Understanding "insider" information

[LionFlyer]

Seeing all the angst over the FAP post, I thought I'll share my own thoughts on this subject.

I'm not Filipino nor do I have access to any "shoulder taps" from your country. But having been around long enough on defense matters, I had similar "insights" on several occasions on other matters.

As a mutual acquaintance said, although the information might be accurate, whether it is the entire truth is a matter of debate. What really matters is why such information are given out.  For example, there is a US defense writer (his article are published in major US newspapers) that regularly churn out "one-of-a-kind" articles, that contain detailed, previously unknown facts and regularly cite "unnamed US sources". The sort of facts that would only be available to government intelligence sources.

I'm given to understand that his sources are linked to a group of people (uniformed/civilian from both the Pentagon and State) with their own agenda to influence public opinion and to pressure the government on certain aspects of their foreign policy.

Of course, whether this true or not is a fair question, but one has to be mindful of serving another person's agenda by being their mouth piece. It is par for the course that these things happen.

[adroth]

From: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rpdefense/permalink/1468459629906546/?comment_id=1469010526518123&reply_comment_id=1469027749849734&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R9%22%7D

[adroth]

Now that defense spending is at an all-time high, vendors and their local counterparts are now circling the various modernization office more than ever (they've always been there, and you could tell from all the pre-made free plastic models lining the offices).

Instead of formal lobby groups, they can now create momentum for their products, or sabotage successful vendors, with viral marketing.

[adroth]

The battle of the business reps is playing out on defense social media

[tagalacion]

Seeing all the angst over the FAP post, I thought I'll share my own thoughts on this subject.

I'm not Filipino nor do I have access to any "shoulder taps" from your country. But having been around long enough on defense matters, I had similar "insights" on several occasions on other matters.

As a mutual acquaintance said, although the information might be accurate, whether it is the entire truth is a matter of debate. What really matters is why such information are given out.  For example, there is a US defense writer (his article are published in major US newspapers) that regularly churn out "one-of-a-kind" articles, that contain detailed, previously unknown facts and regularly cite "unnamed US sources". The sort of facts that would only be available to government intelligence sources.

I'm given to understand that his sources are linked to a group of people (uniformed/civilian from both the Pentagon and State) with their own agenda to influence public opinion and to pressure the government on certain aspects of their foreign policy.

Of course, whether this true or not is a fair question, but one has to be mindful of serving another person's agenda by being their mouth piece. It is par for the course that these things happen.

Couldn't agree with this post more.  And, in most cases, it's really hard not to notice the agenda of the "leak", either.  Militics is real.  The FAP flap was a good example.

And just like those dogged reporters of yester-years, many bloggers of today wouldn't mind being a "mouthpiece" to advance a certain agenda if that's the price to pay for a scoop.  And it's not hard which blogs those are.  All you need to do is to follow the vitriol.