"Time flies. It has been two years since we last met!" The retired cabinet secretary smiled, referring to our little discussion in 2009. (See http://ccszeto.blogspot.com/2009/09/party.html)
"Your memory is excellent. Or do you actually keep your habit of taking notes after seeing every person?" I chuckled, "But I suppose you are pretty busy recently - and who doesn't? All British politicians seem to have a hand with the Murdoch's scandal."
"I was a government servant, and never a politician," my friend tried to correct me, "Alas, the entire business is silly."
"Well, it is illegal to hack others' phone." I said.
"You misunderstood me," the senior government servant smiled, "True. That's illegal. And, therefore, since the stakes are high, they should not hack the phone of innocent ordinary people."
"What do you mean?"
"Come on. Let's be pragmatic and take aside any moral consideration," he continued, "Why should the owner of the News International be one of the most powerful men in the world? Because he controls the media and therefore, no matter whether you like it or not, the opinion of the general public. The end result is he could determine, to a large extend, who would be invited to the Buckingham Palace and be invited as the Prime Minister."
"I could see that."
"Now, having additional private information from your own news network is, in that case, a distinct edge. If you want Mr. C to win the election, not only can you advertise his policy, but, more effectively, you could choose to release some unfavorable information of his opponents."
"You mean ...?" I was slightly incredulous with the inevitable conclusion.
"I mean, although the stakes are high, the payoff is rewarding if you hack the phone or computer of backbenchers or party leaders or senior government servants - but not the innocent general public. It only turns them against you as soon as they know their lines are also hacked."
"And that's exactly what's happening!" I was forced to agree.
No comments:
Post a Comment