally the debate on whether Snowden is a hero or a traitor will be settled. Tune in to find out the truth. > **[EXCLUSIVE: Edward Snowden Gives Wide-Ranging Interview to Brian Williams](https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/nsa-snooping/exclusive-edward-snowden-gives-wide-ranging-interview-brian-williams-n110351)** > > The "NBC Nightly News" anchor and managing editor traveled to Russia this week to interview former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/132 "2014-05-23T20:31:07Z")
Eh, I’ll just wait for the results of their text-message poll. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/133 "2014-05-23T20:58:04Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > “…serve the bastards right… try to steal _my_ organs, will they?..” [I hate it when that happens.](http://youtu.be/aclS1pGHp8o) ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/134 "2014-05-23T22:52:26Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > Thanks Smapti. I was going to ask the OP for a link to back up his claims but you have provided some good examples to work with locally. This. I’m not about to sign away or waive away any rights, freedoms, privileges, moral values, ethical values, or anything just so some pussy can pretend to feel safer. I’ve heard enough -too much- of that bullshit for the past too many years. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/135 "2014-05-24T00:36:37Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > I’m not about to sign away or waive away any rights, freedoms, privileges, moral values, ethical values, or anything just so some pussy can pretend to feel safer. I’ve heard enough -too much- of that bullshit for the past too many years. I’m not asking anyone to give up any rights. I’m saying that you’re asserting the existence of rights you never had in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/136 "2014-05-24T00:37:53Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > Do you hate doctors? Do you want them to die? Because supporting perfidy, torture and similar crimes isn’t just unethical, it’s _stupid_. Medics and doctors on humanitarian missions are off limits only because they are not going to abuse those protections to take action against the people giving them free passage. The dumb fuckers at the CIA just threw that protection away because they thought that it was a good cover for an espionage mission that didn’t even fucking work. If they want to shoot at doctors, I won’t lose any sleep when they all start dropping dead of preventable diseases. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/137 "2014-05-24T04:36:18Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > If they want to shoot at doctors, I won’t lose any sleep when they all start dropping dead of preventable diseases. This is an excellent plan, because we all know that diseases only make the bad people sick. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/138 "2014-05-24T04:52:30Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > This is an excellent plan, because we all know that diseases only make the bad people sick. If they don’t care about their people getting sick, then I’m not going to care on their behalf. ---
**Author:** ![Fuji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@Fuji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/139 "2014-05-24T14:15:55Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I’m not asking anyone to give up any rights. I’m saying that you’re asserting the existence of rights you never had in the first place. What are these “rights I never had in the first place” of which you speak? Please be specific. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2014, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907/140 "2014-05-25T03:44:35Z")
> [@Fuji](#): > > What are these “rights I never had in the first place” of which you speak? Please be specific. Oh, another question for Smapti, while we’re at it. As noted above, we’ve established that the NSA is either incompetent or nefarious; which is it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smapti-is-pitted/688907.md?page=8)