Julian FUD
In a pitiful attempt to show that it matters, Wikileaks has released a cache of emails stolen from Stratfor, perhaps by Anonymous.
The media is treating this as a serious story, instead of the joke it is. The only reason–only–to pay attention to this is to heap scorn on Assange, Wikileaks, and Anonymous. To point out just how colossally lame they are, individually and collectively. Wikileaks can’t get actual, like, you know, confidential government documents, so it is reduced to accepting “charitable” donations of emails stolen by hackers that opportunistically exploit a private organization culpable of some egregious security lapses. How pathetic is that? (Even Wikileak’s big coup-the State Department cables-was handed to it on a plate by Bradley Manning. It was hardly an act requiring any technical expertise.)
Is this the best they can do? Really? A private organization, that has some dealings with defense contractors and the like? An organization with a mixed reputation?
Some journalists, like Dan Murphy of the Christian Science Monitor , and Jack Shafer at Reuters, are heaping the appropriate scorn on the losers. But for the most part, the media is breathlessly reporting the “revelations” like they are real news, or something. Assange, Wikileaks, and Anonymous have jumped the shark, and the media is driving the boat.
The Russians, and Russia Today in particular, take the cake. Russia Today refers to Stratfor as a “shadow CIA.” Seriously. They do. And there was a kerfuffle in Russia regarding Prosecutor General Yury Chaika, who apparently was a source for Stratfor reporting on Russian “clan wars.” Chaika’s office asserted that claims he had cooperated with “foreign intelligence services” was a provocation. What, Stratfor is now a “foreign intelligence service”?
How farcical.
I wonder if Stratfor CEO George Friedman is regretting his appearances on RT.
Speaking of Friedman, an email stating he had resigned as CEO was circulated. But that was apparently a forgery-part of the Anonymous campaign against Stratfor. Friedman posted a video about the leak, in which he was identified as Stratfor CEO.
He should really come out with a video stating conclusively he has not resigned. Preferably holding a copy of a newspaper with today’s date. It has really come to that.
Wikileaks and Assange and Anonymous wrap themselves in the cause of openness and transparency. In fact, they are rather low rent criminals who sow FUD rather than shed light into dark corners. If the media is going to give them any attention, it should be in the form of scorn and ridicule, rather than the rather embarrassing breathless coverage seen today. Taking them seriously only encourages the fools.
Re: Friedman and RT – lie with pigs and you ain’t Kosher
Comment by sotos — February 28, 2012 @ 12:35 pm
I see what you did there.
http://www.theage.com.au/world/charges-against-assange-drawn-up-in-us-says-email-20120228-1u14c.html
Comment by So? — February 28, 2012 @ 8:19 pm
More proof that at least some the Wikileaks ‘leaks’ you rail against are actually faked provocatsey, most likely from the real or private intel agencies posing as ‘Anonymous’.
Of course they pick on Chaika, who’s basically been in and out of hospitals with heart problems for the past several years. The man is too weak to defend himself.
Comment by Mr. X — February 29, 2012 @ 7:36 pm
And this gem from RIAN’s gonna hurt in Andy land:
http://en.ria.ru/world/20120229/171614647.html
Comment by Mr. X — February 29, 2012 @ 8:42 pm
@Mr. X
The deal must’ve completed, since the Armenian forces of Nagorno Karabagh shot down one or two of them in the recent months.
Comment by MJ — March 1, 2012 @ 12:59 am
The Putin-mafias proxy -warrior Mr X is misinform .Stratfor Is a Joke and So Is Wikileaks for Taking It Seriously
“Stratfor is just The Economist a week later and several hundred times more expensive.”
Israeli defense officials on February 26 confirmed a deal to sell Azerbaijan drones, antiaircraft, and missile defense systems for some $1.6 billion.
http://www.rferl.org/content/azerbaijan_israel_iran_missiles_drones/24496978.html
Comment by Anders — March 1, 2012 @ 7:22 pm
So why do Wikileaks and their hacker source Anonymous seem to consider Stratfor, which appears to do little more than combine banal corporate research with media-style freelance researcher arrangements, to be a cross between CIA and Illuminati? The answer is probably a combination of naivete and desperation. Wikileaks chief Julian Assange, after all, felt comfortable taking credit for the Egyptian revolution; how good can his understanding of world events, and the actors shaping them, really be? Anonymous, which tried and failed to hack the Vatican’s websites, doesn’t appear to have much of an ideology beyond mischief-making. Wikileaks has been declining rapidly since first releasing Bradley Manning’s trove of U.S. diplomatic cables; their finances are shrinking, their organization disintegrating (due in part to what former employees describe as Assange’s poor leadership), and their credibility with his past media partners is mostly gone.
