Germans May Ditch Email for Typewriters to Foil NSA

[Fox12]

I always thought spying was an act of war, maybe break off all diplomatic contact. Or at least they shot the spies. I wonder, what would happen if everyone started spying on America to the same degree America is spying on them?

I'm sure that these countries are also spying on America. Information is too valuable a commodity not to, allies or not. Hell, it's probably even more important to spy on your allies. Especially if they're planning on backstabbing you or stealing information to begin with.

I really hate it when people say this. Nothing against you, of course, I just don't like this line of reasoning.

If they are, there should be consequences. However, there's no evidence to support this. What we KNOW is that the NSA is spying on us, and our allies. They're hurting our ties with other nations, and, despite all this, they can't actually seem to catch any terrorists or foil their plots. Their alienating America, and ironically making it both less free and less safe. The NSA needs to be retired. The American people deserve a reckoning.

 

[Darks63]

I sure hope their typists can both type fast and without mistakes otherwise this plan will cause a bottleneck in their governmental services. Typewriters are not just MS office but analog they are machines which you have o be trained on a lot more than on a keyboard. Also replacement parts manufacturers are not exactly common either so broken units or units with worn out parts would cause even more bottleneck.

 

[legend of duty]

Silly Germans. We've already bugged all your typewriters.

Germany: "Interesting, Would you like to trade this technology for horseback riding?"

 

[RoonMian]

I sure hope their typists can both type fast and without mistakes otherwise this plan will cause a bottleneck in their governmental services. Typewriters are not just MS office but analog they are machines which you have o be trained on a lot more than on a keyboard. Also replacement parts manufacturers are not exactly common either so broken units or units with worn out parts would cause even more bottleneck.

They're not talking about switching the complete government over to typewriters, just the inquiry committee into the NSA spying. Because that's what the NSA bought information of from a double agent. The committee put in place to investigate the spying of the NSA. So meta.

Here is an assortment of facts about this stuff that really anger me as a German:

1.) A few years ago in a survey about half of German companies reported that they leaked know-how and technology.

2.) About half of those companies have no idea HOW their know-how and technology is being siphoned away.

3.) Edward Snowden already flat out stated that the NSA engages in industrial espionage in Germany.

4.) Last year Fareed Zakaria of the Time Magazine wrote that the NSA needed to be so invasive everywhere to protect the USA from industrial espionage.

5.) The USA and Germany are allies.

6.) The German secret service BND is so integrated into the CIA (just like the German military is into the NATO) that it's very unlikely it's actually spying on Americans. At least according to all the experts on the BND.

7.) Did I already mention the USA and Germany are allies?

 

[karma9308]

I really hate it when people say this. Nothing against you, of course, I just don't like this line of reasoning.

If they are, there should be consequences. However, there's no evidence to support this. What we KNOW is that the NSA is spying on us, and our allies. They're hurting our ties with other nations, and, despite all this, they can't actually seem to catch any terrorists or foil their plots. Their alienating America, and ironically making it both less free and less safe. The NSA needs to be retired. The American people deserve a reckoning.

To follow up on this, if we are spying on our allies because we can't trust them or that they are planning to backstab us, then why are we allies? This isn't a new ally of the US, or someone like China which would be more of a rival to us. It's Germany. A nation that we've had great relations with since it's modern founding and similar relations with West Germany before that. Hell, one of our first major treaties with a foreign body as a nation was with Prussia. If after all that, we still can't trust them. Then why call them an ally?

Here is an assortment of facts about this stuff that really anger me as a German:

This probably doesn't make you feel better but this angers me as an American. You guys have clearly shown to be an Ally and we decided to thank you by spying on every damn thing you're doing because

What I don't get, is that the White House got upset at Merkel for kicking out the CIA chief in Germany for this. I can't imagine why she would be upset at the CIA at all! They only bugged her damn phone and she still just grinned and bore it.

 

[Darks63]

I sure hope their typists can both type fast and without mistakes otherwise this plan will cause a bottleneck in their governmental services. Typewriters are not just MS office but analog they are machines which you have o be trained on a lot more than on a keyboard. Also replacement parts manufacturers are not exactly common either so broken units or units with worn out parts would cause even more bottleneck.

They're not talking about switching the complete government over to typewriters, just the inquiry committee into the NSA spying. Because that's what the NSA bought information of from a double agent. The committee put in place to investigate the spying of the NSA. So meta.

It sounds like the original leak was a failure of Germany's secret services in regards to counter espionage.

The hard copies that will be made via typewriters can be stolen just as readily by another double agent. Thus its still a dumb idea and a waste of Germany's resources to implement.

