Archive for the 'Dictatorship' Category
Civilian Contractors in the Kill Chain
January 1st, 2012The absurdity is reaching Strangelovian proportions: “Our No. 1 manning problem in the Air Force is manning our unmanned platforms,” said Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, Air Force vice chief of staff. Via: Los Angeles Times: After a U.S. airstrike mistakenly killed at least 15 Afghans in 2010, the Army officer investigating the accident was surprised […]
Obama Signs Indefinite Detention Without Trial Bill Into Law; Claims His Regime Won’t Use It
January 1st, 2012Whatever you say, Mr. Hopey Changey. What about the next resident of the White House and the next? Via: AFP: The measure, which passed by wide majorities in Congress, says the US military has the power to detain terror suspects without trial for as long as the US global anti-terror campaign is waged. Obama was […]
CFR Rag: ‘Time to Attack Iran’
December 31st, 2011Via: Council on Foreign Relations / Foreign Affairs: The truth is that a military strike intended to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, if managed carefully, could spare the region and the world a very real threat and dramatically improve the long-term national security of the United States.
‘The First Goal Is an Uncensorable Internet in Space’
December 31st, 2011Here’s one for your Don’t-Hold-Your-Breath file folder. Via: BBC: Computer hackers plan to take the internet beyond the reach of censors by putting their own communication satellites into orbit. The scheme was outlined at the Chaos Communication Congress in Berlin. The project’s organisers said the Hackerspace Global Grid will also involve developing a grid of […]
U.S. Court Upholds Telecom Immunity for Surveillance of Americans
December 30th, 2011Searching for Mark Klein on Cryptogon will bring up several references to the NSA’s mass surveillance operations. Via: Reuters: A U.S. appeals panel on Thursday upheld the constitutionality of a federal law that grants immunity to telecommunications companies that assist the U.S. government in conducting surveillance of American citizens. … Several lawsuits filed in the […]
Much of What Transpires in the Name of Military Research and Development…
December 30th, 2011Via: Bulletin of Atomic Scientists: But much of what transpires in the name of military research and development is not research in the sense that it produces scientific and technical knowledge widely applicable inside and outside the Defense Department. A large part of defense R&D activity revolves around building very expensive gadgets that are often […]
TSA Got Everything It Wanted for Christmas
December 30th, 2011Via: Slashdot: “It looks like Congress’ recent jabs at TSA were just posturing after all. Last Friday, President Obama signed a spending act passed by both houses of Congress. The act gives TSA a $7.85 billion budget increase for 2012 and includes funding for 12 additional multi-modal Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams and […]
China Wins $700 Million Afghan Oil and Gas Deal — Why Didn’t the U.S. Bid?
December 29th, 2011The article below states that, “China has not participated in the war effort,” but it fails to mention that China financed the war by purchasing hundreds of billions of dollars worth of U.S. debt. Just a guess: Maybe some of those debt purchases came with strings attached. U.S. elites got their nonsense war, a bunch […]
Los Angeles: From Planes To Trains: TSA Expands Spot Searches To Union Station
December 29th, 2011Via: CBS: An all-too-familiar sight at LAX and the rest of the nation’s airports will soon be coming to the city’s busiest train station. KNX 1070?s Pete Demetriou reports rail passengers have started seeing Transportation Security Administration on patrol at Union Station on a more frequent basis. As many as 25 VIPR (Visible Intermodal Prevention […]
Ten Plotlines You’ll Find in Science Fiction — Over and Over Again
December 28th, 2011This topic needs a far weirder treatment than the khaki-clad nine-to-fivers at io9 are capable of providing. Maybe Brainsturbator will do this properly someday. For an unabridged version, see Secret Sun. Via: io9: Science fiction is a genre of limitless possibilities, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few ideas writers keep coming back to […]
