You are probably right. As I recall Microsoft put in the secret "back door gateway" so the software could be administered and upgraded ... and the programming was done by a company in Israel, hence the government linkages.
I've read about the US using super computers to evesdrop on telecommunications in the name of anti-terrorism and security. Also that certain spy agencies from other countries have a "back door" access to it.
Earth is beautiful from outer space... a big blue green ball. No boundaries or armistice lines anywhere.
I think it may take the threat of invasion from aliens to get the world under one global governing body... Maybe we will someday detect an invading armada a half light year out and closing in fast...
I wonder how many "states" we could have... there are about 195 in the UN. I think town councils governments might be best - reporting up for decision certain issues best decided by regional bosies, who may kick up some of those to "states" or continental bodies. That might work, all under the legal oversight of a body entrusted with intercontinental and global law, with appropriate checks and balances, enforcement powers and instant communication.
Global business enterprizes are a whole other kettle of fish. I don't trust them at all.
Yusuf Islam, formerly known by his stage name Cat Stevens (born Steven Demetre Georgiou on 21 July 1948 in London, UK), is an English musician, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist and prominent convert to Islam.
As "Cat Stevens," Islam has sold over 60 million albums around the world since the late 1960s. His albums Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat were both certified by the RIAA as having achieved Triple Platinum status in the United States (three million sales each); his album Catch Bull at Four sold half a million copies in the first two weeks of release and was Billboard's number-one LP for three consecutive weeks. His songwriting has also earned him two ASCAP songwriting awards (for "The First Cut Is the Deepest," which has been a hit single for four different artists.)
Stevens converted to Islam at the height of his fame in 1977. The following year, he adopted his Islamic name Yusuf Islam and left his music career to devote himself to educational and philanthropic causes in the Muslim community. In 2006, he returned to pop music, with his first album of new pop songs in 28 years, entitled An Other Cup.
He has been given several awards for his work in promoting peace in the world, including the 2004 Man for Peace award and the 2007 Mediterranean Prize for Peace. He lives with his wife, Fauzia Mubarak Ali, and five children in Brondesbury Park, London, and spends part of each year in Dubai.
I see your point. The Feds should have been on the supply side, not just observing, and the weapons defective, limited in firepower or at least marked and recorded. Mission failed.
Drug and gun trafficers might be rebranded as terrorists and dealt with by different laws and punishments?
True possibly. Specs are specs and I worked through enough of them at the Fed.
The more interesting challenge will be the young mothers standing up at meetings demanding more money to advance the education of their beautiful children (to hell with the tax implication 'cause they can afford it) juxtaposed with the cries of senior citizens (who are numerous and heavy on voter turnout) living on fixed incomes, and anti-tax increase.
Pentagon: 31 Targets Hit in First Day of Strikes; Operation a ‘Success’
As U.S. forces launched a second wave of attacks on targets in Gadaffi-controlled areas of Lebanon, the Pentagon said that based on preliminary battle damage information, the airstrikes on Sunday were successful.
Speaking at a news briefing in Washington today, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said U.S. forces had struck military aircraft, runways, missile launchers and "amunition storage bunkers including those storing mustard gas."
"Based on our early assessment, we believe that we've made progress towards eliminating the air defense sites that are located around the country," he said. "We also believe we've made an impact on the military airfields that were targeted."
Fifteen land-based bombers, 25 strike aircraft and 50 Tomahawk missiles were used in Sunday's attacks, which were aimed at the Gadaffi's air defense installations, his personal command center, airport-based command centers, airfields, communication grids and transportation choak points and infrastructure.
Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said 31 targets were attacked in Sunday's strikes. "We are generally pleased with the early results," said Myers, adding that a second wave of attacks was targeting sites similar to those hit in the first round of strikes.
However, Rumsfeld stressed that it was still too early to say if Libyan air defenses, aircraft and airports had been fully disabled.
Refuting earlier Libyan claims that its forces had shot down one U.S. aircraft on Sunday, Rumsfeld said all U.S. military personnel and aircraft that took part in Sunday's strikes had returned safe and were accounted for. He dismissed the claims as "flat untrue."
Humanitarian Air Drops to Continue
Sunday's mission was a two-pronged attack combining a broad campaign against the Gadaffi's loyalist network while offering humanitarian airdrops for Libyan citizens.
