Halloween in DC: Part I
You thought last October's post was scary? Check this out:
According to retired Air Force Col. William Astore, the US Air Force (yeah, the people who can't keep track of our nukes) wants to spend $30 billion to find a means to fry the computers of Internet users. As Col. Astore suggests, it would give "Mutual Assured Destruction" a whole new meaning.
"Working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Department of Homeland Security, and other governmental agencies, the Air Force's stated goal is to gain access to, and control over, any and all networked computers, anywhere on Earth."
The Air Force wants to spread this cyber strike force across several bases in the US, the better to take advantage of Congressional pork.
To silence us skeptics, the Air Force has prepared an online quiz "to silence naysayers and cyberspace appeasers." Stupid me. I thought the Internet was an open place where we can present our great ideas for things like international cooperation; but instead, according to the Air Force (as reported by Col. Astore), "we face nothing but ceaseless hostility from cyber-thugs seeking to terrorize all of us everywhere all the time." This is, of course, an expression of the command-and-control mindset of the military, necessary on the battlefield, but dangerous to everyone (including themselves) away from it.
One small bit of reassurance from Col. Astore: The Air Force has had a horrible record in systems development, with projects tending to be far behind schedule.
One other small bit of reassurance from me: This goal may not be technically possible because of pirate servers, which can operate offshore outside the jurisdiction of any nation. Any attempt to control the Internet would only increase the profitability and availability of such alternatives.
However, it does underline the importance of getting out from under this militocracy* as soon as possible. The resources of the Ohio Republic will be sufficient to build a self-defense capability; but not for this kind of arrogant foolishness.
Virtual buckeyes to Rob Williams at Vermont Commons and Tomdispatch.com .
* I made up the word, but I suspect its meaning is intuitive to most readers.
1 comment:
This is right out of the playbook of The Project for a New American Century. The Bush team is full of dangerous people from this group. Unfortunately, nothing will change with a new administration.
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