Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Friday September 16 2016, @12:57PM   Printer-friendly
from the need-better-pipes? dept.

http://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-37364189

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has reportedly called Republican nominee Donald Trump a "national disgrace," according to leaked emails. The Republican retired four-star general's comments were revealed in a hack on his personal emails. The emails were posted on DCLeaks.com, which has reportedly been tied to other recent high-profile hacks. Mr. Powell, who has been quiet during the election, said he had "no further comment" but was "not denying it".

[...] Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who crossed party lines in 2008 to endorse Democratic [candidate] Barack Obama, has tried to float above this year's tendentious presidential election. So much for that. First the government released his note to Democrat Hillary Clinton advising her on how to use personal email for back-channel communications while secretary of state. Now - in an ironic twist - his personal email has been hacked, revealing sweeping denunciations of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and some sharp criticisms of Democrat Hillary Clinton.

[...] "Yup, the whole birther movement was racist," the email read. "That's what the 99% believe. When Trump couldn't keep that up he said he also wanted to see if the certificate noted that he was a Muslim." But the leaked emails also revealed Mr Powell's frustrations with Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her handling of her use of private email while at the State Department. "Sad thing... HRC could have killed this two years ago by merely telling everyone honestly what she had done and not tie me into it," the email read, referring to Mrs Clinton. "I told her staff three times not to try that gambit. I had to throw a mini tantrum at a Hampton's party to get their attention."


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 16 2016, @01:22PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 16 2016, @01:22PM (#402753)

    it must be irritating, but again, nothing he has said is something new. He appears to be a good judge of people.

  • (Score: 3, Funny) by art guerrilla on Friday September 16 2016, @02:13PM

    by art guerrilla (3082) on Friday September 16 2016, @02:13PM (#402785)

    um, you guys are credulous ninnies, colin been an insider and water-carrier for a looooong time... he is a fixer, tried to fix the my lai investigation (and effectively did, just got out oyherwise...), and is a butt boy for Empire... he aint your friend, he aint noble, he aint shit but a power elite playa...

    • (Score: 2) by Hyperturtle on Friday September 16 2016, @08:57PM

      by Hyperturtle (2824) on Friday September 16 2016, @08:57PM (#402938)

      I have a hard time disagreeing with some of his blunt assessments. Based on just the summary alone, he has accurately judged the people mentioned, has he not? It could be there was less glowing of a response because there wasn't much more to glow about.

      This doesn't make him our friend; but one can respect an enemy or at least an opponent. We all know the candidates still have obvious flaws and he wasn't papering over them to retain or gain favor when the next emporer sweeps his or her way in.

      • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 16 2016, @11:20PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 16 2016, @11:20PM (#402979)

        > This doesn't make him our friend; but one can respect an enemy or at least an opponent.

        Lol. Have you ever used the internet before?
        Of course we can't. Nuance does not exist here.

        • (Score: 2) by Hyperturtle on Saturday September 17 2016, @01:49PM

          by Hyperturtle (2824) on Saturday September 17 2016, @01:49PM (#403118)

          This place has a tough crowd!

          Remind me not to go into politics.

          The real value of that hack, I think, is that it has driven home to many politicians that yes, even they, are hackable snoopable exploitable and easily embarassed. By an entity other than their political opponents. How powerless it must feel, to discover that some other entity has shared your thoughts to the world. Career limiting thoughts that you carelessly sent in gmail.

          It's OK when the NSA does it, but when it happens to one of their own, holy cow. If you have not read up on the recent political commentary about the reaction to the *hack* and simply just ignore the actual politics about what Mr. Powell had stated, you will see that a cluestick has finally beaten people up. But, once the brusing heals, they will likely find they cannot resist the conveniences and this will recur again and again. When Sarah Palin's personal email was released, it didn't change behaviors for long. They tried to make an example out of whoever it was that released the emails, but it didn't change anything. Besides. No super elite hacker thinks he is getting caught, especially if they are behind seven proxies, right?

          As to your nuanced interpretation, he at least wasn't trying to please everyone; and just like the internet, politics suck.

          Gossip is fun reading, but I'd rather things be secured. What Mr. Powell thinks about other people is just a distraction, and likely why it was released.

          • (Score: 2) by art guerrilla on Thursday September 22 2016, @11:01AM

            by art guerrilla (3082) on Thursday September 22 2016, @11:01AM (#405081)

            oh, i don't disagree with his catty backbiting, but i am saying he is beside the point: he IS one of 'The They', thus his backbiting will be private and never (until now, heh heh) divulged to anyone but other insiders he is conspiring with... THE OVERRIDING concern of players is to keep the game going: NO INSIDER will stand up for the 99% and reveal their perfidy, hypocrisy, and basket of deplorable behaviors... then you won't be a 'kool kid' who can plunder the planet with impunity...
            THE WHOLE CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE is dependent upon two things: keeping the stupid sheeple distracted with hot button issues, bread, and circuses, and making sure insiders don't turn on you... (EXACTLY why The They LIKE to have corrupted players with some disturbing skeletons in the closet: makes them controllable...)