Ineptitude – Page 67 – Public Intelligence Blog

2013/12/19

SchwartzReport: Truths That Matter

03 Economy, 09 Justice, 10 Security, 11 Society, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, Government, Idiocy, Ineptitude, IO Impotency

I am not an Obama fan, as anyone who reads SR regularly knows. I find the disconnect between the soaring language in his speeches and the reality of how his Executive Branch operates — an issue distinct from the problems of his having to deal with a corrupt Theocratic Rightist House — very alarming. Two of the most disturbing aspects are the rise of the Orwelli! an surveillance under Obama's Administration, and, concurrently, the suppression of freedom of the press. A democracy without a free aggressive press very quickly ceases to be a democracy. History is quite clear on this. Here is an excellent essay on the relevant issues. This special report originally appeared on the Committee to Protect Journalists website, and is reprinted here with their permission.

“This is the Most Closed, Control Freak Administration I've Ever Cover”
LEONARD DOWNIE and SARA RAFSKY – AlterNet (U.S.)

EXTRACT:

This report will examine all these issues: legal policies of the Obama administration that disrupt relationships between journalists and government sources; the surveillance programs that cast doubt on journalists’ ability to protect those sources; restrictive practices for disclosing information that make it more difficult to hold the government accountable for its actions and decision-making; and manipulative use of administration-controlled media to circumvent scrutiny by the press.

Read full article (ten screens).

2013/12/172013/12/17

Eagle: Charles Hugh Smith on What’s Real? What’s Fake?

Commerce, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, Government, Idiocy, Ineptitude, IO Impotency

300 Million Talons... — 300 Million Talons…

What's Real? What's Fake?

Is the unemployment rate real or fake? It is obviously fake, but we want to believe the fake is real for a variety of reasons.

We like to think we know the difference between what's real and what's fake. When we're fooled by a fake Rolex watch purchased for $20 on some humid Asian street corner, we shrug it off: it's no big deal because the fake isn't harming anyone.

And when it's difficult to discern the fake from the legitimate, as in fine art paintings and financial policy, we rely on experts to differentiate between the two.

But what if the “experts” are as clueless as the rest of us? What if they've been corrupted by easy money to authenticate the fake as legitimate? Consider ObamaCare, an extraordinarily complex policy that “experts” assure us is a phenomenal advancement that is “working well.”

But what if ObamaCare is a fake? What if it is really not insurance at all, but a giant skimming machine designed to enrich and solidify the power of the state-cartel that operates the sickcare system?

Continue reading “Eagle: Charles Hugh Smith on What's Real? What's Fake?”

2013/12/172013/12/17

Tikkun Rabbi Michael Lerner: War on Poverty Round Two — Theater, But Worth Noting… + Poverty RECAP

01 Poverty, 11 Society, Corruption, Government, Idiocy, Ineptitude

Great news!

Congessman Keith Ellison, who represents Minneapolis/St Paul in the U.S. House of Representatives, introduced a resolution in effect endorsing the NSP version of a Global Marshall Plan into the House of Representatives as H Res 439. It was referred to the Republican controlled Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives. Please read the resolution below and send thanks to his legislative aide Vic Edgerton (contact information at end of post).

Continue reading “Tikkun Rabbi Michael Lerner: War on Poverty Round Two — Theater, But Worth Noting… + Poverty RECAP”

2013/12/162013/12/16

SchwartzReport: Truths That Matter

Civil Society, Commerce, Corruption, Government, Idiocy, Ineptitude, Law Enforcement

This is the latest in a trend that I have been writing about for almost 20 years: the over-medication of children. The treatment of children in the United States in so many ways is one of the most depressing things about our culture.

Are too Many Kids Taking Antipsychotic Drugs?
Consumer Reports

This is the latest in a string of reports concerning an international trend that holds profound implications for our future. Once again we are being told that the way we order the world is out of balance. We place profit ahead of wellness.

