Recently Canada was accused of spying on Brazil’s mining and energy activities, but should we be surprised?
Countries spy on, and are accused of spying on each other all the time, it’s part of the modern age and how states are able to stay afloat. But, is this something that should cause alarm? I say, no. Why? Because spies and political espionage go back farther than almost anything else in our political system, and cyber spies are only the latest model. It’s not a new phenomenon.
Now, does this mean we should embrace cyber espionage? No. It is handled with the same severity as traditional espionage was 50, 100, or 1000 years ago – as it should be. Sovereign states have a right to their privacy and a right to be miffed when it’s infringed upon. So, they call out the suspected state and go through the well-rehearsed game of politics, and life moves on.
And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what compelled Canada to spy in the first place: oil, money, energy in a world that’s rapidly running dry. If, through cyber espionage, Canada could gain valuable information on Brazil, it would provide them with an upper hand in getting in on some of the action. Especially when Brazil was auctioning off the rights to help properly exploit a huge resource.
On the other hand, access to Brazil’s computers could also give Canada the information required to make the decision not to participate in auctions – as it appears was the case (for reasons unknown). Perhaps this is what tipped off the Brazilians to the espionage. With an oil discovery so big, Brazil had expected at least 40 companies worldwide to auction for a shot at the contract; but only 11 signed up, with not a single company from the U.S., U.K., Canada, New Zealand or Australia. In other words, Canada and the countries that regularly meet with Canada to discuss security & energy threats did not bid – a decision they would not have made without good reason (aka. private information obtained through espionage).
It is my opinion, however, that this “cyber” espionage could and would have occurred if the Internet did not exist. One need only look to a Dictionary for evidence of this. First known use of the term spy: 1200’s. First origins of the Internet: 1960s.
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Sources:
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http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV+Shows/The+National/ID/2411192763/
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http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/why-would-canada-spy-on-brazil-mining-and-energy-officials-1.1931465
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http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spy
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http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/internet
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