For an ongoing and deadly serious news story, the Edward Snowden/US intelligence leaks saga often seems loaded with slapstick comedy.
For example, Snowden’s revelations that the US has spied on Germany, Mexico and Brazil seem to have come as an appalling shock to our national news media, not to mention Brazilian president Dilma Rouseff, who last month canceled a trip to the US as proof of her nation’s displeasure.
The US ambassador to Mexico was summoned to explain and/or apologize. Brazil’s foreign minister called it “an inadmissible and unacceptable violation of Brazilian sovereignty.”
And so it seemed we were all supposed to be distressed and astonished to learn that we have been spying on those countries. After all, what have Germany, Mexico and Brazil ever done to threaten our security? Hmm. Forgiv eme, but I saw it the other way. I’d have been far more distressed and astonished to learn that we weren’t spying on those countries.
And with Brazil hosting both next year’s soccer World Cup — for which the US team has qualified—and the 2016 Summer Olympics (already the target of murderous terrorists), I can’t think of a better country to which the CIA could turn its preemptive attention, especially given that money-spending North Americans are most welcome to attend.
But not once have I heard a TV news panel of experts discuss Snowden’s security breaches on espionage framed as a “So what?” or a “Well, I hope so,” or mocked as a “No kidding!”
The US spies on countries friendly, hostile and in between?Who knew?
During World War I — but before the US’s entry—President Woodrow Wilson, to prove America’s neutrality, allowed the German embassy full access to cable lines in and out of this country. On America’s behalf, Wilson pursued the high moral ground.
Germany used those lines to transmit the infamous “Zimmerman Note,” promising Mexico the return of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona if its armies invaded the US. Hate when that happens!
As a kid, I recall the 1960 U2 spy plane episode, when a US surveillance jet, piloted by Francis Gary Powers, was shot down over the Soviet Union.
The Eisenhower White House at first denied all Soviet claims that it was a spy plane, which then—and today — seemed ridiculous. We were caught—caught doing the prudent thing.
It would have been far more scandalous if the US wasn’t aggressively spying on the USSR—and vice versa. Why play stupid?
President Eisenhower might’ve saved more face had he said, “Of course we spy on the Soviet Union, and, of course, the Soviet Union spies on us. We know it, they know it; the world knows it! This time we got caught. Let Powers go, and we’ll owe ya one.”
And, in time — 19 months later — that’s what happened; Powers was swapped for Soviet intelligence officer Rudolf Abel.
But the common sense of matters rarely seems to break through when left to those who provide sage opinions in roundtable or panel discussions while attached to microphones and surrounded by TV cameras.
“Snowden Leaks Reveal US Spied On Mexico, Brazil, Germany!” Yeah? So what?
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WNBC-Ch. 4 News has broken deeper ground in the shameless attachment of news to network prime-time promotion.
Last month, during both Ch. 4’s 5 and 6 p.m. reports, weatherman Steve Villanueva provided the forecast while in a remote — standing on the set of “Million Second Quiz,” which, as was made repeatedly clear, would appear that night on NBC.
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Our new favorite TV ad: The Senior Life Insurance Co. is advertising funeral insurance — “We’ll pay up to $30,000 for funeral and other final expenses”—but the offer is age-restrictive. The ad begins with, “If you are age 85 or younger . . . ”