Mull on this...

[inane]

So, write your local elected representative and demand they start impeachment proceedings on the hopes there are enough people who feel the same way.

No matter how corruption or much graft there is in American politics (and there is a lot), if enough people squeak, somebody will listen.

Just as long as the superelite upper .01 doesn't care about the issue, most assuredly...

Oh and for all you technophobes, get ready to see this at every register on every counter in every country soon.

http://www.mastercardbrandcenter.com/mcbrand/index.jsp?screen_name=brandMarksMXHome

 

[ferdinand]

I think most of you are missing the point. Bush re-arranged his intelligence network in the middle of a war. The CIA no longer has top security rating or Bush's ear. All of the CIA's intel goes via another organisation.

The last time (that I am aware of) this happened, the leader in question had his arse kicked and replaced his brains with lead in a high-speed transaction in a bunker.
Hitler had several intel services (foolishly, they were not co-ordinated), two of which were FHW and the SD. Alexis Von Roenne was the head of FHW (Foreign Armies West) and his job was to gain intelligence regarding the Western Front. The SD was the Nazi intel service and was run by a man called Schellenburg. In about 1942-43, Hitler altered the flow of information so it came from FHW to Hitler via the SD. Before that FHW was able to send reports directly to Hitler.
However, Schellenburg was primarily concerned with telling Hitler what he wanted to hear, so he altered the reports Von Roenne sent him to correspond with what Hitler wanted to believe. These changes ultimately caused Hitler to miss D-Day and lose the war.


FHW was in charge of the Western Front, where D-Day occured. It was in this case the most important intel organisation the Nazis had, and Von Roenne was one of the best men they had.
The CIA is the largest espionage organisation in the world, and is a vital part to America's intel.

Any connection between the two?


Hitler re-arraged his spy service so the info from the most important organisation was going via another organisation.
Bush re-arraged his spy service so the info from the most important organisation was going via another organisation.

Any similarity?


I know Bush wasn't (isn't?) fighting a war on two fronts, and who-ever he's fighting probably can't read all his communications, and his intel organisations probably aren't caught up in beaurocratic turf war, but he obviously has no idea how to handle intelligence, because he made such a freaking MASSIVE mistake.

The American president can't handle intelligence, and can't run his spy agencies. Americans need to get rid of him or they are fucked.
Simple.

 

[DirtyDreamDesigner]

The American president can't handle intelligence

The true fuckup in all of this is actually the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, an agency which has succeeded not only in fucking up each and every task given to it but also in spectacularly hampering other agencies.

 

[ferdinand]

The true fuckup in all of this is actually the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, an agency which has succeeded not only in fucking up each and every task given to it but also in spectacularly hampering other agencies.

But is the fact it a waste of space the fault of Bush, or the schmuk that was put in charge?

Even if the concept is just a little retarted.


EDIT: After reading through the DHS homepage, it seems that the DHS has been created to become, after a suitable event, the American Gestapo.

The point of the Gestapo, according to Wikipedia was:

to investigate and combat "all tendencies dangerous to the State." It had the authority to investigate treason, espionage and sabotage cases, and cases of criminal attacks on the Nazi Party and on Germany.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gestapo

The DHS's '6 point agenda' is:

1. Increase overall preparedness, particularly for catastrophic events

2. Create better transportation security systems to move people and cargo more securely and efficiently

3. Strengthen border security and interior enforcement and reform immigration processes;

4. Enhance information sharing with our partners

5. Improve DHS financial management, human resource development, procurement and information technology

6. Realign the DHS organization to maximize mission performance.

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/editorial/editorial_0646.xml


The points on the DHS's agenda seem only a small fraction of the way from the agenda of the Gestapo.
Under favorable circumstances (increased terrorist attacks/a war that's too close for comfort, in conjunction with appropriate media manipulation) the increase in extremism of the DHS's goals and abilities would be seen as a welcome change by the American public, with the probable inclusion of censoring, made possible by ECHELON. As the above problem continues, the government would say that changes were nessecary in the working of the government, for the safety of the American public, etc, and the democracy/republic that is America would be no more.
But, because of the new DHS, no-one could ever complain. Not even the internet would be a safe domain.

The DHS is the tool of an American autocracy. Mull on that.