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| There are great benefits to connectedness, but we haven't wrapped our minds around the costs. |
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Chechnya's Refugees, Detained, Beaten, Disappeared, and Forever on the Move |
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| Topic: International Relations |
10:31 am EDT, Jul 4, 2004 |
"Guerrilla Raids Force Chechen Refugees to Flee Again" notes the irony of refugees who left Chechnya for Ingushetia now escaping reprisals by returning to war-torn Grozny, as some fled in 1999 to Kazakhstan, where Stalin had deported them in 1944. By shutting down their camps, Russian and Ingush authorities have long been forcing refugees to leave so Russia can claim that Chechnya is normalizing. The Russian crackdown after the attack now prompts Chechens remaining in Ingushetia to flee; even once friendly Ingush target them, with many men detained and beaten. Russia has destabilized Ingushetia in the past few years, engineering the election of a more obedient president. People began disappearing, including a prosecutor investigating the abuses. That the attack seems to have involved some Ingush fighters suggests that Russian policies triggered it, widening the Chechen war. Those claiming that Chechnya is part of the war on terror should consider who is responsible for the horrors there. Chechnya's Refugees, Detained, Beaten, Disappeared, and Forever on the Move |
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RE: A Russian view of the Supreme Court Decision |
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| Topic: Civil Liberties |
10:28 am EDT, Jul 4, 2004 |
Decius wrote:
]] And so it's come to this. The American people -- proud
]] heirs of a bold revolutionary spirit now marking the
]] 228th anniversary of its fiery eruption into the world --
]] have been reduced to thanking the robed Olympians on the
]] U.S. Supreme Court for preserving a few crumbs of the
]] nation's once-vast ancient liberties.
]
] Damn ... I find this article rather ironic (hypocritical?) in the context of Chechnya today and Soviet/KGB practices of decades past. RE: A Russian view of the Supreme Court Decision |
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| Topic: Games |
8:27 pm EDT, Jul 3, 2004 |
The phone is ringing! Answer it! Update: Now available here. The Phone |
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Factiva chief: Google not a threat |
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| Topic: Media |
1:25 pm EDT, Jul 3, 2004 |
Factiva rocks. "Our customers recognize the value in the comprehensive service they're getting and the time that they are saving. Time is one of the most important assets to business people." Factiva chief: Google not a threat |
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Coca-Cola promotion prompts security measures |
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| Topic: Military |
1:23 pm EDT, Jul 3, 2004 |
GPS-equipped cans of Coca-Cola are being used in a prize promotion by the soft drink company. The can has officials at some of the most secretive U.S. installations worried that the cans could be used to eavesdrop. Military bases are asking soldiers to examine their Coke cans before bringing them in to classified meetings. Paul Saffo compared the concern about the Coke cans to when the Central Intelligence Agency banned Furbies, the stuffed toys that could repeat phrases. Coca-Cola promotion prompts security measures |
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BGPlay - graphical visualisation of BGP updates |
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| Topic: Technology |
1:13 pm EDT, Jul 3, 2004 |
BGPlay is a Java application which displays animated graphs of the routing activity of a certain prefix within a specified time interval. Its graphical nature makes it much easier to understand how BGP updates affect the routing of a specific prefix than by analyzing the updates themselves. BGPlay - graphical visualisation of BGP updates |
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| Topic: Music |
1:10 pm EDT, Jul 3, 2004 |
Moby and Public Enemy have teamed up for the single MKLVFKWR. The track was written specially for Unity, The Official Athens 2004 Olympic Games Album compilation. The music for MKLVFKWR was written by Moby while the lyrics were penned by Chuck D and Flavor Flav of Public Enemy. Chuck D: "Working with Moby on this theme and project again shows that music can be a universal language of peace. Knowing his great work and concerns of the planet made this project one of like mindedness and world spirit." Moby says of Public Enemy "I've always been a huge fan" and talking about the role of music and protest he states "we do still ostensibly live in a democracy, so my hope is that at some point the people will vocally rise up and let the current leaders know that they've had enough." Adds Chuck D: "The song is a request that being a citizen of the world should transcend nationality in the name of peace." MKLVFKWR |
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| Topic: International Relations |
12:51 pm EDT, Jul 3, 2004 |
The diplomatic corps, the think-tank johnnies and the rest of the commentariate went into their usual sky-is-falling mode. In fact, the members of the sneering brigade had it backward. Bush's Winning Strategy |
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Beit Sourik Village Council v. The Government of Israel [PDF] |
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| Topic: Politics and Law |
12:47 pm EDT, Jul 3, 2004 |
Our task is difficult. We are members of Israeli society. Although we are sometimes in an ivory tower, that tower is in the heart of Jerusalem, which is not infrequently struck by ruthless terror. We are aware of the killing and destruction wrought by terror against the state and its citizens. As any other Israelis, we too recognize the need to defend the country and its citizens against the wounds inflicted by terror. We are aware that in the short term, this judgment will not make the state's struggle against those rising up against it easier. But we are judges. When we sit in judgment, we are subject to judgment. We act according to our best conscience and understanding. Regarding the state's struggle against the terror that rises up against it, we are convinced that at the end of the day, a struggle according to the law will strengthen her power and her spirit. There is no security without law. Satisfying the provisions of the law is an aspect of national security. I discussed this point in HCJ 5100/94, the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel v. the Government of Israel, at 845: "We are aware that this decision does make it easier to deal with that reality. This is the destiny of a democracy: she does not see all means as acceptable, and the ways of her enemies are not always open before her. A democracy must sometimes fight with one arm tied behind her back. Even so, a democracy has the upper hand. The rule of law and individual liberties constitute an important aspect of her security stance. At the end of the day, they strengthen her spirit and this strength allows her to overcome her difficulties." That goes for this case as well. Only a separation fence built on a base of law will grant security to the state and its citizens. Only a separation route based on the path of law will lead the state to the security so yearned for. Beit Sourik Village Council v. The Government of Israel [PDF] |
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Hong Kong at the Crossroads |
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| Topic: International Relations |
12:40 pm EDT, Jul 3, 2004 |
Hong Kong today is in a period of stress and uncertainty. Recent Chinese central government policies have raised anxiety in Hong Kong and created a threatening atmosphere. The risks to the future are considerable. The problems that have emerged could conceivably escalate and cause great difficulty for Hong Kong, serious economic and political setbacks for Beijing, and significant strains in US-China relations. All of this is somewhat surprising because only last fall there was an atmosphere in Hong Kong of remarkable good feeling toward the central government. Amicable resolution remains possible, and there have been preliminary hopeful signs in June 2004. The testimony of William Overholt, presented to the House Committee on International Relations, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on June 23, 2004. This article is an excellent study of the last decade in Hong Kong, from before the handover, through the Asian financial crisis, and up to the most recent demonstrations. Hong Kong at the Crossroads |
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