Sony: The Decision to Pull, "The Interview"

[Keith]

When something like this happens (given the history of the habitual lack of truth and/or full disclosure from the government and mainstream media), I never fully believe what's being reported.  I usually take the matter to prayer in order to leave the heaviness it puts on my heart with the Lord.  And I did this time, too.

 

Still, after reading about this, there are things about this hacking that raise red flags for me.

 

1.  Oakwood mentioned one of them.  The hypocrisy of the government, and the outspoken public, who were outraged at this attack and our "freedom of speech."  Yet, these are the very same people who raged at, and prosecuted, the maker of the film against Islam.  Why wasn't that free speech?  It was called "morally irresponsible."  How is a movie that has the U.S. government calling for the death of the leader of another country not morally irresponsible, too?  I loathe hypocrisy.  It's the one thing I must always be on guard with when it comes to my temper because it's my trigger.   This is absolute hypocrisy.

 

2.  The FBI report said that the malware discovered in the Sony hack is similar to other cyber attacks by North Korea in the past.  While that may be true, it's also been reported widely that the source code for that malware was leaked.  Surely others captured that code.  Similar source codes in different attacks don't necessarily mean that it came from one attacker -  especially not when that source code was leaked.

 

3.  The FBI also said that the IP addresses that were used in the attack were known to be used by North Korea in the past.  This is a flimsy argument because some IP addresses are permanent while others only last a few seconds.  Cyber security experts have come against this "evidence" saying that just because you find an IP address that was used in a cybercrime in the past, doesn't mean that that address can always be linked to cybercrimes.  The seven addresses the FBI released have also been linked to seven other countries, including the U.S.  Six of those addresses are known public proxys while only one was private. 

 

4.  It was only after the media raised the anti-North Korea slant of the movie that the attackers did also.  Red flag.  Only after the media started speculating did these attackers comments about it being anti-North Korea come forward.  This looks suspiciously like a misdirect that the hacker(s) had handed to them and took advantage of (as a misdirect) to me. 

 

5.  The hackers dumped all of the information they hacked.  Why would North Korea, a country who knows the power of propaganda and blackmail, just dump all the information they hacked?  Appearances indicate that all the hacker wanted to do was embarrass and humiliate Sony with the hack.  Given the evidence, I'm not convinced North Korea was involved in the hack.  A disgruntled employee, or former employee, maybe?  It's a possibility.

 

With all that said, as far as the threats go, my understanding (which could be wrong) was that 9/11 style threats were made against theaters who went through with showing the movie.  If that's true, then I agree with Sony's original decision to pull the movie.  If it meant a potential risking of innocent lives at the theaters, who could blame Sony for deciding to pull the movie?   I agree with not giving in to terrorist blackmail in principle, though, so I understand why people were upset with Sony's original decision.  I'm just not clear on the threats that were issued.  (I don't own a TV and my internet research of this story is limited.)

 

Putting all of that aside, looking at the situation biblically, I believe it happened according to God's plan.  The U.S. has been (and is continually) losing face, credibility, power and respect throughout the world.  The U.S. is diminishing in governmental power, societal values and behavior, economic power, and respect for its reputation.  When you combine that with not finding the U.S. in biblical, end times prophecies, I can't help but consider that this is possibly a step in the plan that keeps the U.S. on a downward spiral globally, leading to the absence of the U.S. in prophecy.  God is still on the throne and nothing catches Him by surprise.  While I still pray for this country, I also pray for God's will to be done, and for Him to receive glory in it.

 

Please forgive my long post.

[The_Patriot21]

It wouldnt surprise me if it was North Korea, realistically its just about the only thing they could do. And almost while your points are valid, people are creatures of habit-even hackers, they will often use similar IP addresses and the like. So North Korea being the culprit isn't beyond the realm of possibilities.

[Keith]

It wouldnt surprise me if it was North Korea, realistically its just about the only thing they could do. And almost while your points are valid, people are creatures of habit-even hackers, they will often use similar IP addresses and the like. So North Korea being the culprit isn't beyond the realm of possibilities.

I agree with you, completely.  There's no denying the possibility.  It's just that, with my line of thinking, I applied the "creatures of habit" theory closer to the creatures at home first, whose habits also tend to be less principled.

 

Truth be told, and I hope this doesn't sound callous, I'm not fussed about the situation at all.  How else should we expect an unbelieving world to behave?  Hackers, secrets, tyranny, and immorality, all disguised under masks of self-righteous indignation, self-importance, self-entitlement and hypocrisy.    It's the hypocrisy involved that drug me into the situation, since it's my trigger.  Wherever I see hypocrisy, I want to confront it face-to-face.  The matter itself "is what it is" and nothing any of us say or do will change any of it, except by prayer.  So, I prayed and left it with God to work out according to His plan.