Surveillance & Privacy

What a Bunch of Babies!

Benjamin Wittes
Saturday, February 8, 2014, 4:53 PM
Is it just me or is everyone being infantile about the fact that Russia bugged some US diplomatic communications. The State Department is reaching for the smelling salts because, gasp!, they're spying on us. Meanwhile, Angela Merkel has the vapors because Victoria Nuland said "fuck the EU" in the intercepted call.

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Is it just me or is everyone being infantile about the fact that Russia bugged some US diplomatic communications. The State Department is reaching for the smelling salts because, gasp!, they're spying on us. Meanwhile, Angela Merkel has the vapors because Victoria Nuland said "fuck the EU" in the intercepted call. "Absolutely unacceptable," says Merkel---who doesn't seem to mind if the calls of US, as opposed to her own calls, get intercepted provided but minds very much if they use any salty language in those calls. Look, there's really only one serious question here: Why were two State Department officials talking about matters that could cause an international incident on an unsecured line? And if they thought they were on a secure line, are we doing enough to secure State Department communications? But do let's stop the shock that governments spy and diplomats curse. Please?

Benjamin Wittes is editor in chief of Lawfare and a Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. He is the author of several books.

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