Acclaimed Author, Former Judge, Award-Winning Journalist
and Television Broadcaster
A new Pentagon study claims that political and cultural misperceptions contributed to failures in the Middle East.
Our nation was founded by guerrilla fighters battling a foreign oppressor, yet we still know very little about insurgency warfare despite the lessons of Korea and Vietnam. Your thoughts?
From Wired’s Danger Room:
Despite Blackwater’s rebranding efforts since the 2007 shootings in Baghdad, the four Blackwater security guards responsible for killing 14 Iraqi civilians will finally be held accountable for their actions.
Major problems with private military contractors include: the lack of accountability, rogue missions, questions of loyalty and the enormous expense. How do you feel about hiring private mercenaries to conduct U.S. military operations overseas?
From RT America
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the number of U.S. citizens harmed by terrorist attacks since 2010 is comparable to the number of Americans who are crushed to death by their televisions and furniture each year.
Is it time for a global war on furniture?
From The Atlantic:
Political extremism cannot be allowed to compromise our core liberties. If we choose to remain gullible and ignorant, preferring partisan speeches at flag-waving rallies to hard truths, then we’ll get what we deserve–a Republic in name only.
This recent article from Glenn Greenwald examines how extremist attitudes in Washington are quickly eroding our modern understanding of civil liberties. Take a look, and let me know your thoughts.
From Salon.com and Glenn Greenwald:
Despite the GOP’s incessant complaints that mandated defense budget cuts are too harsh, comparisons of military expenditures worldwide reveal that the U.S. accounted for 41% of all global military expenses in 2011.
Bloomberg.com has analyzed the discussion over next years military budget, and it appears that Republicans will have their work cut out for them if they wish to convincingly argue that the U.S. military budget needs to be protected at all costs.
From Bloomberg.com:
The Department of Homeland Security just began a new “Air-based Technologies” program to counsel local police departments on how to buy and use unmanned drones for law enforcement.
Does anyone actually believe it’s a good idea to use weaponized military vehicles for civilian “surveillance”? Is this really the direction in which we are headed?
From The Huffington Post:
Fascinating read from a few weeks ago about Lt. Col. Matthew Dooley’s American “jihad” against Islam, which sold this terrifyingly insane Hiroshma strategy to US troops.
Make sure to check out this article if you happened to miss it in Wired.
From Wired’s Danger Room:
"Ideology is the science of idiots."
- President John Adams
© 2011 Catherine Crier
