For the past few months, we have been subjected to daily news accounts of secret government spying as revealed by a 29 year-old, high school dropout who was given the highest security clearance to view America’s computer spy network. This so-called “leaker” has been considered by many to be a bitter and angry traitor to his country. The leaks provided us with insight into the breath and depth of America’s spy capability, including our gaining access to all phone and internet transmissions at home and abroad. The NSA, our master spy agency, was even able to access the phones of several heads of state.
Some of us, especially those who feel that our nation should be cut down to size and not continue to tower in influence over the entire world, feel the revelations indicate outrageous violation of the fourth amendment because someone told us so. How dare the NSA have access to information that could prevent another terrorist attack. Whatever happened to the notion of a level playing field? Aren’t we at too great an advantage over terrorists?
The young “spy” announced to the world that it was he who leaked this embarrassing information and immediately left for China, probably not because it is so nearby. He then, after not being welcome there, left for another not nearby country, Russia. He has been there for a few months treated very well by what many consider America’s arch enemy. He has even been offered a job there. But winter is coming and Russia gets terribly cold. It now appears that the young leaker wants to come home and requests forgiveness without maximum prison time - life with no chance of parole.
But what if none of this were true?
What if, in the tradition of all great spy fiction, this is all a brilliant scheme?
What if America, and NSA in particular, wanted to neutralize China’s massive computer spy system? It is believed to have tapped into our largest corporations and stolen industrial secrets that would allow them to make products almost as good as ours. Could that be why the young leaker went there first? Was China wise to the plan? Is that why they deported him so quickly?
Russia also has a massive computer spy system. NSA wants to disrupt it. Could it be that our alleged spy is actually our man in Moscow? Could this be a brilliant plot to win Russia’s confidence by disclosing embarrassing but trivial spy information about NSA and making our young computer geek look like America’s public enemy number one? Could Russia be fooled into thinking that the enemy of their enemy is their friend?
But there’s more.
What if the administration had even loftier goals?
As most of us are painfully aware, we have been without a budget for four years now. The Republican-led House has put forth moronic, partisan schemes that they called budgets. These budgets would have enlarged our military beyond its current bloat; lowered taxes to the rich, so they can be even richer; and cut programs to help the poor, so that the poor can be even poorer. And they wanted to end the Affordable Care Act to help the uninsured end their lives of suffering sooner. What’s not to like?
The Democrats want the rich to pay higher taxes and would love to dramatically cut our spending for defense, which amounts to about one trillion dollars a year or half of the actual General Fund of $2 trillion. Theses costs include staffing our more than 700 foreign military bases in friendly countries throughout the world and our spy network which was dramatically enlarged after 9/11.
But how could they do it?
The Republican-led House would never allow us to spend less on defense. They want it increased. They believe we must have enough troops to fight two wars at the same time.
Our allies might be willing and ready to let us withdraw of troops from their sovereign land, but can’t ask - their people might object to losing free security.
What if the White House, desperate to cut our defense costs, used this noble spy to inform our allies that we have been spying on them? The leaders probably knew and didn’t care. But they could act outraged in public and demand that we reduce our surveillance and insist that we quit our bases in their country.
The administration would then be “forced” to close at least 700 bases saving $100 billion a year, and to reduce our expenditures for spying much of which is a waste of time and money much more than being a privacy issue.
Could our young ex-pat, actually be our bravest and most inventive master spy? Could he really be an MIT-trained genius who can quickly destroy Russia’s computer spy capability while also enjoying free room and board in one of Russia’s many luxurious residences (think YMCA or Motel Six)?
And will he ever be able to come in out of the cold, like a John Le Carre character? With Russia and perhaps China on its knees, spy wise, will we credit this so maligned young hero his just desserts, or will he trapped in not-so-sunny Russia for the rest of his days?
How will this story end? What if it never does?
Some of us, especially those who feel that our nation should be cut down to size and not continue to tower in influence over the entire world, feel the revelations indicate outrageous violation of the fourth amendment because someone told us so. How dare the NSA have access to information that could prevent another terrorist attack. Whatever happened to the notion of a level playing field? Aren’t we at too great an advantage over terrorists?
The young “spy” announced to the world that it was he who leaked this embarrassing information and immediately left for China, probably not because it is so nearby. He then, after not being welcome there, left for another not nearby country, Russia. He has been there for a few months treated very well by what many consider America’s arch enemy. He has even been offered a job there. But winter is coming and Russia gets terribly cold. It now appears that the young leaker wants to come home and requests forgiveness without maximum prison time - life with no chance of parole.
But what if none of this were true?
What if, in the tradition of all great spy fiction, this is all a brilliant scheme?
What if America, and NSA in particular, wanted to neutralize China’s massive computer spy system? It is believed to have tapped into our largest corporations and stolen industrial secrets that would allow them to make products almost as good as ours. Could that be why the young leaker went there first? Was China wise to the plan? Is that why they deported him so quickly?
Russia also has a massive computer spy system. NSA wants to disrupt it. Could it be that our alleged spy is actually our man in Moscow? Could this be a brilliant plot to win Russia’s confidence by disclosing embarrassing but trivial spy information about NSA and making our young computer geek look like America’s public enemy number one? Could Russia be fooled into thinking that the enemy of their enemy is their friend?
But there’s more.
What if the administration had even loftier goals?
As most of us are painfully aware, we have been without a budget for four years now. The Republican-led House has put forth moronic, partisan schemes that they called budgets. These budgets would have enlarged our military beyond its current bloat; lowered taxes to the rich, so they can be even richer; and cut programs to help the poor, so that the poor can be even poorer. And they wanted to end the Affordable Care Act to help the uninsured end their lives of suffering sooner. What’s not to like?
The Democrats want the rich to pay higher taxes and would love to dramatically cut our spending for defense, which amounts to about one trillion dollars a year or half of the actual General Fund of $2 trillion. Theses costs include staffing our more than 700 foreign military bases in friendly countries throughout the world and our spy network which was dramatically enlarged after 9/11.
But how could they do it?
The Republican-led House would never allow us to spend less on defense. They want it increased. They believe we must have enough troops to fight two wars at the same time.
Our allies might be willing and ready to let us withdraw of troops from their sovereign land, but can’t ask - their people might object to losing free security.
What if the White House, desperate to cut our defense costs, used this noble spy to inform our allies that we have been spying on them? The leaders probably knew and didn’t care. But they could act outraged in public and demand that we reduce our surveillance and insist that we quit our bases in their country.
The administration would then be “forced” to close at least 700 bases saving $100 billion a year, and to reduce our expenditures for spying much of which is a waste of time and money much more than being a privacy issue.
Could our young ex-pat, actually be our bravest and most inventive master spy? Could he really be an MIT-trained genius who can quickly destroy Russia’s computer spy capability while also enjoying free room and board in one of Russia’s many luxurious residences (think YMCA or Motel Six)?
And will he ever be able to come in out of the cold, like a John Le Carre character? With Russia and perhaps China on its knees, spy wise, will we credit this so maligned young hero his just desserts, or will he trapped in not-so-sunny Russia for the rest of his days?
How will this story end? What if it never does?
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