just imagine if that money had been spent on infrastructure instead of mall cops.
Since 9/11, the United States has spent $1 trillion to defend against al-Qaeda and ISIL, dirty bombs and lone wolves, bioterror and cyberterror. Has it worked?
Tag: us
Is US Any Safer?
In fact, this may be a path only a lame duck could risk. The politically easier path is to promise “never again.” As Trump’s hard-line rhetoric about the president being weak on terrorism demonstrates, Obama and anyone who follows him and tries to continue on that path will be an easy target for opponents who will claim that transforming homeland security from the fantasy of never-again prevention to a combination of prevention and mitigation and recovery is throwing in the towel. That this is still a debate in an election season 15 years after the 9/11 attacks is evidence that although we’ve made progress, we’re still a long way from adjusting—politically and psychically—to this new normal, where, unlike during the Cold War, there is no relying on deterrence for protection.
Vetocracy in action
When a new restaurant starts to take patrons from an old restaurant we generally don’t think that the old restaurant–the long-term resident–has the right to prevent the new restaurant from opening. The same is true, by and large, for new technologies and ways of doing business. Yet when it comes to residential land we give the old residents a veto on the new.
The sad thing is that the people most yakking about their “property” are also the ones who want to impose their misguided rules on others.
Police Killings Tracking
a tiny step forward. it will take a while to fire the right people as a consequence.
Police will be required to report officer-involved deaths under new US system. Federal officials will actively work to confirm fatal cases rather than wait for voluntary reports
Luddite fight continues
A majority of Americans would be “very” or “somewhat” worried about gene editing (68%); brain chips (69%); and synthetic blood (63%), while no more than 50% say they would be enthusiastic about each of these developments.
Trump Ghostwriter Tells All
how the fictional the art of the deal led to the fictional the apprentice which led to the current soap opera.
The long con
The strategic alliance of snake-oil vendors and conservative true believers points up evidence of another successful long march, of tactics designed to corral fleeceable multitudes all in one place—and the formation of a cast of mind that makes it hard for either them or us to discern where the ideological con ended and the money con began.” There’s another factor at work here: The anti-intellectualism that has been a mainstay of the conservative movement for decades also makes its members easy marks. After all, if you are taught to believe that the reigning scientific consensuses on evolution and climate change are lies, then you will lack the elementary logical skills that will set your alarm bells ringing when you hear a flim-flam artist like Trump.
UBI, not protectionism
if the democrats want to win this, it’s time to fight for universal basic income, instead of protectionist nonsense. but perhaps 4 years of trump first will be necessary pour encourager les autres.
TSA pre racket fails
the TSA cut the ranks of their goons because they expected 25M people to pay the protection money for TSA pre, but only 6.5M did. next steps: rise the price for TSA pre and the long lines will compel more people to pay up.
New clown car side shows
i like that characters in this summer comedy get to develop little spinoff dramas as they leave the main plotline:
I believe in the power of prayer. Be full of faith and so full of joy that this team was chosen to fight a long battle. It took 25 years to defeat slavery. That is a lot longer than 4 years.
Gregor J. Rothfuss 