Terror: How does it work?

Terrorism is generally accepted to be the use of criminal or illegal acts in an effort to raise fear.  This raises the question of what is criminal or illegal.  Can a government, acting within it's own laws, raise fear?  Can any group of people, through statements issues from the group, raise fear?  Can these rise to the level of terrorism?  I suggest that the answer to all of these questions is a resounding "Yes" and that terrorist acts are not necessarily criminal or illegal.

So when your government requires more searches, to stop the terrorists, are they not raising the fear level.  Remember the color coded threat levels?  Were those not simple terrorist acts, raising the fear among US citizens so that the erosion of the constitution would go unnoticed or even supported?  As a side note: Why does the US require air passengers to take off their shoes before boarding while most of Europe does not?

When a population changes it's pattern of activity in response to a terrorist threat (For example: if churches became targets of terrorists and the people stopped going to church) does that mean the terrorists have won or lost?  The people will claim they have won because the terrorists are no longer killing them in church.  The terrorists on the other hand will claim victory because people are no longer going to church.  So.... if the act of traveling becomes too arduous because of the security requirements (undressing, 60 minutes lost in the terminal due to lines a security, loss of privacy) and the public stops traveling have the terrorists won?  If the terrorists damage the economy have they won?  Do the terrorists actually have to kill anybody to win?  Don't they only have to threaten?

Have we become so adverse to risk that living life is no longer possible for most people?  Has the US become a nanny state?  If not, then why do we have so much more "security theater" in response to so few deaths?  Have not other countries suffered more prolonged onslaughts with multiple attacks and not been so draconian in their response?

Why has the US been so ready to roll over and be the victim of terrorism?  Why has it lost the battle?  Why have the people not stood up and said "Enough is enough" and refused to accept the government dictates for presumptive security?  Why are we such sheep?

OK, most of you can go back to your first world problems now.

It's Been Awhile ...

.. but some things never change: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/07/nsa-chief-denies-dossiers/

So we are to believe that the NSA, an organization that operates with minimal oversight and tell congress that it can't report the data requested, and is building a 1,000,000 square foot complex in Utah with a 1 Yottabyte capacity is not building dossiers on US citizens?  This is the data center that will store “all forms of communication, including the complete contents of private emails, cell phone calls, and Google searches, as well as all sorts of personal data trails—parking receipts, travel itineraries, bookstore purchases, and other digital ‘pocket litter.’”

Perhaps we should look at the statements through the eyes of a rules lawyer:

Q:  Could the NSA, at the direction of Dick Cheney, identify people who sent e-mails making fun of his inability to hunt in order to waterboard them.?
NSA Guy:  “NSA does not have the ability to do that in the United States.” 

Rules Lawyer: So that is not allowed in the US but if we send the data to Canada or the UK we could legally intercept it there...

Q: “Does the NSA really keep a file on everyone?,”

NSA Gus: "No, we don’t. Absolutely no. And anybody who would tell you that we’re keeping files or dossiers on the American people knows that’s not true.”

Rules Lawyer:  If we don't separate the data into "files" and "folders" (ala the office paradigm) we don't.  I hope nobody asks if we can search our massive database that is not comprised of "files" and "folders" for information about anybody that we have come across in our listening activities.

Or perhaps we should look at the rubber stamping FISA court and see, by their own admission, how many times 4th amendment has been violated:  once.  ONCE?  Just Once?  Is there a conflict of interest here -- me thinks so.

So America, what can you do to put the cat back in the bag?  I fear nothing can be done.  It is time to realize that the US Constitution is just an illusion of protection for the people (and corporations) of the country.  The shadowy specter of the black budget and control of such means that most congress critters have no idea what the secretive security agencies are doing.  Changing your congress critter probably won't change anything -- don't get me started on the myth of choice in a 2-party system.

Just Get It Overwith

It seems that US lawmakers can't get the cojones to roll back the attack on the bill of rights and the constitution and are once again extending the Patriot Act. They ought to just bite the bullet and make the extension permanent or roll it back in its entirety. The ACLU takes a slightly different approach and suggests that the US public should write their congress critters and request that it be repealed.

Really? The US Congress will listen to the people who write? How does that work? I write, some intern read my message and aggregates it into the report for the congress critter. The critter glances at the summary page of the report and then asks his or her main campaign contributors how to vote. Yeah, that works well. Perhaps the net result is that the critter gets to ask for a bigger contribution.

Wired's Treat Level blog has a number of articles discussing the problems with the act, its implementation, and its use.

