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Data Mining, Cocaine and Secrecy
hightimes writes: "Business 2.0 uncovers one of the world's most sophisticated IT network in where else, Colombia. According to the story, Colombian drug cartels have spent billions of dollars to build a huge infrastructure that's helping them smuggle more dope than ever before." Even though this is about a raid that took place most of a decade ago, it's an interesting example of the power (and potential abuse) of large-scale data mining.
The United States should really put a stop to the ludicrous, expensive and entirely ineffective "War on Drugs". Especially before going off half-cocked on another ludicrous, expensive and entirely ineffective "War on Terrorism". What a joke.
The so-called Santacruz computer was never returned to Colombian authorities, and the DEA's report about it is highly classified. But Business 2.0 has ferreted out many of its details.
It must not have been too highly classified. It it was and some internet magazine can figure it out then you have to wonder if this data mining system was overkill. They say it was used to find moles and then the undercover agents would be assasinated. Personally I wouldn't want to be an agent for some agency that can't keep this kind of stuff under wraps.
There are times when keeping things secret is a good thing. Our government seems incapable of doing so most of the time. (on a side note this is why I don't buy into most conspiracy theories-- the govt. is way too inefficient at keeping things quiet)
It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
The article presents some interesting cases against Palladium and other Trusted Computing style systems.
Without anonymity, you cannot have the whistle blowing or informing that happens. For example: if the cartels are able to steal or purchase all of the phone records for an area, then they can do the database correlation and have the informants killed. An interesting side effect of this is that in 'Brazil' (the movie) style, they do not actually make any distinction of guilt. If the numbers say you are high risk then you are eliminated from the picture.
They also demonstrate the level of Trust we can put in the government/phone companies/microsoft to kee this information safe and only in use by the 'proper authorities'. The large amounts of money at their disposal seem to have overcome their problems so far.
...that the would-be "War on Drugs" is a laughable waste of time, money, and lives. There is no way on this earth that the DEA and other police forces will ever come remotely close to controlling, let alone stopping, drug trafficking.
Imagine if the umpteen billions that are pissed away on fruitless DEA efforts were instead put into drug education and drug rehab programs.
Imagine if instead of creating a criminal underground, all drugs were legalized. The criminal underground would literally vanish: there would be no profit in the trade. We'd have as much a criminal drug trade as we have in criminal moonshine trade: which is to say, virtually none.
Imagine if the government were to tax these drugs, as they do nicotine and alcohol. Imagine if those tax revenues were put into safe injection centres, better policing of impaired drivers, a crackdown on petty thefts, and job training programs for prisoners.
There'd be a drastic reduction in crime. There'd be a reduction in drug abuse, as the abusers would be able to seek the help they need without arrest and with reduced stigmatization. The government would save billions of dollars. Income taxes could be lowered. There'd be world peace.
But will this ever happen? Probably not. There's too much money being made by the people who are in control of the "War on Drugs." Follow the money trail... you'll see that for the powerful, drug illegalization is profitable.
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Don't like it? Respond with words, not karma.
Of course organized crime is going to abuse the power that technology brings. They aren't regulated and don't answer to anyone. We could wipe out these cartels overnight by legalizing and regulated the trade of cocaine and other recreational drugs - just like we do for alcohol.
http://neoteric.nu/history.html
If we just legalized it, we could control it.
It wouldn't be different. What worries me is your assumuption that what the US is doing in Afganistan is right or even justifiable.
"But how would that be different than what we just did in Afganistan? There was an organization in that country that caused serious damage to the United States. We ordered the ruling government (the Taliban) to turn over the terrorists or we'd go in there and do it ourselves. They didn't so we did"
You are advocating violation of the sovereignty of a nation because its members have slighted the United States. Perhaps Columbia is ill equipped to deal with this issue, perhaps it will never be resolved.
But the United States is not the world's police force. It may have the guns but it does not have the right. Simply having the power to do something does not make it right.
The United States, the land of the free? Such an action would be "dictating the rights" to the Columbian Government. "You have the right to rule your Nation, except when it affects us and then we must step in because you are not capable."
How long till the United States declares the "War against Al Queda" won and withdraws from Afganistan? The United States helped Afganis oppose the Russian Occupation and left them a broken country. Once the United State's goals are complete Afganistan will be forced to build alone, and they may not be able to overcome the many warlords of their nation.
The United States does not have the right to interfere in the sovereignty of foreign nations.