Topics (All Other) – Page 65 – Public Intelligence Blog

2011/09/30

Winslow Wheeler: Elitist Corruption on the Defense Budget

03 Economy, 07 Other Atrocities, 09 Justice, 10 Security, 11 Society, Budgets & Funding, Commerce, Corporations, Corruption, Counter-Oppression/Counter-Dictatorship Practices, DoD, Government, IO Deeds of War, Military, Money, Banks & Concentrated Wealth, Officers Call, Power Behind-the-Scenes/Special Interests

WinslowWheeler Cropped — Winslow Wheeler

Just as the leaders of US national security thinking led America into the war in Iraq based on the false premise of Saddam's weapons of mass destruction and reckless, but politically powerful, rhetoric, Washington's elite are now circling the wagons around the defense budget. They are using the same disingenuous tactics and the same kind of rhetorical gibberish. While they have successfully intimidated the rest of the political system, they are also making huge fools of themselves.

I express my views on this and some defense budget facts you have not heard from these people in a commentary. Titled “The Stench of Elitism in Defense Spending,” it is available at the Politics page of the Huffington Post. Under the better mannered title “Elites Are Wrong,” an edit is also available at AOL Defense.

Full text below the line.

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2011/09/302011/10/17

Mini-Me: Cry from the Heart On US Electoral Fraud

07 Other Atrocities, 09 Justice, Civil Society, Commerce, Corruption, Government, IO Deeds of War, Law Enforcement, Money, Banks & Concentrated Wealth, Officers Call, Power Behind-the-Scenes/Special Interests

Reacting to:

Tom Atlee: Diebold Voting Machines Can Be Hacked Remotely–ONE THIRD of All Votes Can Be Easily Manipulated

From Canada via Email:

Why do you think I moved to Canada after the 2004 election was stolen in Ohio? I had direct experience as an election observer for the Democratic party at the Ohio recount in 2004, the Ohio 2006 elections, and the 2008 election. All were defrauded. I was on a citizen lawsuit filed in the Federal courts, and the judge refused our original evidence. We have a huge paper trail of evidence. Here’s the public record.

I personally tried to save the Republican IT guys whose plane went down in 2008 after he was deposed by the King Lincoln attorneys. I spoke with his attorney before he deposition and tried to keep him from speaking, even though that put the theft on record. We needed to save him for a protected testimony. Yes, that’s how it ends when you try to come clean.

Many MANY activists have worked on this since 2004. We were told by Salon and by Daily Kos, by all the bloggers we were conspiracy nuts, until Robert F. Kennedy Jr published his piece in Rolling Stone, I believe, in 2006. I realized we could not win this by activism or legal means. I moved to Canada and became a permanent resident. There are some wars you cannot win.

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2011/09/29

Koko: Ralph Nader Loves Ron Paul, Hails Potential Left-Libertarian Alliance

Advanced Cyber/IO, Budgets & Funding, Civil Society, Collective Intelligence, Counter-Oppression/Counter-Dictatorship Practices, Cultural Intelligence, Ethics, Government, Policies, Threats

Koko Signs: All that's needed now is the convergence of Independents, the Day of Rage and Freedom Plaza mobs, a revitalized labor movement, all centered on Electora Reform, a Coalition Cabinet, and the cancelling of corporate charters for any corporation screwing the public – and of course the repeal of “corporate personality.”

Ralph Nader Hearts Ron Paul, Hails Potential Left-Libertarian Alliance

Matt Welch

Reason.com, 28 September 2011

Michael Tracey, who wrote about restrictive teen-driving laws in the June issue of Reason, catches up with the consumer crusader for The American Conservative:

Looking ahead to the 2012 presidential race, one might assume that Nader has little to be cheerful about.

Yet he says there is one candidate who sticks out—who even gives him hope: Rep. Ron Paul of Texas. […]

“Look at the latitude,” Nader says, referring to the potential for cooperation between libertarians and the left. “Military budget, foreign wars, empire, Patriot Act, corporate welfare—for starters. When you add those all up, that's a foundational convergence. Progressives should do so good.”

