"Implausible deniability"--much needed new terminology

[Skidmore]

necessitated by the fact that * never knows the obvious to such an extent that his denials are implausible.

[unblock]

1. i've never liked the term "plausible deniability"

there's no such thing as plausible deniability.

you're the goddamn PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES! FIND THE FUCK OUT! and if your organization keeps you in the dark, FIX YOUR ORGANIZATION!

[Katherine Brengle]

3. I don't think "plausible deniability" would even apply here--even if *

says he didn't know before the press.

From what I understand, plausible deniability is like... I'm trying to think of an example--like if you are the government, and you are running a top-secret, need to know only, operation that must be hidden from the nation and the world at all costs, but someone finds out about it and writes an article for, say, The National Enquirer--

Now, the next time a reporter comes to you and says, "I know what's going on," you can cite the tabloid story as their source and take away their credibility.

Allowing the "leak" to reach the tabloids gives you an "out" if the story ever breaks for real.

So, how would plausible deniability apply to the UAE-ports thing? (I am seriously curious, I have no clue, lol.)

[unblock]

5. "plausible deniability" comes from the nixon administration

it's when nixon's "plumbers" would do dirty tricks and (supposedly) never tell nixon about it, or at least never told him enough details, so that nixon could "plausibly deny" knowledge of the dirty tricks.

[Skidmore]

6. Pat Buchanan made a point of trotting that phrase out on a show

earlier in the week regarding *'s denial of knowledge of something.

[Katherine Brengle]

8. ah, okay--in that context it makes total sense--thanks. n/t

[Canuckistanian]

2. He's just the store-front mannequin

Why even try to educate him?

[ThoughtCriminal]

4. (TM)!

:thumbsup:

[EC]

7. Last night Fineman said something that was indeed true

"It's believable when Bush pleads ignorance...."(Get it? Since he is ignorant, we can believe him when he pleads it).