I was reading Slashdot this morning and ran across the article about Maine rejecting the Real ID act. In the article they linked to the ACLU's anti Real ID website.
Some interesting opinions are listed under the "opposition voices" section. The main arguement is that this system will be costly to implement and will provide a false sense of security. They also touch on trust: where a fraudulent ID would now open doors that before required supporting documentation.
I'm personally opposed to the Real ID. It will become a national ID card tied into a federal database. I don't believe ID makes you safe. The potential abuses of this database far outweigh any purported safety benefits.
Recommended reading: Your Papers Please, an oped from the 2/22/2004 Washington Times about Dudley Hiibel's case. He's the guy in Nevada who was accosted by police and asked to identify himself. When he refused, it sparked a case that when through Nevada's Supreme Court, and ultimately the US Supreme Court. Final verdict? There is nothing wrong with police asking people for their name "because in this case disclosure of his name presented no reasonable danger of incrimination." So much for the right to remain silent.
A more Real ID favorable counter opinion can be found here: Government Technology: Papers Please (Nov 4, 2005) Admittedly, I have not read the whole article. The parts I skimmed were counterarguements to the premise that this legislation was originally doomed, so that's why it was tacked onto a war spending bill. Who would vote against the troops? Also good talk about how many states are already ahead of the curve with ID technology, and they are being looked to for guidance with the program.
Chinese Regime Admits To Organ Harvesting From Prisoners
Topic: Current Events
12:07 pm EST, Jan 24, 2007
In the middle of January, 2007, the BBC Chinese website published an interview regarding organ harvesting in China. For the first time, China's Ministry of Health spokesman Mao Qunan admitted to the practice of organ harvesting from executed prisoners in China, which he had publicly denied before. However, Mao evaded key evidences of organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners and denied that accusation.
This interview was conducted by BBC senior reporter Hua Ying. An Epoch Times journalist also did an interview with Dr. Wang Wenyi, who protested at the White House during communist regime leader Hu Jintao's visit to the United States on April 20, 2006 regarding the BBC's interview
The Chinese regime has had a long history of harvesting organs from executed prisoners, and an equally long history of denying this practice. In November of 2005, the regime's Deputy Minister of Ministry of Public Health, Huang Jiefu, admitted to using organs taken from executed prisoners, at an international conference in Manila.
Later in April 2006, Mao stated that organs from executed prisoners constituted a very small portion of organs used in China's organ transplant industry.
In November 2006, Minister Huang again admitted in a conference in Guangzhou that most of the organs used in transplants, except for a small portion from organ donors in traffic accidents, came from executed prisoners. His statement was quoted by newspapers in China.
State of the Union 2007 (via drudge) 0-day W4R3Z Y0
Topic: Miscellaneous
8:44 pm EST, Jan 23, 2007
Madam Speaker, Vice President Cheney, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:
This rite of custom brings us together at a defining hour – when decisions are hard and courage is tested. We enter the year 2007 with large endeavors underway, and others that are ours to begin. In all of this, much is asked of us. We must have the will to face difficult challenges and determined enemies – and the wisdom to face them together.
Some in this Chamber are new to the House and Senate – and I congratulate the Democratic majority. Congress has changed, but our responsibilities have not. Each of us is guided by our own convictions – and to these we must stay faithful. Yet we are all held to the same standards, and called to serve the same good purposes: To extend this Nation’s prosperity ... to spend the people’s money wisely ... to solve problems, not leave them to future generations ... to guard America against all evil, and to keep faith with those we have sent forth to defend us.
We are not the first to come here with government divided and uncertainty in the air. Like many before us, we can work through our differences, and achieve big things for the American people. Our citizens don’t much care which side of the aisle we sit on – as long as we are willing to cross that aisle when there is work to be done. Our job is to make life better for our fellow Americans, and help them to build a future of hope and opportunity – and this is the business before us tonight.
A future of hope and opportunity begins with a growing economy – and that is what we have. We are now in the 41st month of uninterrupted job growth – in a recovery that has created 7.2 million new jobs ... so far. Unemployment is low, inflation is low, and wages are rising. This economy is on the move – and our job is to keep it that way, not with more government but with more enterprise.
Next week, I will deliver a full report on the state of our economy. Tonight, I want to discuss three economic reforms that deserve to be priorities for this Congress.
First, we must balance the federal budget. We can do so without raising taxes. What we need to do is impose spending discipline in Washington, D.C. We set a goal of cutting the deficit in half by 2009 – and met that goal three years ahead of schedule. Now let us take the next step. In the coming weeks, I will submit a budget that eliminates the federal deficit within the next five years. I ask you to make the same commitment. Together, we can restrain the spending appetite of the federal government, and balance the federal budget.
Next, there is the matter of earmarks. These special interest items are often slipped into bills at the last hour – when not even C-SPAN is watching. In 2005 alone, the number of earmarks grew to over 13,000 and totaled nearly $18 billion. Even worse, over 90 percent of earmarks never make it to the floor of the House an... [ Read More (3.6k in body) ]
U.S. contingency planning for military action against Iran's nuclear program goes beyond limited strikes and would effectively unleash a war against the country, a former U.S. intelligence analyst said on Friday.
"I've seen some of the planning ... You're not talking about a surgical strike," said Wayne White, who was a top Middle East analyst for the State Department's bureau of intelligence and research until March 2005.
"You're talking about a war against Iran" that likely would destabilize the Middle East for years, White told the Middle East Policy Council, a Washington think tank.
"We're not talking about just surgical strikes against an array of targets inside Iran. We're talking about clearing a path to the targets" by taking out much of the Iranian Air Force, Kilo submarines, anti-ship missiles that could target commerce or U.S. warships in the Gulf, and maybe even Iran's ballistic missile capability, White said.
What interests me is the build up coupled with the open threats from the President and the occasional "leak" of details about the war plans. Is this just classic psychological warfare strategy or is communication technology in this day and age making plans like these more transparent more immediately?
A second opinion in the article echoes the sentiment of the recently meme'd Stratfor article : Rhetoric rarely equates to reality.
Makes me wonder if we are on the way to implement a war plan or really just serve a big cup of STFU to Iran.
RE: Slashdot | Bill to Treat Bloggers as Lobbyists Defeated
Topic: Society
4:43 pm EST, Jan 23, 2007
Decius wrote:
The attempt to require political bloggers to register as lobbyists previously reported by MemeStreams has been stripped out of the lobbying reform bill. The vote was 55 to 43 to defeat the provision. All 48 Republicans, as well as 7 Democrats, voted against requiring bloggers to register; all 43 votes in favor of keeping the registration provision were by Democrats.
Thank God. I tell you, the older I get, the more I see that (R) starting to appear next to my name on the ballot.
%22I think, unfortunately, it has a little bit to do with our market,%22 Trotz said. %22When you think of Nashville, hockey is not the first thing that comes to your mind. I know I get frustrated sometimes with the Canadian media that don't give us a lot of respect. They can't understand that there's good hockey teams in Tampa and Nashville and Carolina and places like that. I am Canadian, so it does bother me.
Trotz knows of the 'conspiracy' I speak about, but isn't willing to quite 'go there'.
We keep #1 long enough, they'll have to pay attention. Can't wait for the game tonight.
Update: Back at #1, w00t! Loved the hat trick celebration, I was tempted to throw my mousepad too but I resisted :) It's TACO TIME!
