SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
from the We-have-always-been-at-war-with-Eurasia dept.
For a moment, it seemed the hackers had slipped up and exposed their identities. It was the summer of 2013, and European investigators were looking into an unprecedented breach of Belgium's telecommunications infrastructure. They believed they were on the trail of the people responsible. But it would soon become clear that they were chasing ghosts – fake names that had been invented by British spies.
[...] The covert operation was the first documented example of a European Union member state hacking the critical infrastructure of another. The malware infection triggered a massive cleanup operation within Belgacom, which has since renamed itself Proximus. The company – of which the Belgian government is the majority owner – was forced to replace thousands of its computers at a cost of several million Euros. Elio di Rupo, Belgium's then-prime minister, was furious, calling the hack a "violation." Meanwhile, one of the country's top federal prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into the intrusion.
The criminal investigation has remained open for more than four years, but no details about its activities have been made public. Now, following interviews with five sources close to the case, The Intercept – in collaboration with Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant – has gained insight into the probe and uncovered new information about the scope of the hack.
Interesting both from the technical and the political viewpoints, this episode could have unexpected results for the future. Despite the egregious misuse of "hack" and related words.
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Tuesday February 20 2018, @01:24AM (14 children)
It won't matter once the UK leaves the EU.
The idiot Conservatives in charge keep saying they will negotiate a deal, but they have no leverage, so will have to accept whatever they're offered. Once that happens, British spies will need to be careful where they holiday, if they don't want to get arrested.
Also, if you think the EU wants to be a nation you don't understand it at all. It also works exactly as it was designed to work.
(Score: 2) by Arik on Tuesday February 20 2018, @03:16AM (13 children)
That'd be the one thing you're wrong on here I think. They may well be idiots, but they have plenty of leverage. The EU can either take what they offer or get nothing at all.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 20 2018, @04:05AM (4 children)
The UK does a net contribution of 3.5 billion euro to the EU but the other top contributors could easily pay for the UK's share divided among themselves.
(Score: 2) by Arik on Tuesday February 20 2018, @04:18AM (3 children)
How so?
"From the perspective of the EU the EU needs to make an example of the UK so that others don't take leaving so lightly."
Oh, sure, they're *motivated* to stick it the UK, sure. Question is not motivation, it's means. They have no stick. What are they going to do? Cry until the UK gives in and pays them off?
The worst thing they could do is probably to obstruct trade, but that would hurt the EU more than the UK.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by n1 on Tuesday February 20 2018, @05:39AM
Putting up trade barriers as a result of Brexit would have some negative consequences for a lot of EU countries, but the consequences for the UK are much more concentrated. Regardless of which way the trade deficits or a surplus fall, and what sectors, you can argue either way who has the upper hand.
The UK has some leverage, specifically with the City of London.
Both sides have a lot to lose in trade, but the consequences will be felt more by a larger proportion of the UK population than the EU, and there are other factors which will get greater attention within the EU should economic damage be severe.
After years of austerity and a stagnating economy, the general population in the UK will have to endure a precarious economic reality for the foreseeable future and they just have to accept it's 'the will of the people'.
It's going to happen, the political appetite appears decided. It's the only thing May has to keep her position and Corbyn has a history of EU skepticism.
I am no fan of the EU, it has serious systemic problems. So does the UK. The referendum and the fallout from it is a joke and has been intellectually dishonest from the start. There is no good outcome from the current situation.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Dr Spin on Tuesday February 20 2018, @06:11AM (1 child)
How so? Because we get 75% of our food from the EU. Because of our climate, this means almost 100% at certain times of year. It is all very well saying we can get it from Australia and New Zealand instead, but the EU is 20 miles away (about 24 hours by road) and Australia 12,000 miles (about 30 days by sea).
And what do we export in return? The Ponzi scheme that is our "financial institutions".
Warning: Opening your mouth may invalidate your brain!
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Arik on Tuesday February 20 2018, @06:33AM
And they sell a lot of their surplus to you, it benefits both. As I said, they could obstruct trade, but that would hurt them more than anyone else.
"the EU is 20 miles away (about 24 hours by road) and Australia 12,000 miles (about 30 days by sea)."
And yet the shipping cost is minimal, which means this is a realistic alternative for many products. And let's not forget your own soil. Britain has fed it's own inhabitants and more continuously from the bronze age until very recently. There are still farmers that would be happy to feed you, you need to rediscover them before they die without training another generation anyway.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by c0lo on Tuesday February 20 2018, @05:59AM (7 children)
Europe will weather the "take nothing" on medium term - so not such a big... mmm... trump card up the conservatives' sleeve.
I don't know if UK will weather well the loss of free access to European market* and the creation of borders** with EU. It will hurt bad even on short term.
---
* which can be lost easily if UK plays diplomatic brinkmanship
** Because... remember? One of the main reasons to Brexit was controlling the immigration. If UK wants to control it, 't'll be their duty to build and maintain that border - Europe has no interest to do it.
You see, Ireland is EU and is glad to be there. The Scots are quite keen to play EU - they may even secede if they feel even a remote increase in their "discomfort level".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2, Disagree) by Arik on Tuesday February 20 2018, @06:37AM (6 children)
The EU will either do absolutely nothing effective (clucking sounds do not count) or it will cut off its own nose to spite its face, which will simply accelerate the rate at which other countries leave.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by c0lo on Tuesday February 20 2018, @06:48AM (2 children)
After UK sold its industry to foreign investors during '90-ies and position itself in the "finance and service industries"? I don't think so.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Arik on Tuesday February 20 2018, @06:54AM (1 child)
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday February 20 2018, @06:58AM
Not exactly. Would they have not Brexited, the status quo was just fine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday February 20 2018, @06:54AM (2 children)
UK GDP structure [cia.gov]:
You really think that the majority of those 80.4% of services were actually exported?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by Arik on Tuesday February 20 2018, @09:49AM (1 child)
Agriculture is incredibly low. Either a truly wealthy country, or importing food. I happen to know they're importing food.
And that's a tragedy. Britain is a fertile land which could feed it's inhabitants and easily.
London is choking Britain, and more generally the urbane are choking the farmers, and that is no new thing, but it's never been worse. There hasn't been so little of the country in productive use for thousands of years. If London is forced to relax it's grip on the countryside simply in order to feed itself, then on the whole I'd say that's a good thing for the country. If this doesn't happen, and soon, the British rural tradition, which stretches back several thousands of years, will end with this generation, leaving nothing but a south asian megapolis with inexplicably shitty weather surrounded by ruined farmhouses and overgrown fields.
But yes, a large portion of that paper GDP is services, and a large portion of those services are indeed exported. London, it never quits reminding us, is the world financial services capital, after all.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by c0lo on Tuesday February 20 2018, @11:34AM
It's a convention rather than convenience.
Easy come easy go, especially if there'd be social troubles - Brexit was a significant part an ef-you from countryside to London City.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford