Slashdot Mirror
The Private Outsourcing of US Intelligence Services
mrbluze writes "It appears that more and more of the data collection sanctioned by the US government is passed through the hands of private enterprise, Salon reports. 'Because of the cloak of secrecy thrown over the intelligence budgets, there is no way for the American public, or even much of Congress, to know how those contractors are getting the money, what they are doing with it, or how effectively they are using it. The explosion in outsourcing has taken place against a backdrop of intelligence failures for which the Bush administration has been hammered by critics, from Saddam Hussein's fictional weapons of mass destruction to abusive interrogations that have involved employees of private contractors operating in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Aftergood and other experts also warn that the lack of transparency creates conditions ripe for corruption.'"
Salon cannot set a cookie on your browser
In order to read Salon your browser and any security software you may be using must be set to allow Salon's cookies. Can you check to see if you have cookies disabled, or blocked from salon.com?
Our help page can walk you through the steps necessary to enable cookies. Please check this and try again.
If you feel you've received this message in error, please email us.
Salon Technical Staff.
http://www.rense.com/general79/wdx1.htm
You're right -- it's trollish, mainly because it's wrong. Go to fact check here for the actual truth. Cheney has received some deferred compensation and turned over a bunch of his stock options to charity. Apart from that, he has no continuing interest.
This post confuses me, how is this person retarded? As someone who had to grow up with a powerful, abusive alcoholic and spent several years as an alanon counsler there is nothing in those statements that is crazy. No, not all alcoholics are abusive but if the alcoholic has an abusive personality, power does seem to magnify their abusive tendencies. Even though accusing those two of being alcoholics may be unfair and even possibly libelous, the poster does have a point that they seem to exhibit some common personality traits of abusive alcoholics. Of course there is another disease that has similar traits that is NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder). See if they fit any of these criteria:
(1) has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
(2) is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
(3) believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
(4) requires excessive admiration
(5) has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
(6) is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
(7) lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
(8) is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
(9) shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
My country good or bad, but my country. I believe the quote you are reaching for is, "My country, right or wrong!"
Except, that's not the whole story. The actual quotation is really:
"My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right."
--Carl Schurz
When information is power, privacy is freedom.