The first strikes on Libya began shortly after nightfall local time on Sunday (about 12:30 p.m. ET) with Tomahawk cruise missiles, each with a price tag of $1 million. The missiles came from U.S. and British surface ships and submarines, including one unnamed American submarine, one unnamed British sub, and the surface ships USS Philippine Sea, USS John Paul Jones, USS O'Brien and USS McFaul.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
This sentence has been called "one of the best-known sentences in the English language" and "the most potent and consequential words in American history".
America is the new light unto the nations and there will come a time when the world will be as one.
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I suppose many have faith their "fellow Americans" will do the right thing. There's not much difference between the two parties on the local levels. Most of what goes down is from bug business and lobby groups, the old boy oh boy network.
Just have to say, I feel sorry for all the deaths and certainly understand some of the legal and logistical reasoning behind the go slow approach. I also hope and pray that things are moving behind the scenes that will make a difference, and soon. 6,000 deaths so far, a fear of 60,000 not far fetched in a country of 6 million.
Sen. John Kerry, chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says U.S. should consider bombing Libya's airports and runways. By The Associated Press Tags: Israel news Libya
The U.S. and its allies should plan for a no-fly zone over Libya and consider bombing the country's airports and runways, but they should take no action unless there is an international agreement, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Sunday.
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and other lawmakers continued a drumbeat for military action in Libya, in the face of reluctance from the White House and U.S. defense officials, who argue that taking out Libya's air defenses would be tantamount to going to war.
Sen. John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, talks about the revolution in Libya on CBS's "Face the Nation" in Washington Sunday, March 6, 2011.
"Lots of people throw around phrases of `no-fly zone' and they talk about it as though it's just a game, a video game or something. Some people who throw that line out have no idea what they're talking about," White House chief of staff William Daley said.
The administration has said that all options are on the table but that any military action must be an international effort. Pentagon chief Robert Gates cautioned last week that an attack on Libya could drag the U.S. military into another conflict, even as nearly 150,000 troops continue to battle in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The U.S. debate continued as the North African nation appeared to slide toward civil war, with Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi's forces in helicopters and on the ground firing on rebel fighters advancing on the capital.
The U.S. moved military forces closer to Libyan shores, but they were mainly providing humanitarian and evacuation support. The UN and U.S. imposed an arms embargo on Libya and froze billions in the country's foreign assets.
Kerry said that taking out runways and airports could be an effective tactic short of what Gates described, and he said a no-fly zone would not step over the line into military intervention. He added, however, that moving against Libyan air defenses should only be done if Gadhafi were to use his air force as a means of terror or to massacre large numbers of civilians.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said sending in ground troops would not be appropriate at this point but that implementing a no-fly zone would not be difficult because Libya's air defenses "are somewhat antiquated."
McCain said it would send a signal to the embattled Gadhafi "that the president is serious when he says we need for Gadhafi to go. And also, it would be encouraging to the resistance, who are certainly outgunned from the air."
McCain added that the U.S. could provide the rebel force with intelligence, training and other assistance to help them form a provisional government in Benghazi.
Kerry appeared on "Face the Nation" on CBS while Daley spoke on NBC's "Meet the Press." McCain appeared on ABC's "This Week." =====================
Way too late for a nudge! Facts on the ground keep on changing. Time for a new plan.
Should "we" attack his planes, as he fears or just wait for another 6,000 people on both sides to be massacred befor the world takes notice?
Perhaps the number is 6 million - that would be just about everyone? (It's a big country, but sparsely populated - unlike Egypt with 85 million souls.)
Maybe you fly up from the south or east... from a runway in Sudan or Algeria?
Maybe unmanned drone attacks on the airfield runways? (One seen over Sirte yesterday. Whose?)
Didn't we try an op like that in Iran once? Bungled it as I recall. A copter hit a tanker plane on the ground. I think. Practice makes perfect.
Tomahawks can crater a runway?
Not much collateral damage in the 2 desert military bases.
Note the stockpile of mustard gas is said to be stored in an unknown desert location. Will he gas Benghazi?
With a UN mandate or Coalition of the Willing, of course.
Paldi5 Forum Posts (2,376)
RE: Understanding the True Nature of Politics, PART 2
This explains everything!Now I understand...