Communities of Practice – Page 1395 – Public Intelligence Blog

2009/10/312009/10/31

Search: Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield

Analysis, Budgets & Funding, Collaboration Zones, Communities of Practice, Ethics, History, InfoOps (IO), Key Players, Methods & Process, Policies, Policy, Reform, Searches, Strategy, Threats

If one takes the “battlefield” to include all challenges, not just the challenge of a battle in a singular time and place, then this search is the mother of all searches.

We like to use the analogy of sailboat racing, something we learned from a video, DVD: THE ART OF RACING SAILING. This DVD begins with an inspection of the hull of the sailboat out of the water and the point is that the race is often won or lost BEFORE THE RACE EVEN BEGINS. If you have failed to assure a correct hull; if you have failed to train, equip, and organize the right forces for the right mission, if you have failed to understand the historical, cultural, and geographical reality you are entering into a context with; then no amount of excellence on the field itself will prevail.

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2009/10/302009/12/13

Officers’ Call–Conversation About Iraq I

05 Civil War, 08 Wild Cards, 10 Security, Ethics, Memoranda, Military, Officers Call, Peace Intelligence, Strategy

One of the great things about being the touchstone for public intelligence is the contacts that are made by students, officers and enlisted personnel serving in the field, and so many others.

While we were in Denmark, an officer now serving in Iraq sent us some questions that we answered to the best of our ability. The questions alone are listed here. For the answers, click on the cover.

1. We never should have invaded Iraq. I have a less developed opinion on Afghanistan, but if I had to say one way or another, that was probably a mistake as well.

Do these mistakes fall solely on the Bush administration?

Was the administrating that incompetent or did they have an immoral and selfish reason such as fleecing the U.S.?

Was it shortsighted political gain objectives with an underestimation of the downside?

We will have at least double the amount of dead service members before these conflicts are over as were killed during the 9/11 attacks. I read somewhere that we have 75,000 amputees due to the two conflicts not to mention the amount of PTSD. Who has the blood on their hands? Certainly nobody is willing to admit mistakes.

I don't understand how Cheney can even think about spouting off after how the conflicts have gone. Where is the cost vs gain analysis?

2. Once we did invade, we didn't have a solid plan and we didn't bring nearly enough troops if we planned on staying. Was this mainly Rumsfeld's fault?

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2009/10/30

Journal: Abnormal Abductive Advances

Collaboration Zones, Communities of Practice, Ethics, Key Players, Policies, Threats, True Cost

‘Impossible’ Device Could Propel Flying Cars, Stealth Missiles

David Hambling October 29, 2009

The Emdrive is an electromagnetic drive that would generate thrust from a closed system — “impossible” say some experts.

To critics, it’s flat-out junk science, not even worth thinking about. But its inventor, Roger Shawyer, has doggedly continued his work. As Danger Room reported last year, Chinese scientists claimed to validate his math and were building their own version.

Shawyer gave a presentation earlier this week on the Emdrive’s progress at the CEAS 2009 European Air & Space Conference. It answered few questions, but hinted at how the Emdrive might transform spaceflight — and warfare. If the technology works, that is.

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2009/10/302009/10/30

Journal: US Lacks Basic Intelligence at the Top

Collaboration Zones, Communities of Practice, Ethics, Key Players, Policies, Strategy, Threats

New Study Reveals Connection Between Enforcing Immigration Laws and National Security

Friday, October 30, 2009

By Penny Starr, Senior Staff Writer

A new study by the conservative think tank Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) reveals the connection between enforcing immigration laws and national security – sometimes in chilling detail.

Phi Beta Iota: It's all connected. Until the US Government understands the two graphics below (each leads to a separate briefing any adult should be able to comprehend), the Republic will continue its nose dive into the cluster of Third World nations we have abused and now will join for lack of integrity and intelligence among our leaders, military as well as civilian.

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2009/10/302009/10/30

Journal: US Naivete In Afghanistan, Neglecting Iraq

05 Civil War, 08 Wild Cards, 10 Security, Methods & Process, Military, Peace Intelligence, Policy, Strategy

AP IMPACT: Troops already outnumber Taliban 12-1

BRUSSELS – There are already more than 100,000 international troops in Afghanistan working with 200,000 Afghan security forces and police. It adds up to a 12-1 numerical advantage over Taliban rebels, but it hasn't led to anything close to victory.

Transcripts Of Defeat

London — THE highly decorated general sat opposite his commander in chief and explained the problems his army faced fighting in the hills around Kabul: “There is no piece of land in Afghanistan that has not been occupied by one of our soldiers at some time or another,” he said. “Nevertheless much of the territory stays in the hands of the terrorists. We control the provincial centers, but we cannot maintain political control over the territory we seize.

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2009/10/30

Journal: Internet Language Shake-Out

Collaboration Zones, Communities of Practice

Full Story Online

Internet Addresses Can Use New Scripts

By CHOE SANG-HUN

October 31, 2009

SEOUL — By the middle of next year, Internet surfers will be allowed to use Web addresses written completely in Chinese, Arabic, Korean and other languages using non-Latin alphabets, the organization overseeing Internet domain names announced Friday in a decision that could make the Web more accessible.

Phi Beta Iota: See also 26 October 2009 story from BBC.

2009/10/302009/10/30

Journal: Interview with C. K. Prahalad

Commercial Intelligence, Communities of Practice, Ethics, Gift Intelligence, Key Players, Mobile, Peace Intelligence

Five years ago, C.K. Prahalad published a book titled, The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, in which he argues that multinational companies not only can make money selling to the world's poorest, but also that undertaking such efforts is necessary as a way to close the growing gap between rich and poor countries. Key to his argument for targeting the world's poorest is the sheer size of that marke.

Knowledge@Wharton: In the five years since The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid was published, what impact have your ideas had on companies and on poor consumers?

C.K. Prahalad: The impact has been interesting and profound in many ways — much more than one could have expected. For example, several of the multi-lateral institutions — The World Bank, UNDF [United Nations Development Fund], IFC [International Finance Corporation] and USAid — have fundamentally accepted the idea that involvement of the private sector is critical for development…. I asked 10 CEOs of companies as diverse as Microsoft, ING, DSM, GSK and Thomson Reuters to essentially reflect on whether the book has had some impact on the way they think about the opportunities. Uniformly, everybody — whether it is Microsoft or GSK — essentially says not only that it has had some impact, but that it has changed the way they approach innovation and … new markets.

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