• Lawmakers Punt Again on Patriot Act Reform
• House Fails to Extend Patriot Act Spy Powers
• Congress Punting on Patriot Act Reform
• House Extends Key Patriot Act Provisions
• Patriot Act Extension Lands on Obama’s Desk
• Senate Extends Patriot Act Spy Bill
• FBI Tried to Cover Patriot Act Abuses
• Lawmakers Punt Patriot Act to Obama

Remember the old "America, Love it or leave it" slogan? My question is "America, how do I leave it?"

Worlds Biggest Bully Strikes Again

You remember the school yard bully – the one that punched you in the face when taunted. The one that hit you with a stick or rocks if you punched back. The one that told you how and what to do and threatened violence if you deviated from the course? The one that didn't follow its own rules without consequences. That bully... remember?

This past week the United States once again showed its true colours; not the red, white and blue representing hardiness & valour, purity and innocence, and vigilance, perseverance & justice respectively¹. But the colours and qualities of a bully.

The States have a positive view of their aggressive behaviour, and they act aggressively toward other countries, they have a big military accounting for 19% of budget expenditures (over $685 billion²), have trouble following international laws (not a signatory to the ICC³), has overthrown or help to overthrow at least 14 countries⁴. How does this compare to the characteristics of the bullies?

Children who bully⁵:

• May witness physical and verbal violence or aggression at home. They have a positive view of this behaviour, and they act aggressively toward other people, including adults.
• May hit or push other children.
• Are often physically strong.
• May or may not be popular with other children around their same age.
• Have trouble following rules.
• Show little concern for the feelings of others.

Sounds the same to me.

Let's take a look at the US's recent “victory” – the murder of Osama Bin Laden. The US sees the start of the issue as the infamous attacks of September 11, 2001 (9-11), though the seeds may be found in that list of 14 countries the US helped to overthrow. The US response to the 9-11 attacks was to declare “war” on terrorism, not a call for justice, not a call for the rule of law, but a call to openly break the rule of law and invoke the laws of war. However, the US Congress did not declare a state of war so the US was in a war that was not a war. In retaliation the US attacked Iraq, a country that did not have anything to do with the attacks⁶, overthrew Afghanistan a country that was was run by the Taliban⁶ a group that may have backed al-Qaeda (the presumptive responsible party), and supported Pakistan a country that may have supported al-Qaeda⁶. Ten years and over one million people killed, the US military receives an illegal “kill or capture” order to clear the way for the assassination of Osama Bin Laden from president Barack Obama⁷. The assassination is carried out in Pakistan and the US celebrates.

What would the non-bully nation have done? I think the answer should be that after the attacks international pressure should be brought to bear to capture those thought to be responsible. Those persons should then have been brought to open court to face and respond to the charges. That is how we do it in civilized societies. That is how civilized countries do it. That is how we close the doors on conspiracies, that is how we find most, if not all, of the responsible parties, and how we find peace.

Someday I hope the United States wakes up to its responsibility in the world and pays more than lip service to truth and justice.

[1] USFlag.org: A website dedicated to the Flag of the United States of America - What do the colors of the Flag mean?, http://www.usflag.org/colors.html
[2] Military budget of the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States
[3] United States and the International Criminal Court - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_and_the_International_Criminal_Court
[4] Mokhiber, Russell and Robert Weissman, Overthrow, http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0422-24.htm
[5] Bullying-Characteristics of Children Who Bully, http://www.webmd.com/parenting/tc/bullying-characteristics-of-children-who-bully
[6] Responsibility for the September 11 attacks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsibility_for_the_September_11_attacks
[7] Obama: "Capture Or Kill" Bin Laden - CBS Evening News - CBS News, http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/14/eveningnews/main4722185.shtml

O exceeding puppet!1

Ok, so let me get this right..... Dr. Cornel West, a far left leaning Princeton professor thinks that Obama has become "a puppet of big business." Say it isn't so?

Dr. West, let me ask you this one question: When, since the establishment of corporations and persons, has the president not become a puppet of big business? Let me point out the question is a question of puppethood not whether or not you liked the big business the president was in the pocket of.

To Mr. Obama: "Fie, fie! you counterfeit, you puppet you!" ²

1. Shakespeare, William. The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act II. Scene I.


2. Shakespeare, William. A Midsummer-Night’s Dream, Act III. Scene II.

Who Would Have Thought.....

... that your location would have value.

All those cop shows that show the police getting a warrant (or not getting one) to find out where you are now have it wrong... they can find out where you where when.....

http://www.xenei.com/2011/03/are-you-being-tracked.html

Yeah, what he said...

http://www.shareable.net/blog/the-next-net

Addendum: As a former FidoNet software developer, I'll step up to help.