Countdown: Sperm Counts in Freefall
The Economist (U.K.)

Here is the latest on the American Gulag at the Federal level. It is a shameful story.

Government Watchdog: We Have a Growing Federal Prison ‘Crisis'
ANDREW COHEN – The Atlantic

There seems little doubt that 9/11 was maneuvered to achieve some things while suppressing others. But, as usual, over time the truth leaks out. This is a conservative site, but the claims made in this report are documented.

Inside the Saudi 9/11 Coverup
PAUL SPERRY, Hoover Institution Media Fellow – New York Post

We believe that America is a level playing field where hard work assures advancement, and that upward mobility is a fundamental American cultural trait. It is a lie as this report spells out. If you can't tell yourself the truth, you can't do much.

United States Is Now the Most Unequal of All Advanced Economies
ERIC ZUESSE – Popular Resistance

2013/12/152013/12/15

Marcus Aurelius: Benghazi Stand Down Testimony

Government, Idiocy, Ineptitude, Military

‘Stand down’: CIA Benghazi team clash led to controversial order

WASHINGTON — CIA officers revealed a clash over how quickly they should go help the besieged U.S. ambassador during the 2012 attack on an outpost in Libya, and a standing order for them to avoid violent encounters, according to a congressman and others who heard their private congressional testimony or were briefed on it.

The Obama administration has been dogged by complaints that the White House, Pentagon and State Department may not have done enough before and during the attack to save U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others, and by accusations that it later engaged in a cover-up.

Read full story (2 screens).

2013/12/142013/12/15

Chuck Spinney: Staying in Afghanistan Is a Recipe for More Terrorism

04 Inter-State Conflict, 05 Civil War, 07 Other Atrocities, 08 Wild Cards, 09 Terrorism, Drones & UAVs, Government, Ineptitude, IO Deeds of War, Military

Staying in Afghanistan Is a Recipe for More Terrorism

Anthony W. Orlando – Huffington Post – 12/12/13

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anthony-w-orlando/staying-in-afghanistan-is_b_4437192.html

Barack Obama is daring the terrorists. He's standing in their front yard. He's calling them out.

Of course, that's not how it's reported. “U.S. ‘nowhere near' decision to pull all troops out of Afghanistan,” was the understated Reuters headline. Under negotiation is an agreement keeping 8,000 to 10,000 American troops in Afghanistan “through 2024 and beyond.” Also on the table are night raids and drone strikes that Afghan President Hamid Karzai refuses to allow.

Continue reading “Chuck Spinney: Staying in Afghanistan Is a Recipe for More Terrorism”

2013/12/142013/12/14

Winslow Wheeler: A-10 as Soul of Air Force – A Core Defense Issue Washington Will No Longer Ignore

Corruption, Idiocy, Ineptitude, Military

More than 100 people (Hill staff, journalists, combat pilots and ground commanders, DOD officials and think-tankers) recently attended two events on a national security issue that is usually, even studiously, ignored in Washington: what is the most effective role of air power in war, and what is the thinking behind the Air Force leadership's decision to retire the whole force of A-10 close air support aircraft as soon as possible.

Almost single handedly, Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) has given the A-10 retirement issue, and the importance of the “Warthog's” close support mission, a visibility that neither have had on Capitol Hill since the days of the Congressional Military Reform Caucus of the 1980s. The importance of the A-10, its role in warfare and the future of the Air Force were all discussed in considerable depth at two events sponsored by the Straus Military Reform Project and the Project On Government Oversight.

Some, but far from all, of the issues were addressed in seven news articles prompted by the two events. More importantly, an amendment incorporated into the National Defense Authorization Act by Senator Ayotte mean that the A-10 and close support issues are now rising to Washington DC's consciousness and will remain there for some months to come–until a growing fight is resolved.

The A-10 Warthog: A Core Defense Issue Washington Can No Longer Ignore

A Seminar on Combat Effectiveness, Addressing the Sequester, and Acquisition Reform