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| Topic: Politics and Law |
2:46 am EDT, Aug 3, 2004 |
There is a corporate culture in America that says as long as the process is adhered to, people have done their jobs. Orderly, predictable processes that can be clearly mapped and explained are not an end in themselves. The time and effort spent on them can be justified in only one way: success. Over and over, the lovers of ISO 9000, 9001 and endless other standards confuse the means with the end. They embrace order -- even when it leads to failure. That is what happened at the CIA: A culture of process destroyed a culture of excellence. There are many outstanding people at the agency, in both the Directorate of Intelligence and in Operations. The agency's obsession with the intelligence process crushes these people daily. Those who flourish in this environment are those who can sit through long meetings without falling asleep. The people who can peer through the darkness and see the truth are either sucked into the surreal world of modern management or shunted aside. Jeremy says: Gold Star. I say: This link is on Free Republic. They are a bad reputation for being the Republican version of the Slashdot hordes. All power in numbers and no clue. However, the article is Stratfor, and hence worthy of attention. It reads a bit Republican, which is likely why the freepers have posted it. I'm not sure that it is. Stratfor likes to talk about what is going on and why. They don't usually talk about what might have been done. Its rare that they talk about what ought to be done. The Problem With the CIA |
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When Irish Eyes Stop Smiling |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
12:50 pm EDT, Jul 4, 2004 |
Planners of President Bush's recent European summit trip may have envisioned a pleasant inning of softball questions when they penciled in a brief interview with RTE, the state television of Ireland. What they got was the intrepid Carole Coleman. Mr. Bush gave as good as he got, once his Irish was up. But Ms. Coleman remained resolute. It may have cost her a follow-up interview with Laura Bush. But the griping and debate about the interview was a sad reminder to Americans that the White House seldom welcomes robust questioning, especially when it is most needed. When Irish Eyes Stop Smiling |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
10:42 pm EST, Mar 6, 2004 |
Here in the land of middle-class self-loathing, we want to make sure that the guy we elect to the White House has lived a life nothing like our own. It's a tremendous advantage to have been instilled with the habit of self-assertion since infancy. If you can project a physiological comfort with power, others around you will begin to accept your sense of self-worth. There aren't too many normal people waking up in normal suburban split-levels assuming they should rule the world. But God bless the upper class. They've lost their legitimacy, but they haven't lost their self-confidence. Clash of Titans |
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One-Third of Iranian Parliament Quits in Protest |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
12:29 pm EST, Feb 2, 2004 |
More than one-third of Iran's Parliament resigned Sunday to protest a sweeping ban on candidates running in the parliamentary election later this month. The defiant move threatened to plunge Iran's political system into chaos. "We cannot continue to be present in a Parliament that is not capable of defending the rights of the people and that is unable to prevent elections in which the people cannot choose their representatives." The brother of Iran's reformist president was among those who resigned. He said, "This is the end of the reform movement." One-Third of Iranian Parliament Quits in Protest |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
12:23 pm EST, Jan 5, 2004 |
Ever since it passed the USA Patriot Act, Congress has stood by in an alarming silence while a fabric of new law governing the balance between liberty and security has been woven by the other two branches of government. Many Democrats are happy to snipe from the sidelines but offer little in the way of constructive alternatives. They are content not to do their job ... Alleged enemy combatants, after all, don't tend to be an organized constituency of campaign donors who can garner congressional attention. This is quite an essay. The Washington Post is saying that we have a Congress that is completely ignoring it's responsibilities to the most critical Consititutional matters of our time, both because they are afraid of the Administration, and because they don't care: Constitutional issues are not important to the various special interests and lobby groups that make up their electoral support structure. Congress doesn't care... |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
1:56 pm EST, Dec 24, 2003 |
Gaddafi's decision is winning the White House a rare measure of editorial approval ... Others find the new demonstration of American influence worrisome. Pundits in Pakistan worry that the south Asian country will be next. "Baghdad has become symbolical of the pyramid of skulls that were raised by conquerors in the past to terrify nations into submission. Few nations will be willing to defy Washington's edicts and will obsequiously fulfill even the most demeaning tasks." "No amount of cooperation in the so-called War on Terror will prevent the USA, egged on by the Israeli and Indian lobbies in Washington, from its goal of forcing Pakistan to roll back its nuclear programme. The Libyan and Iranian examples should leave no one fooled. If anyone thinks that surrendering national sovereignty in the attempt to curry favour with the USA will even postpone the day of decision, they are mistaken. Indeed, it hastens it. Pakistan therefore must follow its own national interest, and refuse to accept any pressure. In that lies the only chance of safety." Proof of American Power |
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White House Web Scrubbing |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
6:51 pm EST, Dec 18, 2003 |
It's not quite Soviet-style airbrushing, but the Bush administration has been using cyberspace to make some of its own cosmetic touch-ups to history. Since 9/11, administration Web sites have been scrubbed ... "This smells like an attempt to revise the record, not just to withhold information but to alter the historical record in a self-interested way." She said: "There was going to be a cost. That's why they're not there." He said: "We would not charge for that. We would have no trouble [with that]." White House Web Scrubbing |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
11:57 am EST, Dec 6, 2003 |
I and a number of other wealthy Americans are contributing millions of dollars to grass-roots organizations engaged in the 2004 presidential election. My contributions are made in what I believe to be the common interest. George Soros defends his campaign contributions. Why I Gave |
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Patriot Act Author Has Concerns |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
12:25 am EST, Dec 2, 2003 |
A chief architect of the USA Patriot Act is voicing concern about aspects of the administration's anti-terrorism policy. At issue is the government's power to designate and detain "enemy combatants." After thinking about Jose Padilla, he came to the conclusion that the administration's case was "unsustainable." Another former top official said, "We need to debate a long-term and sustainable architecture." A concerned Harvard Law professor said, "You are talking about overthrowing 800 years of democratic tradition." There isn't much substance to this article, but it serves as a data point. Patriot Act Author Has Concerns |
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E-Votes Must Leave a Paper Trail |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
9:26 pm EST, Nov 21, 2003 |
California will become the first state requiring all electronic voting machines produce a voter-verifiable paper receipt. The requirement, announced Friday by California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, applies to all electronic voting systems already in use as well as those currently being purchased. The machines must be retrofitted with printers to produce a receipt by 2006. E-Votes Must Leave a Paper Trail |
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