The Washington Post recently published a fascinating three part series describing the mind-blowing scale of secret intelligence and counter-terrorism operations in the United States in the aftermath of the 9/11 attach. Did you know that 850,000 Americans have top secret clearance now? The series is fascinating reading. Even looking at a map identifying the number [...]
Posts Tagged ‘terror’
Secret America
Posted: 26th July 2010 by Brant in politicsTags: bureauracy, civil liberties, secrecy, terror, waste
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Torture quote of the day
Posted: 13th July 2010 by Brant in politicsTags: Bush, Bush administration, civil liberties, justice, terror, torture
They [George Bush and Dick Cheney] should have been indicted. They absolutely should have been indicted for torturing, for spying, for arresting without warrants. I’d like to say they should be indicted for lying but believe it or not, unless you’re under oath, lying is not a crime. At least not an indictable crime. It’s [...]
Obama = Bush Light, part 3
Posted: 17th June 2010 by Brant in politicsTags: Bush, civil liberties, Gitmo, Obama, Obama administration, terror
Jon Stewart sets out chapter and verse on the failure of President Obama to follow through on his campaign promises to restore the rule of law in the “war” on terror. The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c Respect My Authoritah www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party [...]
Political quote of the day
Posted: 6th May 2010 by Brant in politicsTags: civil liberties, guns, Lindsey Graham, republicans, terror, wackos
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I think you’re going too far here… When the founders sat down and wrote the Constitution, they didn’t consider flying. Senator Lindsey Graham, R-SC and de facto son of John McCain, speaking in opposition to a bill that would ban people on the F.B.I. terrorist watch list from buying guns and explosives despite the fact [...]
When is a terrorist not a terrorist?
Posted: 6th February 2010 by Brant in politicsTags: Bush administration, civil liberties, Democrats, republicans, terror, torture, wackos
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Glenn Greenwald, writing in Salon, points out that if a government asserts that someone is a “terrorist” that does not mean that the accused in fact is a terrorist. The idea that if a claim of “terrorist” is made means anything can be done to the accused (torture, indefinite imprisonment, deportation, etc.) is what helps [...]
Another nuanced take on terrorism
Posted: 9th January 2010 by Brant in politics, warTags: civil liberties, Democrats, Obama administration, republicans, terror
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Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Paul Campos joins the ranks of those who view our current response to threats of terrorism realistically and not emotionally. He notes the remote risk than any particular US citizen will be a victim of terrorism, and yet we persist in imposing upon ourselves a huge costs in loss [...]
The reality of terrorism
Posted: 1st January 2010 by Brant in politicsTags: civil liberties, terror
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I am generally no fan of David Brooks. But his essay today in the New York Times is pitch-perfect. Essentially, he argues that Americans cannot rationally expect that all terrorist attempts can be stopped. Such perfection doesn’t exist in the real world. Living is dangerous; risks are everywhere. Ranting and complaining that the risk of [...]
Airborne terror (updated)
Posted: 28th December 2009 by Brant in politicsTags: terror, transportation
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It seems to me that the complaints about the failure to stop the most recent terrorist attempt on Christmas are valid. Valid in the sense that a sufficient warning had been provided to the US government to trigger at least a careful search of the terrorist prior to allowing him to board a plane. On [...]
The decade in review
Posted: 22nd December 2009 by Brant in culture, politicsTags: Apple, Bush, decade in review, media, terror
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Newsweek summarizes the decade. Nicely done. By the way, they are also offering tech predictions about 2010. You might be interested in their number 1 prediction. (Hint: It involves Apple.)
Conservative of the year: Dick Cheney (updated)
Posted: 21st December 2009 by Brant in politicsTags: Bush administration, Cheney, civil liberties, Gitmo, republicans, terror
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Did anyone at Human Events notice what year it is? Salon thinks not. For most people, the year ending now is 2009. That’s apparently not true at the right-wing magazine Human Events; reading it Monday, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Bush administration is still in office. Update: And Wonkette adds its own [...]
Andrew Sullivan on a fearless President
Posted: 17th November 2009 by Brant in politicsTags: civil liberties, Holder, justice, Obama, republicans, Sullivan, terror
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Andrew Sullivan makes an eloquent argument in favor of civil trials of terrorists. Read the whole thing, but here is an excerpt: When you listen to the Fox News right speak about this, they reveal amazing levels of fear. They have been truly spooked by these men with long beards and chilling eyes. They are [...]
Look who is in favor of Gitmo detainees in the US
Posted: 16th November 2009 by Brant in politicsTags: civil liberties, justice, republicans, terror
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And they are also in favor of civil court trial of terrorists. Who could they be? How about Grover Norquist (President, Americans for Tax Reform), Bob Barr (former Republican Congressman) and David Keene (Chairman of the American Conservative Union). Oh my! And they say there are tired of Republican “scaremongering” on these issues. Why do [...]
9/11 trial: American justice restored
Posted: 14th November 2009 by Brant in politicsTags: civil liberties, Gitmo, Holder, justice, Obama administration, terror
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Hold the trial of alleged 9/11 plotters in civil court, using American standards for criminal justice, and in New York, a scene of the attack, is an opportunity to show the world that our criminal justice system can handle the hardest cases, and at the same time provide defendants with fairness and openness. The complexity [...]
Sign of the times: Standish, Michigan
Posted: 2nd September 2009 by Brant in biz, politicsTags: economy, Gitmo, Michigan, Obama administration, terror
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The economy is in very bad shape in Michigan. That is not news. One small town north of Detroit has been discussing one way to keep jobs in town. In Standish, the State of Michigan had built a maximum security prison recently that is scheduled to be closed due to budget shortfalls. Now, the state [...]