Letters to the Editor – Spies, Lies, Five Eyes, and other matters on a Sunday afternoon

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Frank Macskasy - letters to the editor - Frankly Speaking

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Sharing a few thoughts and observations with newspaper editors around the country…

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from: Frank Macskasy <fmacskasy@gmail.com>
to: Sunday Star Times <letters@star-times.co.nz>
date: Sun, Sep 14, 2014
subject: Letter to the Editor

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The Editor
Sunday Star Times
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Our esteemed Prime Minister refers to visiting Pulitzer-winning investigative journalist, Glenn Greenwald, as “Dotcom’s little henchman”.

Mr Key knows a thing about “henchmen”. Rightwing bloggers Cameron Slater and David Farrar spring to mind.

After all, Key admitted to being in regular contact with Slater, and ex-Minister Judith Collins fed the extremist blogger personal details of civil servants (and god knows who else).

What was that about “henchmen”, Mr Key?

-Frank Macskasy

[address & phone number supplied]

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national-we-will-give-you-honest-government

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from: Frank Macskasy <fmacskasy@gmail.com>
to: Listener <letters@listener.co.nz>
date: Sun, Sep 14, 2014
subject: Letter to the editor

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The editor
The Listener
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John Key claims that visiting internationally acclaimed, pulitizer-prize winning,  investigative journalist, Glenn Greenwald, is on Kim Dotcom’s payroll;

“Let’s understand what’s going on here. Kim Dotcom is paying Glenn Greenwald to come to New Zealand a week before an election and he’s trying to influence New Zealanders…”

Aside from the fact that Mr Greenwald rejects Key’s allegations outright – how would the Prime Minister know?

Has he or the GCSB been spying on Mr Greenwald?

-Frank Macskasy

[address & phone number supplied]

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national-we-will-give-you-honest-government

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from: Frank Macskasy <fmacskasy@gmail.com>
to: Otago Daily Times <odt.editor@alliedpress.co.nz>
date: Sun, Sep 14, 2014
subject: Letter to the editor

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The editor
Otago Daily Times

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It’s disappointing to see the number of National Party supporters who so casually dismiss the growing power of the State to spy on us; collect data on our communications; and – as Jason Ede, Judith Collins, and Paula Bennett showed – to mis-use our personal information for political ends.

For many John Key supporters, the phrase “nothing to hide” rolls easily of their keyboards as they post their naive views on various on-line fora.

The irony is that many of them then sign off with an anonymous pseudonym.

-Frank Macskasy

[address & phone number supplied]

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national-we-will-give-you-honest-government

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from: Frank Macskasy <fmacskasy@gmail.com>
to: Waikato Times <editor@waikatotimes.co.nz>
date: Sun, Sep 14, 2014
subject: Letter to the editor

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The editor
Waikato Times
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Our esteemed Prime Minister has employed the threat of “terrorists” in the past to frighten New Zealanders into accepting increased GCSB surveillance on our society.

The latest fear-threat is “cyber attacks” from off-shore, saying,

“Last weekend, Spark was brought to its knees because some people clicked on malware which brought the network down. Cyber risk is exponentially rising. This is about protecting secrets rather than getting secrets.”

Key has doggedly likened the GCSB to “a Norton anti-virus at a high level”, saying it works against malware.

I have anti-spyware and anti-malware on my computer, and (as far as I know), it’s function does not include spying on my activities, communications, movements, or contacts with other people.

Since when does malware protection demand surveillance over the entire population?

And why does he think we are gullible enough to believe it?

-Frank Macskasy

[address & phone number supplied]

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national-we-will-give-you-honest-government

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from: Frank Macskasy <fmacskasy@gmail.com>
to: The Press <letters@press.co.nz>
date: Sun, Sep 14, 2014
subject: Letter to the editor

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The editor
The Press

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Esteemed Prime Minister, John Key has contemptuosly dismissed pulitzer-prize winning investigative journalist, Glenn Greenwald’s claims of mass surveillance by the GCSB. He insists,

“There is no mass surveillance of New Zealanders by the GCSB and there never has been. Mr Dotcom’s little henchman will be proven to be incorrect because he is incorrect.”

Are we to take Mr Key at his solemn word?

Is this the same solemn word where he recently dismissed another investigative journalist’s claims;

“Mr Hager’s making claims he can’t back up and they’re not factually correct.”

