[billethkid]

from my perspective as member of we the people of the USA were threatend with intent to destroy property and lives (ala 9/11 type attack).

Negotiating is not conducted just by the government...right? A specific demand by a terrorist organization was made involving Americans (and others) in American theatres.......either meet the demands to not do something or else they would kill Americans in America. That demand was met.

From the terrorists point of view (and all others around the world) they achieved a major success.......by holding Americans hostage!

How is the government that is sworn to protect it's citizens not involved?

[TexaninVA]

Originally Posted by blueash

The government did not negotiate nor was the government a target. A private company was hacked. That private company made a corporate decision to not release this film. The Obama administration made no decision nor did they tell Sony what to do.

Sony likely felt that the threat of violence would keep people from going to see the movie. Some theaters had already cancelled screenings.

Should the investigation by the several governmental agencies involved unequivocally point to N Korea as the source of this cyber attack, then and only then, there will be a proportional response.

The best known cyber attack which was directed at Iran, was produced by the US and Israel to cripple Iran's nuclear program. While I agree with the goal, it is best to understand that the US cannot with a straight face claim that a cyber attack is equivalent to an act of war requiring a military response unless you feel that Iran would be justified in attacking US interests and in fact that their failure to militarily respond to our cyber attack is appeasement and shows the cowardice of their leadership. Or maybe Iran did this and is making it look like it came from North Korea.

I think assigning a moral equivalence to the two cyber attacks is a mistake. To put it in perspective, the US/Israeli cyber attack was attempting to take out Iran's nuclear program or at least set it back. NK's attack was to intimidate a US studio from releasing a film critical of the Dear Leader.

I also think that one has realize that, whether we like it or not, we do live in a world of both good and evil. I think Iran and NK line up as what most people would call evil regimes ... off the charts actually (esp NK), thus my belief is we engage to win, and use our power to intimidate where possible the evil actors from doing ... what one of them just did.

It is possible Iran, or China and Russia are involved with the NK hack attack. We will have to deal with it if that's the case, and I will list some options /ideas in another post.

In the meantime, and while with caveats, it sounds as if you too agree that we as a nation can not let the NK attack go unanswered ... am I assessing this correctly?

[Sandtrap328]

Personally, I do not think most Americans would believe a hack attack on a movie studio is reason for engaging in a shooting war. Since the US has no trading agreements with N Korea or gives them foreign aid, I do not see any sanctions being imposed.

What responses do you all think are the best?

[TexaninVA]

How do we respond to the Sony hack and the intrusion by NK into our county, coupled with a domestic terror threat? In other words, what do we do?

My starting point is if we ignore it, or just make jokes or laugh nervously while doing nothing, that is very dangerous and will predictably invite more attacks of this type. Weakness is provocative, and always has been over the millennia when confronting evil.

Currently, NK is the most likely culprit, although it�s possible they could have been aided by Iran, China or Russia. It doesn�t really matter � in the world�s perception, NK is viewed to have told US citizens (in effect) I don�t want you to see this movie and, if need be, I�ll blow up the movie houses to keep you out.

All four of those countries have an advanced cyber warfare capability as do we. At the same time, it�s not smart to get embroiled in a cyber-war as there�s no telling where it would lead, such as shutting down the American electric grid as one example.

Thus, we need a non-military solution to start with, and which addresses the issue head on.

My recommendation �

The President takes a forward leaning leadership role, and addresses the nation telling us and the world that this will not stand. I.e. we will not allow any foreign entity, NK or whoever, to impinge on our 1st amendment rights, nor allow terror threats to intimidate us etc. Among other things, he should encourage Sony to release, and the theater chains to show the movie. He should also tell the nation he will make it a point to go see �The Interview�, and encourage all Americans to go see it too as a protest. Lead by example.

He should then work with the Congress and they should immediately pass some type of insurance indemnity bill that in effect, removes the legal risk from the theater owners or Sony in the event that someone does attempt an attack on a movie theater. (Unlikely but possible)

Thus, the movie should do well, many would see it and the NK objective will fail.

This must also be coupled with a credible threat from the President in consultation with Congress, that should someone attack an American movie theater that we will consider it an act of war, and engage whoever did it militarily with whatever force we need. (The threat needs to be credible).

We also need to deal with the cyber-attack on Sony � not that I have any great love for that company, but that can be done behind the scenes with our intelligence services and military doing their thing.

[tedquick]

NK’s threat was a terrorist attack and unless Sony changes its position, NK won. Not only did NK win, but more importantly “we the people” were just defeated, not only with NK but with the rest of the world. If Sony does not acquiesce and show the film and if our government does not take steps to protect its people we have just been brought to our knees. The white flag of surrender is waving.

[janmcn]

President Obama will be holding his final news conference of the year at 1:30pm today, before flying off to his Christmas vacation in Hawaii.

The Sony hack will probably be one of the first topics addressed, along with opening up trade with Cuba.

Tune in to your favorite network to watch the speech live.

[Sandtrap328]

Originally Posted by tedquick

NK�s threat was a terrorist attack and unless Sony changes its position, NK won. Not only did NK win, but more importantly �we the people� were just defeated, not only with NK but with the rest of the world. If Sony does not acquiesce and show the film and if our government does not take steps to protect its people we have just been brought to our knees. The white flag of surrender is waving.

