Communities of Practice – Page 712 – Public Intelligence Blog

Even Obama Fans Aren't Pretending That Was a Good Speech

President Barack Obama gave a eulogy for the Fourth Amendment on Friday, and not even his fans are proclaiming victory. In this moment when Obama is actually doing one thing I agree with (talking to Iran), more and more people seem to be slowly, agonizingly slowly, finally, finally, finally, recognizing what a complete huckster he is when it comes to pretty speeches about his crimes.

Obama's speech and new “policy directive” eliminate the Fourth Amendment. Massive bulk collection of everybody's data will continue unconstitutionally, but Obama has expressed a certain vague desire to end it, sort of, except for the parts that are needed, but not to do so right away. The comparisons to the closure of the Guantanamo death camp began instantly.

Continue reading “David Swanson: Obama's 4th Amendment Speech Deceitful, Even His Fans Are Dismayed”

2014/01/17

Chuck Spinney: Corrupt Congress Spends on Contractor Waste Instead of Human Core

Corruption, Government

WEEKEND EDITION JANUARY 17-19, 2014

The Cockburn Report

Defense Spending: Putting Toys Before Boys

by FRANKLIN C. SPINNEY, Counterpunch

Being pro-defense in the Hall of Mirrors of Versailles on the Potomac means, in the salty words of my late friend Col. David Hackworth, one of the U.S. Army’s most decorated combat soldiers, putting “the toys before boys.”

Continue reading “Chuck Spinney: Corrupt Congress Spends on Contractor Waste Instead of Human Core”

2014/01/17

4th Media: NSA Metadata Collection Fourth Amendment Violation

Corruption, Government, Idiocy, Ineptitude, Military

NSA Metadata Collection: Fourth Amendment Violation

Edward Snowden, who worked for the National Security Agency (NSA), revealed a secret order of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), that requires Verizon to produce on an “ongoing daily basis… all call detail records or ‘telephony metadata’ created by Verizon for communications (i) between the United States and abroad; or (ii) wholly within the United States, including local telephone calls.”

Continue reading “4th Media: NSA Metadata Collection Fourth Amendment Violation”

2014/01/17

SchwartzReport: Americans See the US Government As Top Problem

Corruption, Government, Idiocy, Ineptitude, Military

Here is the proof — in the form of a just released reputable survey — of the point I have been making. Large numbers of Americans see their government as the problem. It reminds me of conversations I had with Russians and others in the Soviet Union before its fall. Click through to see the charts that accompany this report.

Government Itself Still Cited as Top U.S. Problem
LYDIA SAAD – The Gallup Organization

2014/01/162014/01/16

WInslow Wheeler: Congressional Deception on Pentagon Pork [PBI: Until DoD Down to $400B a Year, 50% Waste is Order of the Day]

Corruption, Government, Military

“Omnibus” Information and Commentary Paper: What Did the Appropriators Really Do to Defense Spending?

Bottom line: At $600B plus, DoD is a pig — easily 40% waste.

Summary of Findings:

Continue reading “WInslow Wheeler: Congressional Deception on Pentagon Pork [PBI: Until DoD Down to $400B a Year, 50% Waste is Order of the Day]”

2014/01/162014/01/16

Greg Palast: Why are Christie and the Kochs in my driveway? It’s time to subpoena the Committee for Our Children’s Future

Civil Society, Corruption, Government

Why are Christie and the Kochs in my driveway?

It’s time to subpoena the Committee for Our Children’s Future

By Greg Palast for Truthout
Thursday, 16. January 2014

Far more insidious, more corrosive and dangerous than the Governor of New Jersey playing traffic warden is the story of Gov. Chris Christie's secret meetings with a gaggle of billionaires –– and the legality of the spending by the front organization set up following these hidden hugger-muggers.

Continue reading “Greg Palast: Why are Christie and the Kochs in my driveway? It’s time to subpoena the Committee for Our Children’s Future”

2014/01/162014/01/16

Winslow Wheeler: USAF Still Trying to Kill the A-10 — Absent Intelligence with Integrity, They Will Get Away With This Idiocy

Corruption, Idiocy, Ineptitude, Military

Soon to be at the Harper's website, at http://harpers.org/, is the attached article by Andrew Cockburn. “Tunnel Vision: Will the Air Force Kill Its Most Effective Weapon?” is sure to generate howls of protest from officialdom in the Air Force and its mouthpieces.

The article makes numerous important, indeed key, points. They involve not just the unique capabilities of the supposedly too old, too slow, too primitive and too cheap A-10, but also about the real limitations of wonder weapon technologies that have a strong appeal to those who don't bother to look beyond the glitz and the many that have a material and dogmatic vested interest in them.

Please pay close attention to the incident that Cockburn, a friend and colleague, uses to open the article–and to the denouement of the incident related at the end. Also, central to the article is the destruction of the notions that the F-35 will ever be able to perform the close air support mission of the A-10 or that the Air Force's leadership cares about that in the slightest.

Category: Communities of Practice

David Swanson: Obama’s 4th Amendment Speech Deceitful, Even His Fans Are Dismayed

Chuck Spinney: Corrupt Congress Spends on Contractor Waste Instead of Human Core

4th Media: NSA Metadata Collection Fourth Amendment Violation

SchwartzReport: Americans See the US Government As Top Problem

WInslow Wheeler: Congressional Deception on Pentagon Pork [PBI: Until DoD Down to $400B a Year, 50% Waste is Order of the Day]

Greg Palast: Why are Christie and the Kochs in my driveway? It’s time to subpoena the Committee for Our Children’s Future

Winslow Wheeler: USAF Still Trying to Kill the A-10 — Absent Intelligence with Integrity, They Will Get Away With This Idiocy