Slashdot Mirror
9/11 Made Us Safer, Says Bruce Schneier
richi writes "Security guru and BT CTO Bruce Schneier discusses terrorist attacks. In fact, Bruce seems to be saying that 9/11 actually made us safer from terrorists, which seems like a curious argument. While Bruce's blog post is interesting and no doubt insightful, I'm not sure I really buy it. And what's the deal with the new rules for searching the TSA No Fly List? Why is it, in 2010, we're still mucking about with publishing database extracts and waiting hours for them to be searched? How about checking within seconds of an update? Couldn't someone volunteer to show them how to implement a reliable, scalable, NoSQL setup? Instead, the TSA plan to fix this is a classic 'big government' solution."
Well, he certainly didn't like the NSA and the American police state opportunistically created in the wake of 9/11, where the Pentagon was hit by a cruise missile.
Now he's mysteriously retracting his words at gunpoint, under threats of being jailed for national security reasons. He sure pissed them off when he suggested that Windows is mandated for businesses because of its built-in NSA backdoor that Chinese hackers learned to exploit. I can almost see the red dot from the laser sight on the back of his head as his quavering voice pretends to endorse this safe new America.
Ummm, officially, to stop "the terrorists" and to bring freedom and democracy to the unwashed masses. Unofficially, to control our oil interests. At least with WWI and WWII, the enemy was clearly defined. In the current situation it's any man, woman, or child who may be in the way.
Regardless of the reason presented for our presence there, there are still foreign troops in their country enforcing laws given to them by an outside force. It's not a new story, it's been going on for longer than we have written history for. We (unfortunately) haven't grown beyond this, except our tools and tactics for executing these decisions have become more refined. ... and before anyone says it, which someone will always do, I'm not talking poorly of our troops. I'm talking badly about the decision makers who are sending the troops out to execute those decisions.
Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
I am an asshole. I meant from the 10th to the 12th. I am American, just not from the United States (Argentina is in America too, regardless of how much USA citizens want to believe that there's not a world outside their country).
Regarding your other point, yes, it's not just the troops. The 'culture' export is a major issue too. It's actually a combination of many things, but the fact that the US truly believes that it is "the land of the free" and sells that concept throughout the world, at the same time that it goes to war with everyone, and takes economic advantage of every other country, organizes coups d'etat around the world, etc. is mostly at fault.
That little cliche that is the "land of the free" and all the truly grotesque things US citizens believe their country to be, and all the self-righteousness they have, makes of the US the Mormon of the world.
WTF am I doing replying to an AC at 5 A.M on a Friday night?
You talked to him? Before or after?
You are welcome on my lawn.