tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460049377024299674.post5091340113789869696..comments2022-11-05T07:54:06.122+00:00Comments on A Wannabe Writer's Blog: Phrases I've Learned from 'Hackgate'A.M.J. Muirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12287422340207762774noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460049377024299674.post-34790118743178840552011-07-22T02:01:06.925+01:002011-07-22T02:01:06.925+01:00Ha! Pikers! You Brits think you can outshine us in...Ha! Pikers! You Brits think you can outshine <i>us</i> in the "corruption and bullshit" department? Well, you may be ahead for the <i>moment.</i> But just you wait till our big "debt ceiling" deadline of August 2! <br /><br />We shall reclaim the lead! Victory is mine!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460049377024299674.post-15658879945092834902011-07-21T21:11:47.019+01:002011-07-21T21:11:47.019+01:00I don't know much about this but the phrases s...I don't know much about this but the phrases sound like "plausible deniability"<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plausible_deniability<br /><br />Interesting quote in that article regarding the Iran Contra Affair:<br /><br />"In his testimony to the congressional committee studying the Iran-Contra affair, Vice Admiral John Poindexter stated: "I made a deliberate decision not to ask the President, so that I could insulate him from the decision and provide some future deniability for the President if it ever leaked out."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460049377024299674.post-65191238080846582422011-07-21T14:10:15.880+01:002011-07-21T14:10:15.880+01:00...and clearly I need to breathe more when I come ......and clearly I need to breathe more when I come back from the pub late at night and comment on your blog! You need big lungs for that last paragraph :-)<br /><br />In real response, I do think the world is slightly different now, and MPs (et al) are only just grasping the significance of Twitter and the like. Whilst Giggs was able to gag the press, he was unable to gag the internet. I think the smart journalist will be able to use such outlets to effectively work with their justifiable crusades; whilst the demographic of Twitter+ will (one hopes) prevent it from merely descending into 'gossip-land'. Time, of course, will reveal all.MainyMikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14073595786043830608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460049377024299674.post-40918539042522503272011-07-21T09:46:50.154+01:002011-07-21T09:46:50.154+01:00Eactly what I fear will come of this too Mike, tha...Eactly what I fear will come of this too Mike, that genuine investigative journalism will be curtailed and prevented - so that things like MPs expenses, abuse of power and this very NI scandal cannot be revealed in the future legally. Hopefully it won't come to that but I don't put it past politicians to try to subvert this for their own agenda.A.M.J. Muirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12287422340207762774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5460049377024299674.post-38137972885162128382011-07-20T23:55:56.688+01:002011-07-20T23:55:56.688+01:00Aaah, but what else were we expecting? James Murdo...Aaah, but what else were we expecting? James Murdoch is full of waffle and management BS, so he can protract an answer whilst saying naught; the elder can claim infirmity and draw out his speech. There is little to tie them to, and jurisdiction is hard to enforce. Brooks was more evasive and clearly will be tossed to the wolves to save the finances of NI; and the face of others who ought to be feeling the heat more.<br /><br />Whilst politicians seek to misdirect through affected umbrage at phone hacking of victims, the real story lies within the influence exerted within and across more influential bodies (namely, the government and the constabulary) but the outcome may merely pave the way for more policies aimed at curtailing the (justifiable) activities of proper investigative journalism, rather than meeting out justice to those who are truly to blame.MainyMikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14073595786043830608noreply@blogger.com