The story is just that — the U.S. has discovered a new, improved way to screw up its own satellites. The result is that the satellites can’t deliver information to the ground. According to Lt. General Hyten, the Russians and Chinese didn’t jam anything. They did it all themselves.
Space Daily quotes the Lt. General:
The US jamming its own satellite communications indicates a low level of awareness about the activities of its own troops, let alone adversary units, Hyten stressed out.
Well, after all; prying in to the affairs of the enemy could be considered a bit tactless, couldn’t it? A bit less than genteel, perhaps? Knowing where your own troops are and what they’re doing could be considered an invasion of privacy, too.
The mere fact that the whole damn world can do live tracking online needn’t be considered relevant. It’s the principle of the thing. The U.S. military doesn’t have to do a “me too” type of surveillance.
…Although apparently there are exceptions to this American self-help approach. There’s another issue — the satellites were apparently working fine when that Russian plane went down in Sinai. Selective jamming? Or did someone forget to jam that one?
Note that a Russian news agency can run something like this and keep a straight face. There must be some reason for this level of restraint. Reuters and AP take note: This is how you run a story like this; no fanfare, no health warnings, just tell it like it is.
Consider, O bejewelled readers in your mystic palaces — at a time when tens of thousands of psychopaths are roaming the Middle East, airliners are disappearing, and many rodents in the military industrial complex are sitting up on their hind legs and saying “How can we monetize this? How can we monetize this?” it’s good to know that someone’s prepared to take a stand for pure, expensive ignorance in arguably its finest form.
I foresee a new era of military discretion, in which armies just send themselves and each other Get Well Soon cards. In which infinite billions of dollars will find some peace and quiet, and Senate committees will finally achieve the bliss of unknowing harmonious total inconsequence.
So I say unto ye, furtive dabblers in Big Data and corporate information — thus shall ye achieve enlightenment, and contracts, and stuff. No more shall ye need to hide thy faces in shame at thy righteous work and enter covens. After all, how much more totally be-screwed could thy noble, effervescent sector get?