 

[Gearhead mk2]

They know that won't work, right? OT: This is just freaking sad at this point. How boneheaded do you have to be to get caught spying on your own ally so hard they want to give up computers entirely? That cannot be good for international relations.

 

[lacktheknack]

Wouldn't it just be easier to use a cheap computer with its wi-fi and direct network connections destroyed and sub-monthly checks?

Backspaces are nice.

 

[Augustine]

Seriously, America, have you stopped trying to stop people hating you?

People honestly still believe that people of US are in any way represented by the people who do this?
Approval rating of the federal government is in single digits, if I recall correctly.

And I am not even sure anymore if Feds have much control over NSA anymore. It's a tax-sponsored cancerous growth at this point.

 

[FenrirWulf]

Relevant: http://satwcomic.com/i-spy-with-my-little-eye

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Give them a few months, they'll have the Enigma v5.13 ready and then the Americans will have to get Britain to do the math again.

 

[Strazdas]

Obviously they've never played Civ 4. Nothing pisses off your allies more.

what? i played civ 4 for over 400 hours and never once i had an ally pissed for having my spies in thier territory.

 

[The Enquirer]

They could just use a regular computer, because, you know, there's a reason we went from typewriters to word processors, and ensure it doesn't have any network connectivity to deal with the whole Orwellian thing.

 

[GamerAddict7796]

Seriously, America, have you stopped trying to stop people hating you?

People honestly still believe that people of US are in any way represented by the people who do this?
Approval rating of the federal government is in single digits, if I recall correctly.

And I am not even sure anymore if Feds have much control over NSA anymore. It's a tax-sponsored cancerous growth at this point.

I never said anything about the American people or that this in any way represents them because I don't think it does but America as a country is made to look worse when things like this happen. They should put some effort into giving themselves a better reputation rather than badly spying on their own allies.

 

[Megalodon]

It would appear the employment future's looking bright for the Navajo Indians:

http://www.utm.edu/staff/jmiller/honors2005/11silko/christaww2.htm

I suppose in the UK we could just employ scousers to do the same thing.

Nah, some people can follow what scousers are saying. What we need are geordies, but then again I'm still unconvinced even they can understand each other.

 

[FalloutJack]

They could just use a regular computer, because, you know, there's a reason we went from typewriters to word processors, and ensure it doesn't have any network connectivity to deal with the whole Orwellian thing.

Yeah, really. Without internet connectivity, your computer is pretty much a stylish typewriter. Shouldn't these guys be spying on Russia? (Yeah, even though we heard from a Russian Escapist that the computers were still running Windows 95.)

 

[grey_space]

Obviously they've never played Civ 4. Nothing pisses off your allies more.

what? i played civ 4 for over 400 hours and never once i had an ally pissed for having my spies in thier territory.

Been playing it now for the past few weeks up to 283 hours. If the spy gets caught it'll give you either a minus 1 or a minus 2. It's not an enormous effect but it's tipped me over a couple of times from them being 'friendly' to 'pleased' or from 'pleased' to 'cautious'.

 

[DTWolfwood]

So instead of leaving a digital paper trail, they want to go back to leaving actual paper trails?

I mean yes the NSA would not be able to see/hear whats happening but doesn't this just means the CIA gets to go back to doing what it does? you know good old actual spies on the ground?

Its funny tho they cry foul about espionage when every major country does it. Just so happens the US is very bad at hiding its own espionage efforts, or so we hear.

 

[Strazdas]

Obviously they've never played Civ 4. Nothing pisses off your allies more.

what? i played civ 4 for over 400 hours and never once i had an ally pissed for having my spies in thier territory.

Been playing it now for the past few weeks up to 283 hours. If the spy gets caught it'll give you either a minus 1 or a minus 2. It's not an enormous effect but it's tipped me over a couple of times from them being 'friendly' to 'pleased' or from 'pleased' to 'cautious'.

i see, makes sense, i sort of gave up on spy missions. expensive and low sucess chance, not worth it IMO.

I guess it depends on strategy, im the one that does not go for finances but rather invest into technology rush and labour improvements so i usually only have spare money in the endgame.

 

[RoonMian]

Seriously, America, have you stopped trying to stop people hating you?

People honestly still believe that people of US are in any way represented by the people who do this?
Approval rating of the federal government is in single digits, if I recall correctly.

And I am not even sure anymore if Feds have much control over NSA anymore. It's a tax-sponsored cancerous growth at this point.

If you keep voting for those people then yes, you are represented by those people. Every democracy has the government it deserves.

Edit: Switched out a word because brainfart.