Category: Government

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Deficit hawkery as farce [no intelligence or integrity]

Corruption, Government

Who, Me?

The Economist on Democracy in America

I'M HAVING trouble writing about the GOP effort to reach a compromise over whether to cut $100 billion out of the 2011 budget, or just $50-60 billion. My problem is that I can't really write about the advantages or disadvantages of one or another version of the cuts when the entire enterprise appears completely senseless to me.

. . . . . . .

That still wouldn't have anything to do with what the US economy needs over the next year or two. But at least it would make sense as a long-term strategy. What the GOP is doing now is frenziedly cutting often worthwhile small programmes because they can't face the political consequences of taking on entitlements and defence or proposing tax hikes, and it's very hard for me to take the charade seriously.

Read full analysis….

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Who Needs Enemies When We Have Us?

Corruption, Government, Methods & Process, Policies, Threats
Retire the Clown

Obesity Has Nearly Doubled Worldwide Since 1980: Report

FRIDAY, Feb. 4 (HealthDay News) — New research shows that obesity is on the rise worldwide — it's doubled since 1980 — but people in the wealthiest nations are managing to reduce their blood pressure and cholesterol level.

Moms’ Work Schedule Is Making Kids Fat

Childhood obesity has been steadily rising in the U.S. in the past 30 years, and a new study from American University in Washington, D.C. has found that a child’s weight may depend on how much their mothers were away at work growing up.

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Underground world hints at China’s coming crisis

03 Economy, 05 Energy, 06 Family, 11 Society, 12 Water, Civil Society, Commerce, Commercial Intelligence, Government, Key Players, Peace Intelligence

Underground world hints at China's coming crisis

To understand how far ordinary Chinese have been priced out of their country's property market, you need to look not upwards at the Beijing's shimmering high-rise skyline, but down, far below the bustling streets where nearly 20m people live and work.

There, in the city's vast network of unused air defence bunkers, as many as a million people live in small, windowless rooms that rent for £30 to £50 a month, which is as much as many of the city's army of migrant labourers can afford.

. . . . . .

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AFIO Selected Headlines: Google, Woolsey, Hayden

10 Security, 11 Society, Cultural Intelligence, Government

Google Comes Under Fire for ‘Secret' Relationship with NSA. Consumer Watchdog, an advocacy group largely focused in recent years on Google's privacy practices, has called on a congressional investigation into the Internet giant's “cozy” relationship with U.S. President Barack Obama's administration.  In a letter sent Monday, Consumer Watchdog asked Representative Darrell Issa, the new chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, to investigate the relationship between Google and several government agencies.  Read more….

Phi Beta Iota: Google is to modern cyber-space as Standard Oil & ATT were to previous monopolies.  It is doing great evil, no least because it enables violations of the Constitution at the same time that it fails to contribute to an educated citizenry (sense-making).  Its computational mathematics are out of this world and neither understood nor regulated–Google can sell the right to show any searcher what the sponsor wants them to see, not what is relevant.

Journal: Consumer Group Calls for Hearings on Google Relations with NSA and CIA, Google’s Global Street-Level Survey of Wi-Fi Packet Interceptability
Event Report CORRECTED LINKS: Responding to Real Time Information, Open Systems and the Obama IT Vision [Google-Microsoft Meld]
Journal: Google Wave–Good, Bad, & Ugly
2009 Arnold Google: The Digital Gutenberg

Woolsey-Pollard and Hayden-Integrity Below the Line…

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Monthly CrisisWatch Report N°90, 1 February 2011

01 Poverty, 05 Civil War, 07 Other Atrocities, 08 Immigration, 08 Wild Cards, 09 Terrorism, 10 Security, 10 Transnational Crime, 11 Society, Civil Society, Counter-Oppression/Counter-Dictatorship Practices, CrisisWatch reports, Government, Law Enforcement, Military

CrisisWatch N°90, 1 February 2011

report direct link (pdf)

Historic events in the Arab world gripped the world's attention in January. In Tunisia weeks of escalating riots and demonstrations over dire economic conditions, corruption and government repression culminated in the ouster of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali on 14 January. He was replaced by an interim government which announced the country's first free elections since independence.

Download the full issue of CrisisWatch N°90

The direction of Tunisia's transition, and its significance for the region, are not yet clear. But, assuming a successful transition, this could mark the first genuine popular revolt leading to a democratic government in the Arab world.

Inspired by the Tunisian uprising yet fuelled by their own long-standing grievances, hundreds of thousands took to the streets across Egypt towards the end of the month, protesting against authoritarian rule and poor living standards, and calling for President Hosni Mubarak to step down. Over 135 people were killed and more than 2,000 injured during the initial police response. The army was deployed at the end of the month to curb increasing chaos and looting, but vowed not to use force against the protesters.

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FBI Intelligence Violations from 2001 – 2008

09 Justice, Corruption, Counter-Oppression/Counter-Dictatorship Practices, Government, Law Enforcement, Open Government, Secrecy & Politics of Secrecy
EFF report source in full

Executive Summary

In a review of nearly 2,500 pages of documents released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a result of litigation under the Freedom of Information Act, EFF uncovered alarming trends in the Bureau’s intelligence investigation practices. The documents consist of reports made by the FBI to the Intelligence Oversight Board of violations committed during intelligence investigations from 2001 to 2008. The documents suggest that FBI intelligence investigations have compromised the civil liberties of American citizens far more frequently, and to a greater extent, than was previously assumed. In particular, EFF’s analysis provides new insight into:

Number of Violations Committed by the FBI

  • From 2001 to 2008, the FBI reported to the IOB approximately 800 violations of laws, Executive Orders, or other regulations governing intelligence investigations, although this number likely significantly under-represents the number of violations that actually occurred.
  • From 2001 to 2008, the FBI investigated, at minimum, 7000 potential violations of laws, Executive Orders, or other regulations governing intelligence investigations.
  • Based on the proportion of violations reported to the IOB and the FBI’s own statements regarding the number of NSL violations that occurred, the actual number of violations that may have occurred from 2001 to 2008 could approach 40,000 possible violations of law, Executive Order, or other regulations governing intelligence investigations.1

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