Perhaps the best translation for "facepalm" is "fremdschämen"?
So, yesterday, because you can't beat real life for coincidence, Germany celebrated the U.S. Day of Independence by arresting an American spy whose day job was being a German spy. That's right, one of our secret service made some extra money by handing over intelligence to the US - on the current NSA investigations (that would be the NSA being investigated rather than the reverse), it appears.
This evokes a couple of reactions.
1.) Given that the BND (= German secret service) is handing over all the intel the Americans want anyway (according to a former NSA employee currently testifying at said investigation), why would the US pay the extra money? I thought finances are tight?
2.) The BND is famously rubbish at spying. Therefore, anyone recruited by it should come with a question mark, not doubly employed. Then again, the US secret services were convinced Chalabi and his tales of Saddam's weapons of mass destructions were pure gold, so...
3.) Seriously, guys: is the masterplan here "how many ways can we find to alienate the Germans?". Yes, nobody believed Obama anyway when he said he'd stop listening in to Merkel's cell phone now (though not on any other German cell phones), but you'd think some tactical restraint would have been ordered, not stepping up the spying. Yes, yes, we know we're vasalls and minions, not partners, you don't have to rub it in at every opportunity, US government.
4.) Also, Errol Morris' documentary about Rumsfeld was released two days ago in Germany. Thereby reminding everyone that the previous US government was worse (which doesn't make the current one look better), and that Rumsfeld and Cheney are still around to pontificate instead of facing justice at a the International Criminal Court, which they never will. And Dubya exhibits paintings.
5.) I've got nothing. At least this has some useful absurd comedy aspects which the latest Supreme Court decision has not.
In more cheerful news, after the HBO tv series based on American Gods didn't work out, Bryan Fuller will do one for Starz. This very likely will give me a Bryan Fuller show I want to watch again (sorry, Hannibal wasn't for me; I marathoned the first eight episodes last year and with every single one realised more I didn't want to watch it, so I stopped), and he strikes me as eminently suited to deal with Neil Gaiman's novel.
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/999388.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.
This evokes a couple of reactions.
1.) Given that the BND (= German secret service) is handing over all the intel the Americans want anyway (according to a former NSA employee currently testifying at said investigation), why would the US pay the extra money? I thought finances are tight?
2.) The BND is famously rubbish at spying. Therefore, anyone recruited by it should come with a question mark, not doubly employed. Then again, the US secret services were convinced Chalabi and his tales of Saddam's weapons of mass destructions were pure gold, so...
3.) Seriously, guys: is the masterplan here "how many ways can we find to alienate the Germans?". Yes, nobody believed Obama anyway when he said he'd stop listening in to Merkel's cell phone now (though not on any other German cell phones), but you'd think some tactical restraint would have been ordered, not stepping up the spying. Yes, yes, we know we're vasalls and minions, not partners, you don't have to rub it in at every opportunity, US government.
4.) Also, Errol Morris' documentary about Rumsfeld was released two days ago in Germany. Thereby reminding everyone that the previous US government was worse (which doesn't make the current one look better), and that Rumsfeld and Cheney are still around to pontificate instead of facing justice at a the International Criminal Court, which they never will. And Dubya exhibits paintings.
5.) I've got nothing. At least this has some useful absurd comedy aspects which the latest Supreme Court decision has not.
In more cheerful news, after the HBO tv series based on American Gods didn't work out, Bryan Fuller will do one for Starz. This very likely will give me a Bryan Fuller show I want to watch again (sorry, Hannibal wasn't for me; I marathoned the first eight episodes last year and with every single one realised more I didn't want to watch it, so I stopped), and he strikes me as eminently suited to deal with Neil Gaiman's novel.
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/999388.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.