# Why would Richard Clarke make a comment like this about Michael Hastings' death? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 30, 2013, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-richard-clarke-make-a-comment-like-this-about-michael-hastings-death/662235 "2013-06-30T02:23:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2013, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-richard-clarke-make-a-comment-like-this-about-michael-hastings-death/662235/1 "2013-06-30T02:23:18Z")
> **[Was Hastings' Car Hacked?](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/michael-hastings-car-hacked_n_3492339)** > > Was Hastings' Car Hacked? Richard Clarke said to The Huffington Post that Hastings’ manner of death is consistent with a cyber attack on his car, and that there is evidence the government knows how to do this. Is Richard Clarke known for saying things that can serve no predictable purpose but to stir up conspiratorial thinking? I ask because I would have expected someone who served in the kind of position he served in at the national level to have simply said “no comment.” I’m not asking “what he really knows” or anything like that. I’m just asking why would he _say_ something like this, true or not, plausible or not? ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-richard-clarke-make-a-comment-like-this-about-michael-hastings-death/662235/2 "2013-07-01T05:05:57Z")
> [@](#): > > “I’m not a conspiracy guy. In fact, I’ve spent most of my life knocking down conspiracy theories,” said Clarke, who ran afoul of the second Bush administration when he criticized the decision to invade Iraq after 9/11. “But my rule has always been you don’t knock down a conspiracy theory until you can prove it [wrong]. And in the case of Michael Hastings, what evidence is available publicly is consistent with a car cyber attack. And the problem with that is you can’t prove it.” Isn’t that a good enough reason to say it? I think it would only add to the conspiracy theories if he had no comment on it. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-richard-clarke-make-a-comment-like-this-about-michael-hastings-death/662235/3 "2013-07-01T05:32:25Z")
People say stupid things. If I was on TV and had written as much as Clarke did/does, I’m sure some of the stuff would sound crazy too. Theoretically any car crash could be caused by some never proven to have happened in the wild hacking of the car. You could never disprove this - as of course the magical super government hackers would leave no trace. The idea that the govt would use this method to off one of its own citizens, but allow him to publish the stuff he already had - is silly. Anyone who believes it isn’t going to believe it any more or less because of Clarke. Sure they will mention the Clarke thing as extra ammo, but I doubt there is anyone out there who thought I wasn’t a conspiracy before Clarke, and now thinks it is. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2013, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-richard-clarke-make-a-comment-like-this-about-michael-hastings-death/662235/4 "2013-07-01T19:58:21Z")
> [@DataX](#): > > The idea that the govt would use this method to off one of its own citizens, but allow him to publish the stuff he already had - is silly. I’m not sure I see the logic here. If Hastings had lived he would have gone on to publish more than he has published already. It’s not impossible that some person or persons has an interest in preventing that. Whether or not Hastings has already published some material, would have no bearing on the fact that he might have gone on to publish additional material. > [@DataX](#): > > Anyone who believes it isn’t going to believe it any more or less because of Clarke. Sure they will mention the Clarke thing as extra ammo, but I doubt there is anyone out there who thought I wasn’t a conspiracy before Clarke, and now thinks it is. I’m not so sure about that. Personally, I took the “it was an accident” assurances at face value for the first few days; I doubt that I’m alone in that. Clarke has a lot of credibility with many who see his remarks about certain post 9-11 actions by US government officials as having been both sensible and courageous. So…yes, Clarke’s observations about Hastings’ death may have gotten some people’s attention. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2013, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-richard-clarke-make-a-comment-like-this-about-michael-hastings-death/662235/5 "2013-08-21T07:11:03Z")
The autopsy report is out. He had traces of amphetamine and marijuana in his system. “A family member told investigators Hastings didn’t have a history of suicide attempts but believed he was invincible and could jump off a balcony and be fine.” So it doesn’t look like there is anything to the conspiracy theories. [http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/coroner-details-journalist-michael-hastings-death-20016317](http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/coroner-details-journalist-michael-hastings-death-20016317) ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2013, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-richard-clarke-make-a-comment-like-this-about-michael-hastings-death/662235/6 "2013-08-21T08:17:15Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > The autopsy report is out. He had traces of amphetamine and marijuana in his system. “A family member told investigators Hastings didn’t have a history of suicide attempts but believed he was invincible and could jump off a balcony and be fine.” So it doesn’t look like there is anything to the conspiracy theories. > [http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/coroner-details-journalist-michael-hastings-death-20016317](http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/coroner-details-journalist-michael-hastings-death-20016317) Would small amounts of amphetamines make someone a poorer driver? I mean the military issues the stuff to pilots and soldiers. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-richard-clarke-make-a-comment-like-this-about-michael-hastings-death/662235/7 "2013-08-21T16:40:32Z")
Meth and MJ make a person a poorer driver. My cite is a TV show from last week comparing volunteers with cocaine, MJ, meth and heroin. The only exception to decreased performance in everything was assembly of furniture is okay but a bit slow on heroin. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-would-richard-clarke-make-a-comment-like-this-about-michael-hastings-death/662235/8 "2013-08-21T17:20:22Z")
Well obviously the conspiracy theorists will say the autopsy samples were tampered with. I haven’t looked at this case in great detail, but from what I have read then Clarke was quite correct to say that the accident was “consistent with” a cyber attack on the car. The car was seen driven erratically at high speeds with seemingly no braking before crashing. That is what you might expect to see if the car was being controlled remotely and/or the throttle and brakes had been tampered with. But of course, “consistent with” doesn’t mean “caused by”. It just means that it is one possible cause out of many.