My biggest concern with the Arizona shooting - the internet

yes, violence targeting anybody, be they ordinary u.s. citizens, elected officials of our or any other government, or innocent civilians in the endless "war on terror," is something to be condemned and, by all means, prevented... but, as glenn points out, we should be hyper-attentive to our fear-mongering government using the excuse of any and all such horrific events - as well as the non-horrific ones, e.g. wikileaks - to further advance the national security state...

There has been much talk over the last several days, in the wake of the Arizona shooting, about attempts by some citizens to instill physical fear in elected officials. That's a worthwhile and necessary topic, but the fear that government officials are attempting to instill in law-abiding, dissenting citizens is far more substantial and sustained, and deserves much more attention than it has received.

why do i raise the specter of the national security state in connection with the arizona shooting...? here's our esteemed fbi director, robert mueller, speaking in tucson...

“The ubiquitous nature of the Internet means that not only threats but also hate speech and other inciteful speech is much more readily available to individuals than quite clearly it was 8 or 10 or 15 years ago,” Mr. Mueller said. “That absolutely presents a challenge for us, particularly when it results in what would be lone wolves or lone offenders undertaking attacks.”

fueled by wikileaks, obama's proposed internet id for everybody and now this, i predict a crackdown on internet freedom like nothing we've yet seen...

Submit To Propeller
Tweet

[Permalink] 0 comments

Oferchrissake, NOW the FBI wants telecom immunity

i'd no sooner finished with the previous post than i ran across this totally self-serving piece about fbi director mueller recommending telecom immunity...

At the heart of President Bush's plea to give telecommunications companies legal immunity is the contention that these companies were merely being patriotic corporate citizens when they facilitated the warrantless wiretapping of Americans.

FBI Director Robert Mueller undercut that argument Wednesday, telling Congress that the 'good faith' argument should have nothing to do with whether or not they are let off the hook in dozens of pending court cases.

"I would focus more on the downsides, substantial downsides, of not providing retroactive immunity as being the principal rational of the legislation, providing immunity," Mueller told the Senate Judiciary Committee.

go back and re-read my previous post and then tell me if you don't think the fbi is making a big move to protect its OWN miserable, exposed ass...

Submit To Propeller
Tweet

[Permalink] 0 comments

Starting a beautiful weekend with dark headlines

it's a cool, fresh, breezy, late-summer early morning here in buenos aires with those brilliant blue skies and intense sunshine that, for me, are the city's hallmark... i wish the headlines measured up...

Gonzales, Mueller admit FBI broke law

The nation's top two law enforcement officials acknowledged Friday the
FBI broke the law to secretly pry out personal information about Americans. They apologized and vowed to prevent further illegal intrusions.

Pentagon struggles to find fresh troops

Faced with a military buildup in Iraq that could drag into next year,
Pentagon officials are trying to identify enough units to keep up to 20 brigade combat teams in Iraq. A brigade usually has about 3,500 troops.

The likely result will be extending the deployments of brigades scheduled to come home at the end of the summer, and sending others earlier than scheduled.

Afghanistan's 'Hard Mission' Slips Away

A Canadian parliamentary panel has taken an unvarnished look at the war in Afghanistan and concluded that it is a "hard mission" that is slipping out of control. The legislators fault heavy-handed U.S. tactics for alienating the population and an inadequate NATO commitment to pacify the country.

Is the Bush surge already failing?

The president just gave a rosy assessment of his plan, but insurgents have adapted and Iraqis continue to be slaughtered.

Killing U.S. Troops Slowly

Some Bush administration officials have expressed shock at the mistreatment of Iraq War veterans at Walter Reed and other medical centers. But this scandal has many antecedents, including the neglect shown to many veterans who served in Vietnam and in the first U.S. war with Iraq.

and then there's the low comedy of dear leader...

Bush deflects Chavez's verbal attacks

President Bush refuses to be goaded into a war of words with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, who is answering the president's five-country trek through Latin America with taunts of "Gringo go home."

Bush is trying to spread a message of U.S. compassion for the region and ignore Chavez, who blames U.S.-style capitalism for poverty and inequality in Latin America.

"U.S. compassion for the region..." now THAT'S a hoot... remember, george, all the people you are trying to get to swallow that lie watched how "compassionately" you handled katrina, how "compassionately" you are treating iraqis, the "compassionate" care that detainees are receiving in your custody, and the "compassionate" health care returning veterans experience under your leadership... like us, they know that the words that pass your lips do so minus any semblance of the truth...

Submit To Propeller
Tweet

[Permalink] 0 comments