Technologies – Page 10 – Public Intelligence Blog

2011/03/28

Pentagon Pathology: Follow the Money

03 Economy, 07 Other Atrocities, 09 Justice, 10 Security, 11 Society, Budgets & Funding, Commerce, Corporations, Corruption, Cultural Intelligence, Government, Intelligence (government), Law Enforcement, Military, Misinformation & Propaganda, Money, Banks & Concentrated Wealth, Officers Call, Policy, Politics of Science & Science of Politics, Power Behind-the-Scenes/Special Interests, Secrecy & Politics of Secrecy, Technologies, Waste (materials, food, etc)

Andrew Cockburn's essay in The Pentagon Labyrinth is titled “Follow the Money.” There are a lot of people who will say that is an undignified way to assess America's national security apparatus; they might even say that Cockburn's focus is cynical. I would personally venture to guess that a disproportionate number of those saying so are doing rather well – thank you very much – in that same national security apparatus. Or, they plan to do so in the foreseeable future.

Cockburn summarizes his argument in a interview in the ongoing series conducted by Federal News Radio. Chris Dorobek of the DorobekInsider Show interviews Andrew Cockburn.

Following the money and understanding why that is important is key to comprehending why the Pentagon, Congress, the manufacturers, and the think-tanks behave the way they do. After all, as Cockburn says in the DorobekInsider interview, why do you think the manufacturers put all those ads in the Washington Metro system. They're not there for the area's teachers or the local sports teams' fans.

But there is much more to following the money than just that. Cockburn explains fully in his essay in The Pentagon Labyrinth: 10 Short Essays to Help You Through It. He addresses perhaps the most powerful and recurrent theme underlying contemporary defense community behavior. Read Cockburn's essay. Download the book free.

Have a comment? Pro or con? We welcome a public debate.
_____________________________
Winslow T. Wheeler
Director
Straus Military Reform Project
Center for Defense Information

Phi Beta Iota: INTEGRITY. One word. The one word not spoken at the Pentagon by anyone above the rank of Major. You don't make Colonel, and you do not advance as a General, without drinking the kool-aid and “going along” with systemic corruption. Our shame–our continuing shame–is a burden on the Republic.

2011/03/25

TED video on language tracking using home surveillance & social media surveillance

Academia, Civil Society, Commerce, Government, Technologies

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/1092

Fascinating video but one has to wonder if this research is used in other research projects pertaining to advertising and military interests. According to Pierre Sprey “MIT is a terrible place to be from if you're gonna tell the truth about defense..they get more defense money than anyone.” (Source: Pentagon Labyrinth C-SPAN video).

And David Spielberg got ideas for his futuristic advertising used in the movie Minority Report from persons from MIT.

2011/03/192011/03/19

Worth a Look: Homelessness + SMS/txt msg’ing

01 Poverty, Mobile, Technologies

Projects/attempts to get the public's attention to homelessness using text messaging

If you are in Denmark, you can follow the life of a homeless man called Allan via an SMS service. Guerilla Innovation reports.

Other projects involving cell phones, aiming to raise awareness on the plight of the homeless:

— Underheard in New York – Three interns of Bartle Bogle Hegarty in New York decided to pair mobile technology with social justice, as they gave four homeless men cellphones.

— Text a donation via homeless installation in Times Square – The one-day-only installation is part of a fundraising effort for Serving the UnderServed (SUS), an organization that provides housing and other services to the homeless and disabled.

— Video Installation Encourages Homeless Activism In New York City – A homeless man in a video projection asks pedestrians to use their cell phones to send a text message that will help the homeless man get shelter.

— Google offers phone numbers, voicemail to homeless – In 2008, Google made a donation of phone service to Project Homeless Connect, an effort dedicated to providing ordinary services to the very poor.

Comment: Another virtually invisible attempt in New York City is the text message service where sending “txtnyc” (space) “ss” to 368-638 will give you a menu to receive information on emergency services such as free meals, food pantries, shelter, hygiene services, etc for all NYC boroughs (“ss” stands for “street sheets“). The idea being in conjunction with free phones from say Safelink Wireless (if this is even possible) or donated Tracfones. Phones pre-installed with a directory of useful numbers to help those who are homeless to gradually climb out of extreme poverty is another idea.

Thanks to the Textually Twitter feed.

2011/03/182011/03/18

Best of HAARP

07 Other Atrocities, Articles & Chapters, Blog Wisdom, Misinformation & Propaganda, Politics of Science & Science of Politics, Secrecy & Politics of Secrecy, Technologies

2011 11 11 What is HAARP–Did HAARP Cause Japanese Disaster? (VIDEO Benjamin Fulford)

2010 05 05 Are We in a HAARP “Earthquake War?” (Before It's News)

2010 01 15 13 reasons to suspect HAARP caused Haiti quake (Ethericplane)

2007 01 12 What's Killing the Birds? (John Lewis)

2004 Estimated Take This HAARP and Shove It (Includes “Real” HAARP at Fox AK)

2003 02 11 HAARP and Spaceship Columbia (Marshall Smith)

2000 12 15 What Is HAARP? How It Looks and Sounds! (Marshall Smith)

2000 11 00 HAARP a Climate Change Weapon (Michel Chossudovsky)

2000 06 27 The Unauthorized History of HAARP (Marshall D. Smith)

1999 Estimated Background of the HAARP Project (Dr. Rosalie Bertell)

See Also:

Bernard Eastlund (Weather Modification Lead)

YouTube HAARP Collection (Serious to Spacey)

Prison Planet Forum on HAARP

HAARP Seismic

Dan Eden (HAARP Monitor/Author)

Benjamin Fulford (HAARP Monitor/Author)

Below the Line: A Cautious Observer Comments & a Total Slam on Benjamin Fulford

Continue reading “Best of HAARP”

2011/03/16

Event + Webcast: 24 March, Gov Surveillance in a Digital World (7pm PST/10pm EST)

Civil Society, Commerce, Computer/online security, Corruption, Government, Law Enforcement, Mobile, Privacy, Secrecy & Politics of Secrecy, Technologies

On the evening on March 24, 2011, EFF staff activists will discuss the state of government surveillance and privacy in the United States at “Government Surveillance in a Digital World,” an event hosted by San Francisco Intersection for the Arts, with a live video stream by BAMM.tv.

One of the many topics to be discussed is the PATRIOT Act. For nearly ten years, EFF has fought to reform or repeal the overbroad authority granted to law enforcement through the PATRIOT Act, and this year, we have a chance to introduce significant reforms. Thanks to bipartisan opposition and the efforts of grassroots activists, Congress rejected a rubber-stamp reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act and instead vowed to spend three months debating reforms to this law. This gives us an incredible opportunity to speak out against the PATRIOT Act and tell Congress that we don’t want any laws that trample on our civil liberties.

Join the EFF activism team in person or online for a a wide-ranging discussion on privacy in the digital world, online free expression, and how we can work together to stop Congress from reauthorizing a PATRIOT Act that enables excessive government surveillance.

SOURCE

2011/03/16

Open Farm Tech & the Global Village Construction Set (4min video)

01 Agriculture, Technologies

Factor e Farm, our land-based facility for Global Village Construction Set development, has now been alive for 4 years. We encountered the place as an empty soybean field abused by commercial agriculture. This video shows in 4 minutes what has happened in the last 4 years – and points to the plans for the next 2 years. These are exciting times indeed.

See the video

2011/03/162011/03/17