Germany Governing Faking Outrage Over Spying

[Greenday]

For those who haven't heard, someone in Germany was caught spying for America. The German government has been causing a big stink over this, trying to make America out to be super dirty. Merkel is saying that since we are such close allies, we should know they share everything with us (LOL GTFO Merkel) and we have no reason to spy on them.

Let's get one thing straight. Everyone spies on everyone. America spies on everyone. Germany spies on everyone. Canada does it, France does it, England does it, China does it, etc. etc. EVERYONE does it. They do it to enemies. They do it to neutral countries. They do it to allies. No one shares EVERYTHING they know.

What does Merkel and the German government possibly hope to gain from this situation? They are just publicizing known information and being major hypocrites by pretending it's an awful crime against humanity.

[HYHYBT]

Everyone spies on everyone, but everyone's also supposed to pretend it doesn't happen among allies and to act shocked and outraged when it becomes public.

[Hyena Dandy]

We all spy on each-other, but we do it secretly. When the people find out, we need to make a big point of how this is Not Okay or else what's the point of spies? It's political. Remember when we found a bunch of Russians who were half-heartedly talking to important people, and made a big deal out of it? It's the same thing. You do it because if you don't, people are going to notice you didn't and start asking questions. And when the spies become public enough that the populace notices, then you need to make a REEAALLY big deal out of it. Because the voting public now knows about it!

[Duelist925]

You raise a stink when the "Polite Fiction" is broken entirely so no one can accuse you of violating the same fiction.

Plus, it plays into existing issues with americas surveilance.

[Kelmon]

I'm so tired of this ridiculous "everyone spies on everyone"-BS.

No, they don't. There's such a thing as budgets, there's such a thing as priorities, and there's such a thing as common sense.

The US government tends to not understand this, having more money than sense and massive post-9/11-paranoia, where everyone is out to get them. Because clearly, one of the closest allies of the US is a huuuuge threat to them.

And even if it were so so, it's not in any way an excuse for spying. You break into a house and get caught - you go to jail. No matter if the house you broke into belongs to another burglar.

[s_stabeler]

actually, yes, they do. When it was revealed that Merkel's phone had been tapped, It turned out that juts about everyone had a tap on the phone. Are there actual human spies in allied countries- I doubt it. But other forms of intelligence gathering- spy satellites, tapping phones, reading e-mails, all countries do if they can.

It's even stupid not to. Alliances can be broken- which in wartime can be enough to turn a relatively easy war into a total disaster.

[Greenday]

I'm so tired of this ridiculous "everyone spies on everyone"-BS.

No, they don't. There's such a thing as budgets, there's such a thing as priorities, and there's such a thing as common sense.

Oh yea? And who in the first world doesn't do it?