Posted on 06/27/2013 1:02:15 AM PDT by Impala64ssa
Following the death of Rolling Stone and BuzzFeed contributor Michael Hastings in a fiery car crash, and the subsequent revelation of a panicked email he sent to his colleagues just before he died, this question has arisen: could someone have hacked his car? That's unlikely, and here's why. P
Hastings' 2013 Mercedes C250 coupe crashed into a tree on Highland Ave. in Los Angeles around 4:30 am on June 18. The car burst into flames, and it took the coroner two days to positively ID Hastings' body. P
It sounds like perfect fodder for a good conspiracy theory. After all, Hastings was a heavy hitter whose 2010 Rolling Stone piece on Gen. Stanley McChrystal ended the Afghan war chief's career and sent shockwaves through the defense community. He had enemies, and his final email implies he was working on something huge related to the NSA and FBI, and that "the Feds" were interviewing his associates. If you believe the government does that kind of thing, it almost sounds like Hastings was taken out somehow.P
But how exactly? Speaking to the Huffington Post, former counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke claimed that "what is known about the single-vehicle crash is 'consistent with a car cyber attack.'"P
Clarke said, "There is reason to believe that intelligence agencies for major powers" — including the United States — know how to remotely seize control of a car.
"What has been revealed as a result of some research at universities is that it's relatively easy to hack your way into the control system of a car, and to do such things as cause acceleration when the driver doesn't want acceleration, to throw on the brakes when the driver doesn't want the brakes on, to launch an air bag," Clarke told The Huffington Post. "You can do some really highly destructive things now, through hacking a car, and it's not that hard."
"So if there were a cyber attack on the car — and I'm not saying there was," Clarke added, "I think whoever did it would probably get away with it."P Related
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Clarke also says that because the "dozen or so computers" on board the Mercedes melted, it's even harder to trace who may have committed such an act. That's true. University researchers have found ways to crash car computer systems in the lab and there's no reason to believe government agents haven't also figured out how to do the same thing.P
But there are many, many reasons we need to be stay away from this theory in this case for now. As the Los Angeles Times notes, law enforcement officials are "weeks away" from determining the exact cause of Hastings' death, including what happened to the car and how fast it was going. P
Moreover, car hacking seems to be the most in vogue fear du jour among Americans lately, what with AOL positing that terrorists are capable of seizing your car's computer remotely and turning it into a high-speed death machine. P Related
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Our own Jason Torchinsky did a thorough debunking of why this is so unlikely, including how modern cars' internal networks aren't normally equipped to receive wireless instructions and how it's absurd to think that mechanical systems can somehow be easily overridden by a remote signal. P
Put simply, car hacking isn't what people think it is. You most likely have to have access to a car, then install software, then break through the car's systems. If Clarke is basing his analysis on the university research and not some secret government information, then he should also know that right now this isn't easy.P
It's actually more plausible to think that someone could have physically tampered with Hastings' Mercedes rather than "hacked" it. You could argue that this would also be a form of "hacking," perhaps literally hacking at cables, but we'll have to wait and see if there's more evidence of this.P
We need to wait until all the facts are in before we start buying in to conspiracy theories because no one has been able to dismiss the most obvious theory: Hastings was working on a big story, as he often did, and then he was involved in a car crashed caused by driver error, speeding, alcohol or some other factor.P
It could just be a coincidence, and a very unfortunate one that cost the world an immensely talented and dogged reporter. It could also be the clever and malicious work of government agents.P
We simply don't know yet. And it's not fair to the memory of a man who dedicated his life to uncovering truth for us to blindly buy into the latest thing we're told to be afraid of.P
Still too early to tell what happened. Is there anything to this apparent debunking of the hacked Mercedes theory?
It’s important not to chase after conspiracy theories until we uncover some verifiable info. But what I find interesting is that if there are any manufacturing flaws in his car than it’s possible there should be a major recall of the vehicle he was driving. That being said, you’ll have a team of Mercedes-Benz lawyers now wanting to look at the suspicious death method to prove there’s no need for a recall.
“.....it took the coroner two days to positively ID Hastings’ body.”
Has the Coroner dropped dead of arsenic poisoning yet?
That’s what happened a year ago, the same day the LA Coroner’s office released the Breitbart autopsy report — Michael Cormier (LA Coroner technician) was rushed to the hospital and died from suspected arsenic poisoning.
WITHIN HOURS of the autopsy report getting released. Another magical coincidence!
A full year later, do we have any clue what the hell happened to Cormier? Any “official investigation” findings?
Nope.
Skepticism that isn’t a two-edged sword devolves into an irrational bias.
“But there are many, many reasons we need to be stay away from this theory in this case for now. As the Los Angeles Times notes, law enforcement officials are “weeks away” from determining the exact cause of Hastings’ death, including what happened to the car and how fast it was going. “
Are they still investigating? It was my impression they already claimed it to be an accident and that there was nothing to see here.
Oh and let’s not forget 2 cops were returning to the police station a few nights after the Hastings crash.
As they paused in the driveway to swipe their access card, somebody runs up to their unmarked police car and starts shooting into their car, grazing both officers.
This station is near the site of the Hastings crash.
Hastings crashed approx 4am.
These cops were ambushed approx 4am (a few nights later).
Wanna bet they were ON SHIFT on the same night, at the same time, that Hastings crashed/exploded?
The dead bodies, and attempts to make more dead bodies, are stacking up. This is turning into a modern-day Chinatown.
That’s the weakest “debunking” of anything I’ve ever seen.
With these targeted killings, Eric Holder is starting to show more leg.
The mortality rate hasn’t been this high since gay choir members started dropping dead from natural causes (aka gunshot wounds to the back of the head) in Chicago during Obamatollah’s 2008 campaign.
The one odd part to the cops being shot at....you don’t hear about any video. You would think there’d be some cameras arranged on the front of the building.
“That’s the weakest “debunking” of anything I’ve ever seen.”
Hahahaha exactly!
The author should have just written, “The owner of my publication got a call from Axelrod, saying we should downplay the idea Hastings was targeted. Therefore, I recommend we stay far away from that theory and just wait for all the facts to come in, just like we’re still waiting for all the facts on arsenic-poisoned LA Coroner tech, Michael Cormier, who dropped dead a full year ago the same day his office released the Breitbart autopsy report.”
Aw c'mon. He said "it is hard" to hack into a car. What more debunking do you need. I mean, why would anyone try to steer you wrong?
Now just move along...
Here’s my “book report” on this article.
TITLE: Why It’s Unlikely Someone Killed Michael Hastings By Hacking His Car
AUTHOR: Patrick George
SUMMARY: The government probably didn’t hack the car of Michael Hastings because it’s only been a week, so the police haven’t finished their investigation yet.
Who wrote this article, Valerie Jarrett?
It reads like a translation of a preschool textbook by the Iranian Dr Seuss.
Next week’s article by same author (Patrick George)....
“Obama Is Christian Because You Don’t See Him Riding A Camel Do You.”
The administration wouldn’t have to hack the car, if they hack the driver.
Inject him with alcohol and place a block of wood onto the gas pedal.
Well, if it was in fact a hit, then the people who did the hit, and are doing the investigation, will of course mention that in their report. We’ll just have to wait and see.
http://redflagnews.com/headlines/michael-hastings-wife-vows-to-take-down-whoever-did-this
“Michael Hastings’ Wife Vows to ‘Take Down Whoever Did This’”
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