[ExI] watch yourself: volunteers needed

[spike]

Forwarded from Eugen's list:

 

Laura Poitras was featured on the cover of the NYT Magazine, which article I
sent to this list. Now she has an NYT byline, which is as respectable as you
can get.

 

N.S.A. Gathers Data on Social Connections of U.S. Citizens
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/29/us/nsa-examines-social-networks-of-us-citi
zens.html

 

By JAMES RISEN and LAURA POITRAS

 

WASHINGTON--Since 2010, the National Security Agency has been exploiting its
huge collections of data to create sophisticated graphs of some Americans'
social connections that can identify their associates, their locations at
certain times, their traveling companions and other personal information,
according to newly disclosed documents and interviews with officials.

 

 

 

Well, today is the day in which the dysfunctional family we know as the US
government tries to come to some agreement to halt a shutdown.  The game
theory we have learned from watching this slow motion train wreck was worth
the tuition by itself.  The majority party which holds one house of congress
and the presidency, is arguing that a shutdown is the fault of the minority
party, since the minority party knows if it doesn't do exactly as the
majority party demands, it does not have the votes to pass any modification
of the majority party's plans.  Since the minority party knows it doesn't
have the votes, even if its own party is in perfect unison, then any attempt
at negotiating is pointless and merely constitutes a costly delay, which
results in a government shutdown.  Therefore any attempt at negotiation
makes the shutdown the fault of the minority party.  This attitude
effectively destroys any notions of balance of power.  Followed to its
logical conclusion, whichever major party holds at least two of the three
seats of power has absolute dictatorial authority.

 

Slight complication: the minority party holds the lower house (the
representatives) which determines the national budget.  They are not ready
to admit their existence is a mere formality.  Conclusion: a government
shutdown is inevitable.

 

If the government shutdown proceeds tomorrow, we need volunteers to spy on
themselves.  In order to keep vital government services during the shutdown,
I implore each of you, especially you dangerous types, to collect data on
yourselves and send it to some central location for submission to the US
government once it gets back on track, assuming it does.  If you are doing
anything fishy with your taxes, please audit yourselves, until the time
sufficient government resources are again available, but this last one is
probably covered.  We definitely need volunteers to spy on themselves and
each other however.  

 

I will start setting the example by noting the contents of this post.
Recognizing that I wrote it, I will become suspicious of myself as possibly
being some kind of snarky subversive.  If l watch me will you watch you?  If
so, can we report each other to ourselves in this forum?

 

spike

 

 

 

 

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