Patriot redux II

[Dancing David]

I heard Wayne Odham on the radio today.
he made two interesting point:
1. The patriot act will actually work against gathering intellegence.

2. You can't have a war on terrorism, it is an operational technique, it would be like declaring war on night bombing. He said we could declare war on terrorist organizations.

Funk On.

[aerocontrols]

Originally posted by Dancing David
I heard Wayne Odham on the radio today.
he made two interesting point:
1. The patriot act will actually work against gathering intellegence.

I'm afraid I don't know who Wayne Odham is.

His point 1 might be interesting, except you haven't elaborated on it, and there is nothing to examine in what you've presented.

Originally posted by Dancing David
2. You can't have a war on terrorism, it is an operational technique, it would be like declaring war on night bombing. He said we could declare war on terrorist organizations.


Re: Declaring war on a tactic

Do you remember Piracy on the High Seas? Ever been threatened by it? I suggest investigating the Barbary Pirates (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/ops/barbary.htm)

If we make sponsoring terrorism unprofitable politically and economically, while providing a more profitable path for the disaffected, terrorism will one day decrease; eventually being as small a problem as piracy.

MattJ

[Skeptical Greg]

Originally posted by Dancing David
1. The patriot act will actually work against gathering intellegence.

2. You can't have a war on terrorism, it is an operational technique, it would be like declaring war on night bombing. He said we could declare war on terrorist organizations.



Sounds like someone having a 'light bulb moment'; only to find it was actually that brief flare, right before the light bulb burnt out..

aerocontrols Addressed it pretty well, IMO..

[Dancing David]

I dunno he was a general at some point, is a perfessor at Yale and wrote some book on American intelligence. I didn't get the name of the book, only heard part of the interview on the radio.

If it is a lightbulb moment he might shed some light,
I haven't read the book so I don't know. I only heard like ten minutes of him talking. he wa saying that the patriot act would 'degrade' counter-intelligence efforts.

Funk On.

[a_unique_person]

Originally posted by aerocontrols



If we make sponsoring terrorism unprofitable politically and economically, while providing a more profitable path for the disaffected, terrorism will one day decrease; eventually being as small a problem as piracy.

MattJ

I hate to tell you this, but piracy appears to be a growing problem.

[Dancing David]

Originally posted by aerocontrols




Do you remember Piracy on the High Seas? Ever been threatened by it? I suggest investigating the Barbary Pirates (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/ops/barbary.htm)

If we make sponsoring terrorism unprofitable politically and economically, while providing a more profitable path for the disaffected, terrorism will one day decrease; eventually being as small a problem as piracy.

MattJ

Sorry but piracy is huge problem, even in the USA.
Hate to tell you this folks but the guy was intelligent and well spoken, seemed to have worked in intellegence and researched it, he probably even votes Republican.

The point is that the Patriot Act is stupid and draconian and it won't prevent terrorism more than it costs in civil liberties. I just don't trust the humans that we give power too. J Edgar Hoover is good example of a good idea driven bad by the power issues of a single individual. Giving people like him more power to mess up our lifes in NOT a good thing.

Hey think what you think, sell your freedom in little pieces and then wonder where it went. Nacht and Niehbul.

Matt: Your quote about terroism is right on, thank you.

Peace

[Samus]

Originally posted by a_unique_person
I hate to tell you this, but piracy appears to be a growing problem. Indeed. But modern day pirates don't have eye patches, and birds on their shoulders, and hooks for hands. They don't have peg legs, and are hardly swashbucklers.

Yarrr! Avast, AUP, you scurvy dog! Is that a yardarn in your dubloons, or are you just glad to see me? Aye...

All the romance and adventure is lost amongst modern day pirates.

[aerocontrols]

Originally posted by a_unique_person


I hate to tell you this, but piracy appears to be a growing problem.

Piracy, I'm sure, waxes and wanes, but are you seriously suggesting that the level of piracy today can be compared to that which existed previously in history?

If not, please explain exactly what is your point?

As I said originally, if a war on terrorism can decrease terrorism as much as previous wars on piracy decreased piracy, then it will have been a smashing success.

MattJ

[hgc]

The "War on Terror" is IMO mis-named, for the reason stated above. It is a War with Islamists (not be confused with War with Islam), and particularly the ones that are attacking us directly (Al Queda), but it must also eventually extend in some way to its intellectual, ideological and financial centers -- Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan. Not that we're going to go to war with any of these countries (except maybe Iran), but look at how we are fighting this war in Pakistan already.