Letters to the Editor
Jim White
Published Letters: 1089 Editor's Choice: 15
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Another possibility on the use of the data
[Read the article: The leak designed to save Alberto Gonzales]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I just scanned the comments section on the WaPo article and found more than one person suggesting another very nefarious use of data. For example:
Actually, a more useful result of this Data Mining would be to learn of an imminent announcement of a corporation take-over, so that their Stock could be purchased before the announcement. You could become a Millionaire very, very quickly.
It's probably already been done in the name of our War On Terror.
Posted by the screenname leochen24551.
That is, with the datamining capability that would have been present, real-time capture of financially relevant information would have been available. It would be only a short step to put that information to work through a set of dummy trading accounts to generate very large piles of cash very quickly to fund even more black operations with money that never existed as far as the government is concerned.
Think Iran-Contra but with bigger stakes and much faster return on investment. In fact, could this be related to Iran again? When did the funding of anti-government factions in Iran begin? Here's Michael Ledeen from April 22, 2003 in National Review:
The second program is to support the anti-regime forces inside Iran. That insane regime is now very frightened, both of us and of their own people. The ayatollahs know that the Iranian people long to be free, and the regime has intensified its repression during the run-up to the war. There are several pro-democracy groups in Iran (student and teacher organizations, trade unions, workers? group, especially in the oil and textile sectors) that can organize an insurrection in Tehran and other major cities. They need money (a fraction of what was squandered in the CIA’s failed program to induce an insurrection in Basra), satellite phones, laptop computers, and the like. At the same time, we should support the pro-American Persian language radio and TV stations in Los Angeles, that are the principal source of information for most educated Iranians.
Would this complete the transition of Bush into the anti-Reagan, by illegally raising money to send into Iran instead of out of Iran? My head is spinning...
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The foreign contingent of the foreign policy community speaks up
[Read the article: The foreign policy community]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It looks like Obama has clearly upset the apple cart. In a story just run on AP, Tariq Azim, minister of state for information in Pakistan is questioned on the subject of Musharraf declaring a state of emergency. Azim is quoted as saying no decision has yet been made. However, the article continues with this gem:
He also said statements coming from the United States, including from Sen. Barak Obama, D-Ill., a presidential hopeful, over the possibility of U.S. military action against al-Qaida in Pakistan "has started alarm bells ringing and has upset (the) Pakistani public."
It would appear to me that the serious folks in the State Department wasted no time in speaking with their serious comrades in Pakistan to play up the propaganda value of Obama's comments. The parallels here are completely frightening. If Obama's statements are used to justify a state of emergency in Pakistan, how far away are we from a bin Laden statement out of Pakistan justifying a state of emergency in the US?
This is what passes for foreign policy in our country today. No true long term policies are developed or enacted. Instead, the headlines of the day are manipulated for maximum gain with no concern for the fallout. Let's hope that we can all survive until a new generation of real adults takes over this vital work.
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ondelette
[Read the article: The foreign policy community]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Wow! I think you have hit on a really accurate framing of the issues we face:
Imperialism leads to decadence, whether it is intellectual imperialism, political imperialism, material imperialism, or military imperialism.
Should our country be a republic or an empire?
The only thought I would add is that an argument could be made that we now have completed the transition to empire from republic. It is not just our government, but our entire culture that has been transformed. How do we return to being a republic? How do we remove the gatekeepers from power without dismantling the entire system?
More empiricism, less imperialism!
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bebop-o
[Read the article: The foreign policy community]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Best of luck today. Most of my juicy figs are gone now, but the tree still has plenty of large leaves if you need them. Keep in mind that giving in to a "ridiculous" demand from the P&P crew could be worth it to have more time with your granddaughter.
Peace.
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A little fun while waiting for the next post...
[Read the article: The foreign policy community]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It was announced today that President Bush was treated last August for Lyme disease. Here's a link to the ABC story on it:http://tinyurl.com/39swp5
As the article states, Lyme disease is typically characterized by a "characteristic bullseye rash". Maybe seeing the target on himself could explain some of the especially paranoid behavior from the last year. Who knows, maybe he had an undiagnosed case earlier?
This gets better, though. Being a diehard Gator fan, Bush's case of Lyme disease reminded me of a previous case in the news. Here's a quote from the Independent Florida Alligator from July 12, 2005:
Florida State quarterback Wyatt Sexton will miss the 2005 season, but the reason comes as a surprise to many.
Sexton, the Seminoles player found wandering on a suburban Tallahassee street in June calling himself "the son of God" before being pepper sprayed by police and sent to a hospital, was diagnosed with Lyme disease.
http://www.alligator.org/pt2/050712foot3.php
Could we have avoided all of this Manichean madness with a simple dose of antibiotics in late 2001? At this point the outbreak is pretty large, but I prescribe a stiff round of antibiotics for all in the White House, DOJ, pundit class and M$M.