Archive for the ‘politricks’ Category

Long Bets in 02010

The Long Now Foundation offers its Long Bets and Predictions, check ’em out.

.::blog.longnow.org->

Home less, not hope less!

: goabove.com :

4 CIA Flops

Four not so intelligent intelligence flops from Molly Mann on divine caroline - (Operation Acoustic Kitty, Operation Mongoose, Project MK-ULTRA, The Stargate Project).

Most of us don’t know much about what the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) actually does. Without some degree of mystery, after all, it can’t carry out its purpose to covertly collect information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals for American policymakers. So when we do learn anything about a specific CIA program, it’s usually after the fact, and usually because it was a big enough failure to garner media attention. With the understanding that all details about the agency’s dealings are sketchy, unconfirmed, and, well, secret, here are four of the twentieth century’s biggest CIA flops.

.::disinfo->

Architecture and Politics at the Border

The Van Alen Institute in New York City is co-sponsoring a discussion with Teddy Cruz and Thomas Keenan focusing on the relationship between architecture, human rights and spatial conditions at the U.S border.

The basic idea behind the discussion is that:

the U.S. government through the Department of Homeland Security has poured billions of dollars into this region in order to reinforce its surveillance infrastructure. At the same time, the "off-the-radar" flow of human and economic capital between north and south has proven irrepressible, exacerbating political tensions and the disparities of status existing between the two neighbors. At no other urban juncture in the world is it possible to find in such close proximity so volatile a juxtaposition of wealth and poverty, social and cultural similarity and difference, and formal and informal types of urbanism.

: wiki.provisionslibrary.org :

Good Conduct Stripes

In a hope to boost enlisted troops morale, the Air Force has reinstated the Good Conduct Medal. The Air Force is building upon their legacy of being a disciplined, high-tech, comfortable and highly volunteered arm of service, and adding to their already well liked "chest candy" of awards.

The Marines who give out the fewest medals and see the greatest amount of combat, have trouble seeing the benefit of adding another medal to their cache of fatigue add-ons.

Does the honor do more than just separate the well-behaved from the trouble makers or does it motivate personel to be like those stationed beside them?

: strategypage :

San Francisco Bay Area from the ISS

In this photograph of the San Francisco Bay area taken from the International Space Station during Expedition 4, the gray urban footprint of San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and their surrounding suburbs contrasts strongly with the green hillsides. ISS004-E-10288 (April 21, 2002, 105 mm lens)

.:allthebestbits.net->

Geopolitics: China in Copenhagen

What really happened in Copenhagen?

It was reported that President Obama was to blame for the unraveling of the show- unless of course you were Mark Lynas who witnessed how China hijacked the global negotiations by way of absence and silence.

It was concluded that China wants to weaken the climate regulation regime now "in order to avoid the risk that it might be called on to be more ambitious in a few years’ time".

Because cheap coal is the backbone of China’s growth, they are unwilling to alter their magic formula that has fueled their freedom of action dominance. A change in geopolitics? Sure. A change in environmental governance and proxy? Lets just hope that India, Brazil, and South Africa step up to the plate with new found leadership.

.::Read the article::via AMNP->

Hopes dashed in Copenhagen

Greenpeace activists scale Opera House

Greenpeace activists have unfurled a protest banner from the Sydney Opera House calling for action by world leaders at the Copenhagen climate summit.

Police were called to the Sydney Opera House at 8.15am (AEDT) on Tuesday, following reports that five people had climbed a sail of the building.

Five Greenpeace activists successfully unfurled the 100 square metre banner, which read "Stop The Politics, Climate Treaty Now", from the top of the eastern sail of the Opera House at 9.20am.

The banner, which was taken down shortly afterwards, is calling for world leaders to deliver a legally binding climate treaty at the climate summit in Copenhagen.

Greenpeace chief executive Linda Selvey said the activists, two men and three women, were highly trained and had practised the stunt beforehand.

She said one Greenpeace activist had been arrested, but police could not confirm the arrest.

"The most important thing, from our perspective, is that we get the message across, rather than the fact that some activists get arrested because it’s such a critical time in the process at Copenhagen," Ms Selvey said.

"Basically, (Prime Minister) Kevin Rudd and other world leaders seem to be focusing more on politics than they are on getting the outcome which is what we need for the planet.

"The fossil fuel industry is very cashed up and has been spending a lot of money to get the ear of politicians. We feel it’s very important to use whatever tactics we can to get our message across on behalf of Australians."

.::smh.com.au->