[kj] Antithesis of Killing Joke -- good catch

[Darren A. Peace]

I have many problems with the McKinnon case.  I suspect the Asperger’s
diagnosis, despite not questioning Baron-Cohen’s judgment, to be a red
herring. I don’t see that Asperger’s is a de facto defence in any case, and
the timing of the diagnosis is ... erm ... fortuitous.

 

“I will continue to disrupt at the highest levels” was a very ill-advised
message for him to leave.

 

Having said that, the US frenzy to deport him is disproportionate, sinister
and alarming. I see a theoretical value in making an example of someone as a
general deterrent, but the arbitrary figure the US quote as being incurred
as a result of McKinnon’s incursions ($700,000) seems a tad high to pay for
their actually having to set passwords on users that they had previously
neglected to do. McKinnon was obviously not the greatest threat to world
security (he was traced as a result of miscalculating time zones, and
remotely controlling a terminal while someone was sitting in front of it.
Well, duh).

 

It’s odd that in the case of Richard Pryce, whose hacking from the UK was
described by the US as 'doing more harm than the KGB' and dubbed the 'No 1
threat to U.S. security', he ended up with a £1200 fine in the UK.

 

Unless there is more information the US are too embarrassed to reveal, it’s
obviously a stitch-up, but it’s disagreeable aligning myself with an
anti-extradition campaign endorsed by the Daily Mail and Sting.

 

Darren

Hungerford, UK

 

From: gathering-bounces at misera.net [mailto:gathering-bounces at misera.net] On
Behalf Of Stephen Lawrence
Sent: 05 July 2009 1:21 PM
To: gathering at misera.net
Subject: Re: [kj] Antithesis of Killing Joke -- good catch

 

nicely put paul 
btw are you aware of the plight of GARY MCKINNON ?
have you signed the petition ?
 
would you like to make the gathering aware of the situation as a fellow
autistic ?
i could do it but feel it more appropiate if you did the honours 
all the best 
it would be good to get a global response 



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