16 May 2006 Supply and Demand

A note from Joe Roche, which I am posting with permission:

Amy,

I am watching War Stories w/ Oliver North, talking about some of the secret intercepts and messages passed around during WWII. …And it bothers me…

I don’t have the exact details, but it was something like tens of thousands of American soldiers and intelligence people KNEW and WORKED with the Deep Purple and Ultra secret intercepts of Japanese and German communications during the war. I’ve heard various accounts that claim that as low as Corporals knew of these intercepts. I can’t remember the exact details, but I know it was a vast number of thousands. YET, it was kept secret until 1975!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

…And here we are today hearing about how impossible AND UNDERSTANDABLE it is, we are told in the press, that the NSA terrorist spying program is not being kept a secret today. Why? Well, as we are told, there are …hundreds — hundreds — of people here in DC who know about it. So we are told that Bush & Co. are being silly to think such an intercept program could be kept secret.

Doesn’t this just make you sick to think that we’re the ones who inherited the blessings bestowed to us by the incredible sacrifices of the WWII generation?!

Joe

As I told Joe, back in the “olden days,” even if a government official had leaked something like that, the press would not print it. Now they would in a flash, and pat themselves on the back for doing so. It isn’t just the leakers, but the market for the leaks.

Labels: Joe Roche