Communities of Practice – Page 1133 – Public Intelligence Blog

July 26, 2011

Afghan Sitrep

We're Here Because We're Here Because We're Here …

By FRANKLIN C. SPINNEY, Counterpunch

Beaulieu Sur Mer, France

The old German army had a term of art for describing the US strategy in Afghanistan: nicht schwerpunckt, meaning there is no center of effort or unifying idea around which to shape and coordinate the ever-changing kaleidoscope of supporting efforts as well as the tactical and grand tactical maneuvers, and counter maneuvers, all of which are, or should be, the reflections of a coherent strategy. The lack of coherence can be seen in the fact that over time our strategic aims have become increasingly unfocused and mutable: How can we be engaged in nation building when we are propping up a corrupt government that will never be able to survive on its own? Are we trying to destroy the Taliban or are we trying to negotiate with the Taliban? Are we trying to find an exit strategy or are we trying to establish conditions for a permanent presence to keep out Al Qaeda or the Chinese, the Iranians, the Pakistanis, or someone else? Is the absence of focus a reflection of a general impulse to empire as many libertarians believe or the unpredictable interplay of money with domestic politics or both? Etc.

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Continue reading “Chuck Spinney: Afghanistan Situation Report”

2011/07/26

Michael Ostrolenk: Openness Groups Denounce House Republicans for Killing FOIA Legislation

03 Economy, 09 Justice, 11 Society, Blog Wisdom, Civil Society, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, Government, IO Impotency

Openness Groups Denounce House Republican Leadership Decision to Erase Progress on Bipartisan FOIA Legislation

Press Release Contact: Amy Bennett or Patrice McDermott, OpenTheGovernment.org, 202-332-6736

July 26, 2010 – Organizations that support openness and accountability were shocked and saddened to learn that House Republican leadership plans to wipe out bipartisan progress on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) legislation in the interest of pushing its budget package.

“If House leadership wishes to make good on their pledge to improve transparency and accountability, they should not kill this good government bill with strong bipartisan support as a political maneuver,” said Angela Canterbury, Director of Public Policy at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO). “Instead, they should walk their talk by making the Faster FOIA Act law.”

This afternoon, at the direction of House leadership, the House Rules Committee is poised to approve a rule that allows Speaker Boehner to strip all language out of S. 627, the Faster FOIA Act, and replace it with his budget proposal.

Read rest of release…

2011/07/262011/07/27

Paul Fernhout: Democratic Debate & Decision-Making

11 Society, Advanced Cyber/IO, Blog Wisdom, Civil Society, Cultural Intelligence, Ethics, Government, TED Videos

Michael Sandal's book, as reviewed here at Phi Beta Iota (see Review: Public Philosophy–Essays on Morality in Politics) prompted my putting forward some related links and thoughts. I highly recommend Michael Sandal's TED presentation The Lost Art of Democratic Debate

“Democracy thrives on civil debate, Michael Sandel says — but we're shamefully out of practice. He leads a fun refresher, with TEDsters sparring over a recent Supreme Court case (PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin) whose outcome reveals the critical ingredient in justice.”

Here is a related P2P Discussions on the Future of the Economy.

Continue reading “Paul Fernhout: Democratic Debate & Decision-Making”

2011/07/262011/07/26

John Steiner: Christopher Schaefer on Wealth

03 Economy, 11 Society, Advanced Cyber/IO, Articles & Chapters, Blog Wisdom, Civil Society, Collective Intelligence, Commerce, Commercial Intelligence, Cultural Intelligence, Earth Intelligence, Ethics, Government

Christopher Schaefer (PhD), gives us both a short essay below recommending two books, and at the link, a five-page essay, “Mind the Gap: Wealth Disparities, the Deficit, and our Economic Future.”

CREATING COMMON WEALTH

Christopher Schaefer

It is now clear that the present global economic crisis is also a political and moral crisis raising fundamental questions about the nature of market capitalism in the West, in particular in the United States and England. Old arguments from the Right and the Left about more government involvement in society or less are often deemed irrelevant as the system is perceived as being corrupt and manipulated by economic and political elites. A recent Pew Research Poll found that over 92 percent of Americans viewed the economy as bad, over 70 percent say they have suffered job related or financial hardship as a result of the great recession, 25 percent say they have difficulty paying their mortgage and 24 percent in paying their medical bills. Meanwhile 65 percent see government in a negative light and large banks and large corporations as corrupt, ( 67 and 64 percent respectively ). Or as David Korten states in Agenda for a New Economy, (Berrett Koehler) “conservatives and liberals share a sense that the dominant culture and institutions of the contemporary world are morally and spiritually bankrupt, unresponsive to human needs and values , and destructive of the strong families and communities we crave and our children desperately need.(1)

