Privacy and the use of cell phones.

[Ian BROWN]

Owen Lewis replied to Brian Gladman:
>>The world is not perfect and intelligence collection and analysis
functions
>>are at least as polluted as other functions are when subjected to real
world
>> pressures.
>
>If that were so, then every major govt pays very large sums for meretricious
>claptrap. One wonders why none has ever woken up to this fact?

The politicians at the time are obviously susceptible enough to the excitement 
of holding materials marked TOP SECRET. Especially 
when the overblown material suits their 
political agendas. I'm sure Ronnie was quite happy to be told how large the 
USSR's budget was to justify his policies. No doubt President W. is also happy 
to receive doom-laden reports of the dangers of "rogue states" from NSA and 
the CIA.

"UK Eyes Alpha" by Mark Urban (published 1997, I think) is a very interesting 
account of the UK intelligence agencies during the last ten years of the Cold 
War. Margaret Thatcher's obsession with intelligence product (she used to take 
the weekly intelligence summary home to read in bed) is eye-opening. As is the 
enormous budget she was willing to allocate to get more of it.

Urban and many other authors have commented on the remarkable lack of effect 
of intelligence material during peacetime. He concludes that a large amount of 
the agencies' budgets are a complete waste of money.

Ian.