An excellent critique of Israel’s grand strategy …

08 Wild Cards, Cultural Intelligence
Chuck Spinney Sounds Off...

… which is to morally isolate itself by making enemies faster than it can kill them.

If Israel's behaviour continues unchecked, the pro-Israeli biases in and distortions of US policies will intensify our own isolation, until something snaps in our polity — and then, Israel will be all alone.

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IMO … Israel's only constructive option is to do a grand strategic U turn, which Israel's leadership steadfastly refuses to do.  On the contrary, it shows every sign of digging itself deeper into the self-destructive bunker mentality described by M.J. Rosenberg below.

[Interested readers will find a summary of the basic ideas underpinning a constructive grand strategy, which are universal, in this blaster, where I criticized the US grand strategy pursued by the Bush Administration.]

Why Is Israel So Blind?

MJ Rosenberg, Political Correction, February 02, 2011 3:55 pm ET

Those of us in the pro-Israel, pro-peace camp do not enjoy being proven right — although we invariably are.

Our standard recommendation to Israel is that it should move quickly to achieve agreements with the Arab states and the stateless Palestinians before it is too late.

And the Israeli response is that there is no urgency to make peace — except on Israeli terms — because Israel is strong and the Arabs are weak.

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Rules for Governing Cyber-Conflict

Advanced Cyber/IO
Berto Jongman Recommends...

First Joint Russian-U.S. report on Cyber Conflict

The EastWest Institute released the first joint Russian-American report aimed at defining the “rules of the road” for cyber conflict.  Prepared by a team of Russian and U.S. experts convened by EWI, Working Towards Rules for Governing Cyber Conflict: Rendering the Geneva and Hague Conventions in Cyberspace explores how to extend the humanitarian principles that govern war to cyberspace.

“Today, nearly all critical civilian infrastructure is online, from the electricity grids that support hospitals to the systems that guide passenger planes through the air,” says EWI Chief Technology Officer and Distinguished Fellow Karl Rauscher, who led the U.S. experts group.  “And, by and large, it is not protected by international norms.”

Phi Beta Iota: Pity they did not think of this when Winn Schwartau first brought it up in 1990 testimony to Congress, or Robert Steele first documented with precision what was needed in 1994.  Colin Gray in Modern Strategy: Time is the one strategic asset that cannot be bought nor replaced.  We've wasted 20 years and we look like we are about to waste another 20.

From Egypt to Connecticut–Burning Mansions

03 Economy, 07 Other Atrocities, 09 Justice, Commerce, Cultural Intelligence, Government
Click to Enlarge

Egypt’s Ire Turns to Confidant of Mubarak’s Son

CAIRO — As Egyptians turned their anger on symbols of the state late last month, torching police stations along with the headquarters of President Hosni Mubarak’s ruling party, they reserved a special hatred for a garish building with black tinted windows in an upscale neighborhood, setting fire to it three times.

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Phi Beta Iota: Americans are slow to anger, but we see the day coming when Connnecticut mansions begin to burn….the preconditions for revolution in the USA are virtually all present.

Righteous: Lea Michele’s America the Beautiful

Worth A Look

Superbowl XLV (45) will be remembered for great football, and one wonderful rendition of America the Beautiful.  Worth a listen….

Click To Hear Her SING!

The singer and actress, who is nominated for a Grammy alongside her “Glee” castmembers, belted a straightforward version of “America the Beautiful” to help kick off the game (she was followed by Christina Aguilera's vampy rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner”). Sporting a cream-colored coat and camel-hued wide-leg trousers with her brown locks in soft waves, Michele coolly crooned the patriotic standard surrounded by service members in navy suits under the shadow of red, white and blue flags. The star gently cooed throughout most the performance, but showcased her robust pipes by holding the last note for few seconds.

George W. Bush Fears Arrest in Switzerland

07 Other Atrocities

UPDATE:  Reuters better longer report

Bush Cancels Visit To Switzerland Due To Threat Of Torture Prosecution, Rights Groups Say

(Reuters) – Former U.S. President George W. Bush has cancelled a visit to Switzerland, where he was to address a Jewish charity gala, due to the risk of legal action against him for alleged torture, rights groups said on Saturday.

. . . . . . .

Human rights groups said they had intended to submit a 2,500-page case against Bush in the Swiss city on Monday for alleged mistreatment of suspected militants at Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. naval base in Cuba where captives from Afghanistan, Iraq and other fronts in the so-called War on Terror were interned.

. . . . . .

“I'm surprised he (Bush) would even consider visiting a country that has ratified the torture convention and which takes its responsibilities seriously,” said Brody.

“I think George Bush's world is a very small place at the moment,” he said. “He may enjoy some kind of impunity in the United States, but other countries will not treat him so indulgently.”

Full article…..

Continue reading “George W. Bush Fears Arrest in Switzerland”

Farm Insurance Fraud–Lacking Domestic Intelligence

01 Agriculture, Corruption

Farm insurance fraud is cheating taxpayers out of millions

Perpetrators falsely claim weather or insects destroyed their crops and cash in on a government-backed insurance program. Some don't bother planting at all. Others sell their harvests in secret.

The vast majority of U.S. farmers follow the rules, insurers and federal officials said. Bert Little, director of the data-mining group Center for Agribusiness Excellence, said that less than one-half of 1% of the farmers who take part in the program cheat the system.

“But that less than 1% represents a pretty big chunk of money, between $100 million to $200 million a year,” said Little, whose Texas group is contracted by the federal government to analyze farm records in search of fraud clues.

Read rest of article…

Phi Beta Iota: Bert Little has been saving the taxpayer millions at a 20:1 ratio (80 million discovered for 4 million in data mining–finding the 1% can be a challenge).  He first briefed his successes at OSS '04.  If we had the Open Source Agency as recommended by the 9-11 Commission, it would provide intelligence and counterintelligence to Whole of Government, addressing both the legal fraud (Wall Street) and the illegal fraud (inattentive government).

See Also:

Journal: Real-Time Intelligence & Medicare Fraud

Reference: The Fraud-Based US Economy

Journal: US Gap Between Rich & Poor Widens by Factor of 10

Best Government Money Can Buy Round II

Corruption
Chuck Spinney Recommends....

Koch brothers now at heart of GOP power

The billionaire brothers' influence is most visible in the makeup of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where members have vowed to undo restrictions on greenhouse gases.

By Tom Hamburger, Kathleen Hennessey and Neela Banerjee,

Los Angeles Times February 6, 2011

The billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch no longer sit outside Washington's political establishment, isolated by their uncompromising conservatism. Instead, they are now at the center of Republican power, a change most evident in the new makeup of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Wichita-based Koch Industries and its employees formed the largest single oil and gas donor to members of the panel, ahead of giants like Exxon Mobil, contributing $279,500 to 22 of the committee's 31 Republicans, and $32,000 to five Democrats.

Continue reading “Best Government Money Can Buy Round II”

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