Korten's book is an excellent beginning in rethinking how our economy should be organized and should function. He makes a strong case for a 12 point agenda in achieving independence from Wall Street and and in creating a more local and sustainable economic future. The 12 point Agenda includes:

Continue reading “John Steiner: Christopher Schaefer on Wealth”

2011/07/262011/07/26

Patrick Meier: Renaissance Crowd Sourcing — and Who Won

11 Society, Advanced Cyber/IO, Blog Wisdom, Civil Society, Collective Intelligence, Cultural Intelligence, Hacking

Crowdsourcing Solutions and Crisis Information during the Renaissance

Clearly, crowdsourcing is not new, only the word is. After all, crowdsourcing is a methodology, not a technology nor an industry. Perhaps one of my favorite examples of crowdsourcing during the Renaissance surrounds the invention of the marine chronometer, which completely revolutionized long distance sea travel. Thousands of lives were being lost in shipwrecks because longitude coordinates were virtually impossible to determine in the open seas. Finding a solution this problem became critical as the Age of Sail dawned on many European empires.

So the Spanish King, Dutch Merchants and others turned to crowdsourcing by offering major prize money for a solution. The British government even launched the “Longitude Prize” which was established through an Act of Parliament in 1714 and administered by the “Board of Longitude.” This board brought together the greatest scientific minds of the time to work on the problem, including Sir Isaac Newton. Galileo was also said to have taken up the challenge.

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Interestingly, the person who provided the most breakthroughs—and thus received the most prize money—was the son of a carpenter, the self-educated British clockmaker John Harrison. And so, as noted by Peter LaMotte, “by allowing anyone to participate in solving the problem, a solution was found for a puzzle that had baffled some of the brightest minds in history (even Galileo!). In the end, it was found by someone who would never have been tapped to solve it to begin with.”

Read full article…

2011/07/26

John Robb: When Governments Fail, Criminal Tribes Grow

03 Economy, 09 Justice, 10 Transnational Crime, 11 Society, Blog Wisdom, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, Government, IO Impotency, Non-Governmental

Monday, 25 July 2011

JOURNAL: Knights Templar Norway/Mexico

Two recent attempts at revivals of the Knights Templar.

One: Norway. In this video posted by Anders (the Oslo bomber) before his attack. He makes a plea for a revival of the Knights Templar at the end of the video (the first part is an attack on liberalism/multiculturalism and islamic immigration). His bloody attack was an attempt to jump start a revival through what's called “a plausible promise.”

Two: Mexico. A splinter group from the Michoacan La Familia cartel (which is unravelling) has named themselves the Knights Templar. They have published a code of conduct, eschew drug use, etc. This group is active in the drug business, growing quickly (the simple rules of conduct required to join it are very viral), and killing every rival in their way (the Zetas, what's left of La Familia, and the Mexican government troops/police).

Why? The Knights Templar is an historical model that is a ready made formula for manufacturing fictive kinship. Fictive kinship is the “glue” or “cement” that holds together tribes. Manufacturing fictive kinship enables the formation of a tribe/gang/cult that is able to defend itself and its interests.

In the case of religiously grounded historical examples like this, it allows the group and its members to believe they are special. So special they can transcend the laws, customs, and morality of the outside world without remorse/pause. The result is a group that will often kill in a far more aggressive way than what is seen with groups that are glued together only through economic ties (al Qaeda used this approach).

2011/07/262011/07/27

DefDog: Criminal Complicity at Department of “Justice”

03 Environmental Degradation, 05 Energy, 07 Other Atrocities, 09 Justice, 11 Society, Civil Society, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, Government

CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH:

There is a massive complicity in America today between the corporations that fund elections and the officeholders they elect. Actions like Tim's are aimed at disrupting that complicity. For our children, for our country and for the world, we should honor his courage and self-sacrifice and pledge to follow in his footsteps, each in our own way.

Op-Ed

Tim DeChristopher's courageous bid to save our world

In disrupting a federal auction of oil and gas leases, Tim DeChristopher became a hero, but he now faces as many as 10 years in prison.

By Peter YarrowLos Angeles Times, July 26, 2011

In March, Tim DeChristopher was convicted of two felony counts for a nonviolent act of civil disobedience. Acting out of his deepest convictions and his abiding concern for the survival of humankind, Tim bid on oil and gas leases on federal land that he didn't have the means to pay for. On Tuesday, he could be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison for his actions.