Comment by Anders — March 1, 2012 @ 7:29 pm
@Anders,
Careful there, the Prof has referred to Stratfor in the past. But yeah, it’s basically an American debka.com .
Comment by So? — March 1, 2012 @ 9:08 pm
Peter Gleik (global warming climatologist, head of Ethics Committee for American Geophysical Union, MacArthur genius award recipient, and President of the Pacific Institute that has benefited hugely from EPA grants)) outdid Anonymous by a wide margin. He obtained emails fraudulently from Heartland Institute (they are skeptical of Anthropogenic Global Warming) and found pretty much nothing of interest. In his disappointment he decided to actually forge a Heartland email that set out an imagined Heartland strategy to mislead the public about global warming. He released this forged email to the press that happily disseminated this latest proof of the dastardly deception advanced by the AGW skeptic community. In the face of overwhelming evidence he admitted to this completely and resigned from many of his positions.
The kicker is that some of his Warmista scientist colleagues have stated that maybe it is ethical for a scientist to forge data in the Holy War against AGW skeptics.
How far our ethics have fallen in subservience to ideology.
Comment by pahoben — March 2, 2012 @ 8:54 am
I guess it is often….in subservience to financial interest and ideology
Keep those grants rolling in.
Comment by pahoben — March 2, 2012 @ 8:59 am
I was looking through the EPA grant list. My favorite was $250,000 to students in Michigan to use their dogs to scare birds from beaches and to measure the difference in water quality that results.
I had no idea that all Indian Tribes are on the EPA grant gravy train big time.
Another area of grant concentration is lots and lots of training programs for “green industries”. What an incredible waste of money. Why work in a factory when the government will train you well to do nothing except support AGW and close factories.
Comment by pahoben — March 2, 2012 @ 10:47 am
I expected @X to already have a comment up about the US being worse than Russia and citing the death of Andrew Breitbart (just hours before his release of an Obama/Weather Underground video from BO’s college days) as the latest US clan war victim.
Comment by pahoben — March 2, 2012 @ 11:15 am
Unlike in Russia where every journo’s death is immediately, automatically blamed on the State as opposed to any other actors, I’m actually reserving judgement on this one. Though I hope the investigation won’t reach MF Global lengths.
Comment by Mr. X — March 2, 2012 @ 4:19 pm
Today I feel will be a great day for Russia.
Putin will emerge victorious, towering over all challengers. Truly he is Russia’s best leader since at least Peter the Great if not all time.
There will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth among the liberals, Western journalists, and the SWP Hive.
Comment by Sublime Oblivion — March 3, 2012 @ 2:08 pm
It is not who votes but who counts the votes. Yes Peter the Great and Vladimir the Little Pimp both have their special diminutives.
Comment by pahoben — March 3, 2012 @ 4:52 pm
What’s this about Alex Jones and Stratfor. Is there an email or did this story just arise?
Comment by pahoben — March 3, 2012 @ 6:13 pm
For S/O tomorrow’s election result will be orgasmic-keep it private S/O.
Comment by pahoben — March 3, 2012 @ 6:19 pm
Sublime Berkley boy
Why did you represent yourself as a man of academia ?? You are as much academician as I am the president of Russia. Sublim moron , you should not lie and spread stupid propaganda . It is high time for the Russians to understand that this man hates everybody who do not like Putin. Sublim moron does not stand any criticism against Putin. Every critical word against Putin is russophobia according to the poor Sublime Berkley boy .
Comment by Anders — March 3, 2012 @ 6:23 pm
For the record AJ thinks Stratfor’s a big joke and more of an Establishment propaganda outlet than credible ‘private news service’ i.e. for repeating stuff AJ’s guests like Wayne Madsen said months ago about Assange lately as if it’s big news. Always dangerous when so many otherwise smart people believe their own BS just because it’s been emailed around the world a few times and DoD and lots of Fortune 500 companies pay for it. I counted only three Russian firms (TNK BP being one) on the ‘leaked’ list.
Comment by Mr. X — March 3, 2012 @ 7:45 pm
God, yes, pahoben. S/O-get a freaking room.
For the record, most of us think Mr.X is a big joke. It is a pity when know nothings like him believe their own BS, just because they have posted a few times….
As for S/O & Mr.X’s rather sickening love affairs with Putin……
Comment by Andrew — March 4, 2012 @ 12:22 am
> Putin will emerge victorious, towering over all challengers
And here here it is, victoriousness emerging:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j5nt3DZLOQ#!
Comment by Ivan — March 4, 2012 @ 10:22 am
Putin was done a huge disservice by his plastic surgeons. The only thing they achieved was to make his face appear even more ratlike.
This could serve as the Putin Kremlin’s tourist brochure, just change the name-
http://foggodyssey.com/2011/07/05/photo-essay-rat-infested-temple-india/
Comment by pahoben — March 4, 2012 @ 1:03 pm