Koko: Leaderless Mobs – Occupy Wall Street & Occupy Freedom Plaza in Limbo

01 Poverty, 03 Economy, 07 Other Atrocities, 10 Transnational Crime, 11 Society, Civil Society, Commerce, Commercial Intelligence, Corruption, Counter-Oppression/Counter-Dictatorship Practices, Cultural Intelligence, Ethics, Government, IO Deeds of Peace, Money, Banks & Concentrated Wealth

Occupy Wall Street protesters driven by varying goals

Almost two weeks into an anti-greed sit-in, the ‘leaderless resistance movement' is at a crossroads.

By Tina Susman

Los Angeles Times

September 29, 2011, 5:48 p.m

Reporting from New York—

Michael Moore and Susan Sarandon have dropped in. A seasoned diplomat dispenses free advice. Supporters send everything from boxes of food and clothes to Whole Foods gift cards. They even have their own app, for the legions of fans following them on iPhones and Androids.

Nearly two weeks into a sit-in at a park in Manhattan's financial district, the “leaderless resistance movement” calling itself Occupy Wall Street is at a crossroads. The number of protesters on scene so far tops out at a few hundred, tiny by Athens or Cairo standards. But the traction they have gained from run-ins with police, a live feed from their encampment and celebrity visits is upping expectations. How about some specific demands, a long-term strategy, maybe even … office space?

So far the group, which generally defines itself as anti-greed, has none of those.

Read full article.

2011/09/29

Sunny: Federal Reserve Monitoring Social Sentiment…

03 Economy, 07 Other Atrocities, Advanced Cyber/IO, Commerce, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, Money, Banks & Concentrated Wealth

Federal Reserve looking to monitor social media

by Steve Ragan –

the tech herald, Sep 27 2011, 10:45

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York (FRBNY) has invited companies specializing in sentiment analysis the chance to bid on a contract, which will allow the regional bank to monitor what people are saying about the Fed online. The solutions designed by hopeful vendors will need to track reactions and opinions expressed by the public in real time.

The RFP (Request for Proposal), was opened officially on September 16. Vendors wishing to take part in the bidding process will need to submit their solutions by 3:00 p.m. EST on September 28. Based on the RFP, the FRBNY is looking for a vendor who is in it for the long haul, and who can provide the most flexible monitoring system available for a reasonable amount of money.

Penguin: State Department Implodes Over Book

02 Diplomacy, 07 Other Atrocities, 08 Wild Cards, 10 Security, Budgets & Funding, Cultural Intelligence, Government, Journalism/Free-Press/Censorship, Secrecy & Politics of Secrecy

Sounds like somebody I know. Maybe he got to Hillary in the end?

How the State Department Came After Me

For telling the truth about what I saw in Iraq.

Peter Van Buren

Foreign Policy, 29 September 2011

I never intended to create this much trouble.

Two years ago I served 12 months in Iraq as a Foreign Service Officer, leading a Provincial Reconstruction Team. I had been with the State Department for some 21 years at that point, serving mostly in Asia, but after what I saw in the desert — the waste, the lack of guidance, the failure to really do anything positive for the country we had invaded in 2003 — I started writing a book. One year ago I followed the required procedures with State for preclearance (no classified documents, that sort of thing), received clearance, and found a publisher. Six months ago the publisher asked me to start a blog to support the book.

And then, toward the end of the summer, the wrath of Mesopotamia fell on me.

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2011/09/29

Patrick Meier: Real Time Crisis Map of Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) Attrocities in Central Africa

Advanced Cyber/IO, Blog Wisdom, Geospatial, Hacking, Non-Governmental, Policies

Real Time LRA Crisis Map Tracks Mass Atrocities in Central Africa

Posted on September 29, 2011

My colleagues at Resolve and Invisible Children have just launched their very impressive Crisis Map of LRA Attacks in Central Africa. The LRA, or Lord’s Resistance Army, is a brutal rebel group responsible for widespread mass atrocities, most of which go completely unreported because the killings and kidnappings happen in remote areas. This crisis map has been a long time in the making so I want to sincerely congratulate Michael Poffenberger, Sean Poole, Adam Finck, Kenneth Transier and the entire team for the stellar job they’ve done with this project. The LRA Crisis Tracker is an important milestone for the fields of crisis mapping and early warning.

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