And,

“At the end of the day we’re five weeks out from an election, people can see that Nicky Hager’s made a whole lot of things up in his book, (they) can see he can’t back a lot of them up. People can see this is a smear campaign by Nicky Hager.”

Seventeen days after the launch of “Dirty Politics” , Judith Collins was forced to resign from her ministerial portfolios.

Whenever an investigative journalist uncovers something unpleasant about Mr Key’s government it always seems to be the Prime Minister who comes off second best.

 

Why is that, I wonder?

-Frank Macskasy

[address & phone number supplied]

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national-we-will-give-you-honest-government

 

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from: Frank Macskasy <fmacskasy@gmail.com>
to: Southland Times <editor@stl.co.nz>
date: Sun, Sep 14, 2014
subject: Letter to the editor

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The editor
Southland Times
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Tribal politics appears to be a prime motivating reason for National supporters to be casually dismissive of concerns that the GCSB has been conducting mass surveillance and our esteemed Prime Minister has been less than upfront with the New Zealand public.

Key’s dogged dismissiveness of investigative journalist, Glenn Greenwald, reminds me of the PM’s equally dogged dismissiveness of Nickey Hager “Dirty Politics” expose, where Key categorically stated,

“Mr Hager’s making claims he can’t back up and they’re not factually correct…  At the end of the day we’re five weeks out from an election, people can see that Nicky Hager’s made a whole lot of things up in his book, (they) can see he can’t back a lot of them up. People can see this is a smear campaign by Nicky Hager.”

And yet, Hager’s expose resulted in the sacking/resignation of one minister and a current Inquiry into how the SIS released sensitive information to rightwing blogger and National Party activist, Cameron Slater.

In case National supporters are still dismissive of Glenn Greenwald’s revelations, they might care to ponder the fact that governments change. The same surveillance used by a National-led government can be conducted equally by a left-wing government against it’s right-wing opponants.

I suspect that may motivate National supporters to suddenly sit up and take a closer interest in these matters.

-Frank Macskasy

[address & phone number supplied]

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That should give Dear Leader’s media spin doctors a few issues to deal with.

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References

Radio NZ: Revelations could cause ‘diplomatic blowback’

NZ Herald: He’s Dotcom’s little henchman: PM attacks journalist’s spy claims

NZ Herald: The GCSB does not conduct mass surveillance on Kiwis – Key

 


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dear-leader-is-watching

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= fs =

7 COMMENTS

      • some very excellent points

        and in small soundbytes which ALL NZers can understand

        I’m so upset this morning, hardly slept. I have known for a long time (thanks Edward Snowden) that our government is spying on us and sharing that information with the USA. But putting it together with the possible changes the TPPA could bring to our laws…

        it sends chills down my spine.

        this is how totalitarian dictatorships start, they don’t arrive with a big fanfare saying “welcome to your totalitarian dictatorship, do you want us?” they come in stages.

        they have three common attributes:

        1. mass surveillance of citizens (we have this one for sure)

        2. cult of personality (we have some of this for John Key)

        3. militarisation of police to control and instill fear in citizens

        we don’t have #3 quite yet.

        only the lessons from history show us where this can end, and it is up to us to recognise when it is on that path and stop it

        this is why a core fundamental attribute of democracy is a government that DOES NOT SPY ON ITS CITIZENS

  1. Well , – its 3 months til Christmas soooooo……..

    You better watch out
    You better not cry
    You better not pout
    I’m telling you why

    PM Key is snooping ….your town
    PM Key is sneaking ….around

    He’s making a list
    Checking it twice
    Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice

    PM Key is snooping ….on towns
    PM Key is listening …..online

    He sees you when your sleeping
    He knows when your’e awake
    He knows when you’ve been bad or good
    So be good for goodness sake’s

    With furtive lil guys , part of five eyes
    Perving at you , telling you lies

    PM Key is spying your town
    PM Key is noting it down

    He sees you when your sleeping
    He knows when your awake
    He knows if you’ve been bad or good
    So be good for goodness sake’s

    Snooping around!

    PM Key’s a busy man he has no time to play
    Hes listening in on millions to hear what they all say

    PM Key surveillance online
    PM Key is spying on your town …..

Comments are closed.