Monday, January 27, 2014

German Executives Optimistic, Probably Don't Know The NSA Engages in Industrial Espionage Against Them

Now is the time we juxtapose.
From Quartz:

German executives are optimistic, but they might be getting ahead of themselves
The euro zone’s largest economy is the strongest it has been in years. That’s at least the impression one gets from surveys of business managers in Germany.

The latest reading of the influential Ifo business climate survey, published today, beat market expectations and set the highest mark since the middle of 2011. It follows similarly robust surveys of purchasing managers and financial analysts released over the past week.

But against this cheery backdrop, actual economic growth in Germany looks remarkably weak....MORE
And from the Canadian Broadcasting Corp:

Edward Snowden says NSA engages in industrial espionage
Ex-NSA contractor cites German engineering firm Siemens as one target
The U.S. National Security Agency is involved in industrial espionage and will grab any intelligence it can get its hands on regardless of its value to national security, former NSA contractor Edward Snowden told a German TV network.

In text released ahead of a lengthy interview to be broadcast on Sunday, ARD TV quoted Snowden as saying the NSA does not limit its espionage to issues of national security and he cited German engineering firm, Siemens as one target.

 "If there's information at Siemens that's beneficial to U.S. national interests — even if it doesn't have anything to do with national security  — then they'll take that information nevertheless," Snowden said, according to ARD, which recorded the interview in Russia where he has claimed asylum....MORE