"We the people" were defeated because we cannot see a movie that probably would have been a loser? Sony is to blame for deciding to make the movie which is in extremely bad taste - for making a movie about the killing of a sitting leader of a country. They deserve a huge monetary loss for that decision.

What steps should the government take to "protect us" from this? Would you volunteer your grandchild or child to go into a shooting war over your "1st amendment rights" to see a movie?

[tedquick]

Originally Posted by Sandtrap328

"We the people" were defeated because we cannot see a movie that probably would have been a loser? Sony is to blame for deciding to make the movie which is in extremely bad taste - for making a movie about the killing of a sitting leader of a country. They deserve a huge monetary loss for that decision.

What steps should the government take to "protect us" from this? Would you volunteer your grandchild or child to go into a shooting war over your "1st amendment rights" to see a movie?

Tens of thousands have already died to assure us of our freedoms. Our country was formed so that we could have freedom. At what point do you decide, "well, I guess it's not worth it"?

See TexaninVA in the post immediately prior to my initial post.

[sunnyatlast]

If Prof. Aan Dershowitz calls this the "Pearl Harbor" of NK's attack on our freedom of speech, then I do too.

North Korea�s apparent victory over this film is but a coming attraction of things to come. If hacking and threats can shut down a poorly reviewed comedy, they can also shut down newspapers, magazines, television stations, and other media. This then was the Pearl Harbor of a war that is just beginning.

Like all wars, there were preludes. The prelude for this one came in an unlikely location: Yale University. Several years ago, the Yale University Press published a book on the controversy surrounding the cartoons of Mohammad that had appeared in several Scandinavian newspapers and provoked violent responses�.."

SEE the rest of Dershowitz's column linked.

Full Story:
Capitulating to Terrorists Will Only Make Things Worse -- by Alan Dershowitz
Sony Hack: Capitulating to Terrorists, Censorship Makes Things Worse


---

[gomoho]

Originally Posted by Sandtrap328

"We the people" were defeated because we cannot see a movie that probably would have been a loser? Sony is to blame for deciding to make the movie which is in extremely bad taste - for making a movie about the killing of a sitting leader of a country. They deserve a huge monetary loss for that decision.

What steps should the government take to "protect us" from this? Would you volunteer your grandchild or child to go into a shooting war over your "1st amendment rights" to see a movie?

You are missing the point. It could have been a documentary, a newspaper article, a news report. They threatened us and we caved. Amen. And I believe you are the only one even mentioning a "shooting" war except in one post that mentions it in response to a physical attack on the homeland.

[billethkid]

Originally Posted by Sandtrap328

"We the people" were defeated because we cannot see a movie that probably would have been a loser? Sony is to blame for deciding to make the movie which is in extremely bad taste - for making a movie about the killing of a sitting leader of a country. They deserve a huge monetary loss for that decision.

What steps should the government take to "protect us" from this? Would you volunteer your grandchild or child to go into a shooting war over your "1st amendment rights" to see a movie?

The issue is that there was a terrorist hack and a demand made and a threat to destroy American property and lives. That is the issue.

Some can diss about the movie and anything else that one wants to entertain
but when all gets said and done a freedom was assaulted by a terrorist regime.

I suppose our techies could go in and do something that would create some havoc in the NK system...the have so little of anything except military....but I am sure there is something our cyber jocks could do to let them know not to mess with us. But that might upset or antagonize or irritate someone so we will probably do nothing or do shame shame....

To another post above....I haven't seen where anybody has suggested any military action.

Just hack em back and make it huret!!!!!

[gomoho]

TexaninVa mentions a military response in his very well written post.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Sandtrap328

"We the people" were defeated because we cannot see a movie that probably would have been a loser? Sony is to blame for deciding to make the movie which is in extremely bad taste - for making a movie about the killing of a sitting leader of a country. They deserve a huge monetary loss for that decision.

What steps should the government take to "protect us" from this? Would you volunteer your grandchild or child to go into a shooting war over your "1st amendment rights" to see a movie?

Tasteless comedies are made into movies all of the time, including ones about our own government and the presidency. We Americans seem to enjoy treading on other's toes in order to get a rise out of them.

Here is a list of movies about the American Presidency. Not all are in good taste, but it depends on whose taste. What is wrong here, is that a threat has been made against the American people by a foreign power.. That is the issue. Not the taste or the subject matter or the right or the wrong of the plot. We can show we are not pleased officially, or act like it never happened.I have to believe that our not visible security forces are on it. If there is an indication that someone would harm our innocent movie goers, you would have to bet that our precious soldiers would respond. OR...our precious drones.

10 American President Movies

[rp001]

The bottom line is this was a corporate decision, to protect their employees and customers from a threat they perceived. I'm sick and tired of people constantly blaming every wrong decision made on this president. Just open your ears and minds and stop listening to faux news long enough to get the truth. I can't believe someone actually wants to start a war over this crap! Go ahead lead the charge, I'm right behind you!

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by gomoho

You are missing the point. It could have been a documentary, a newspaper article, a news report. They threatened us and we caved. Amen. And I believe you are the only one even mentioning a "shooting" war except in one post that mentions it in response to a physical attack on the homeland.

We in this case was Sony.