Views expressed on wiretaps, fake news

There are accusations and denials in the mass media and talk shows about government wiretapping and surveillance.

In the late 1960s, there was a popular TV show called “Mission Impossible.” It was about a small team of independent multitalented operatives used for anonymous covert government missions involving foreign and domestic political interests, crime syndicates and major corruption. In the opening mission instruction, the voice on the tape machine concluded with: “As always, should you or any of your I.M. force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your team or its actions.”

Does anyone really think “wiretapping” and various levels and types of surveillance (think spying) are not a normal way of life since the Cold War by any government, political parties — or —even big business? With current legal and illegal technology, sophisticated spying only takes a few button presses.

Regarding the mass media and fake news, a professor of mine used to state he was teaching us the subject theory as a basic foundation and for future reference.

He further cautioned that authors of any type of writings and publications were expressing an organization’s culture or personal perceptions that may be slanted and not always credible. By the same token, it’s up to each individual to decide for themselves what is true or false as expressed in the daily mass media news. Francis Lamm Wickliffe