Archive for September, 2006

09.28.06

American politics is depressing

Posted in Opinion at 12:24 pm by jw

What else can I say about a government that’s decided torturing and convicting on coerced testimony is all a pretty good thing for anyone they declare fitting for such treatment, not to mention an opposition that is so lost and floundering that they can’t actually put forward a popular case on why torturing people is actually a bad thing and not a “necessary tool”.

Been reading some interesting books lately that are definitely worth a browse:  John Dean (the same one who testified against Nixon in Watergate) has some good commentary on the current US politics in “Worse than Watergate” and “Conservatives without Conscience”.  Rather than a commentary by someone with progressive leanings, this is by someone who has been at the highest levels of government and seen how it operates from the conservative side of politics.  While the do paint a dim light on the current administration (not that it’s really necessary to do so – they are painting a dim enough light all by themselves), the books go into a lot more detail that is often missed in the media’s rush to press.

Anyway, both good reads and not too expensive as ebooks (my current preferred reading format).

09.22.06

Bush’s backpedaling on the war in Iraq. By Michael Kinsley – Slate Magazine

Posted in Links at 3:18 pm by jw

Frankly, I would have pegged George W. Bush—whose awareness of his own weaknesses is one of his more attractive traits—as just about the last person in the world who would try this literary jujitsu. But in his own narrative of his own war (the one in Iraq), he has done it. If you trace the concept of “victory” in his remarks on Iraq, and those of subordinates, you discover a war that was won three and a half years ago, and today has barely started.

Bush’s backpedaling on the war in Iraq. By Michael Kinsley – Slate Magazine.

09.20.06

What administration lawyers could learn from military lawyers. By Richard Schragger – Slate Magazine

Posted in Links at 3:34 pm by jw

These military lawyers understand that when you ask human beings to kill other human beings, rules of decency are required. War does not erase the line between legal and illegal killings, legal and illegal acts—war accentuates it. Establishing and policing that line becomes even more important when your client is the one likely to cross it.

What administration lawyers could learn from military lawyers. By Richard Schragger – Slate Magazine.

09.19.06

Hezbollah cracked the code – Newsday.com

Posted in Links at 3:37 pm by jw

Using technology most likely supplied by Iran, special Hezbollah teams monitored the constantly changing radio frequencies of Israeli troops on the ground. That gave guerrillas a picture of Israeli movements, casualty reports and supply routes. It also allowed Hezbollah anti-tank units to more effectively target advancing Israeli armor, according to the officials.

Hezbollah cracked the code – Newsday.com.

Uninformed

Posted in Links at 3:05 pm by jw

Love this site – has all sorts of interesting stuff about rootkit and other nefarious behavior.

Uninformed.

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