I started posting links to interesting articles and columns in September 2001, and this is my second archived batch. For the most recent article links click here.
DOJ's Already Monitoring Modems Under previous federal law, cable operators could "not disclose personally identifiable information concerning any subscriber." However, the USA Patriot Act changes the law to read: "A cable operator may disclose such information if the disclosure is ... to a government entity." And, according to this Wired.com article, the Department of Justice already is "using its new anti-terrorism powers to monitor cable modem users without obtaining a judge's permission first."
What Did They Know And When Did They Know It? MakeThemAccountable's Carolyn Kay does her usual excellent job, pulling together some pretty damning information. After you've read it, you too will be asking: "Why were certain people warned not to fly on or about September 11, and not the rest of us?"
Homeland Insecurity Even the Washington Times disapproves of Bush's terminating White House tours and other security-related acts of "hypocrisy and paranoia."
Nov. 22, 2001
Three Cheers for the Turkey Liberal Slant's witty & thoughtful Lisa Kadonaga does it again with her homage to a pardoned turkey and to true patriots.
I Believe Dead People Michael Dare's thought-provoking essay on Military Tribunals & on "what happens when a court is given the latitude to make decisions without evidence or direct testimony."
Phoney Bomb Humor Fools Taliban? Remember that scary news item reporting that bin Laden had nuclear plans? Well it now appears that those plans were a downloaded copy of an Internet parody. We humorists sure make trouble sometimes, don't we?
In War, It's Power to the President The Washington Post's Dana Milbank does an excellent job of detailing the expansion of Presidential power during the G.W. Bush administration.
Rising Fears That What We Do Know Can Hurt Us A disturbing article about censorship, including federal directives to U.S. libraries to destroy specific reports. It does an excellent job exploring the delicate balance between the public's "right to know" and concerns about national security.
Doonesbury Here's the Doonesbury cartoon everyone's talking about. Some people love it. Others think Trudeau shouldn't get away with putting those words in Dubya's mouth. All I can say is Go Gary!
Nov. 16, 2001
Seizing Dictatorial Power Staunch Conservative William Safire's powerful commentary begins: "Misadvised by a frustrated and panic-stricken attorney general, a president of the United States has just assumed what amounts to dictatorial power to jail or execute aliens. Intimidated by terrorists and inflamed by a passion for rough justice, we are letting George W. Bush get away with the replacement of the American rule of law with military kangaroo courts."
Facial recognition technology approved at Va. Beach Here's a scary item: Virgina Beach has approved a progam that "uses cameras to scan people on the street and in crowds and compares faces to ones in a computer database of suspected criminals."
The Passive Voice of the Presidency This BusinessWeek column urges Dubya to use his "sky-high approval rating ... to lead -- decisively." It asks: "So why isn't he doing so on fiscal stimulus and airport security?"
Congress gives self a raise despite crisis The House, in yet another demonstration of its audacity, gives itself a generous raise during a time of "economic near-crisis, decades-high unemployment rates, massive and repeated corporate layoffs and downsizing and divisive uncertainty about who's working and who isn't..."
For Bush, another 'heartbreaking' call to NYC White House aides, Ridge huddle in situation room How did Tom Ridge learn about the Veteran's Day plane crash in a Queens, New York residential neighborhood? From Don Imus while Imus was interviewing him about important matters, such as Ridge's fondness for monogrammed shirts. It's comforting to know that our head of Homeland Security is in the loop.
Cartoonists Find Issues for Humor This New York Times article explores the the return of topical humor post 9/11 in New Yorker cartoons and elsewhere. I especially enjoyed this quote from a New Yorker cartoon: "Bush is starting to grow on me — sometimes he actually seems almost mayoral."
Army to review coed program The U.S. Army is re-evaluating its program of training male and female recruits together. Because of right-wing political pressure perhaps? The article quotes Professor David Segal, an expert on military policy as saying: “With all of the issues facing America today, I am offended that the politicians are engaging in trivia, playing with a nonissue to achieve ideological objectives.”
While we're at it, contract out DeLay An excellent commentary on the" insanely ideological" and "incomprehensible wrangling that has delayed enactment of an airport security bill..."
FBI 'was told to back off bin Laden family' A disturbing article on a BBC TV report of constraints placed by the Bush adminstration on pre-9/11 investigations of the bin Laden family and Saudi royals.
Nov. 6, 2001
FBI mistakenly notified businesses If you don't think terrorist advisories have been bungled by the FBI, this California bridge warning comedy of errors may change your mind.
Ashcroft to Pursue Suicide Doctors Does Attorney General Ashcroft have something against terminally ill patients? First he goes after Californians who use medical marijuana. Now he's pursuing doctors operating under Oregon's assisted-suicide law.
Silicon Valley firm orders laid off telecom workers to return signing bonuses Imagine being such a valued prospective employee that you get a signing bonus. Then imagine being laid off because your employer's in financial straits and that it's even demanding your bonus back. Can't happen? Tell it to former employees of San Jose-based Valiant Networks. Those poor folks could defintely use some employment humor.
Nov. 5, 2001
Bill Press: Bush team wallows in self praise Bill Press does it again. You just have to love a columnist who says: "Completing the congratulatory circle, Card singles out his boss for praise: "He is in great shape. He's a very disciplined man. He gets up very early in the morning. He does his homework. And he works hard during the day. He exercises, and he sleeps well at night." So, there you have it. Things must be going well, because not even the Taliban can keep George Bush from his treadmill."
President wants Senate to hurry with new anti-terrorism laws If you listen to talk radio, you've heard incessant attempts to blame the World Trade Center attack on Bill Clinton. Funny thing though -- this story is from back in 1996. Read it to see who didn't think we needed anti-terrorist legislation.
Why Runny Noses Are A Good thing "Doctors have a new clue to help sort out whether people with aches and coughs have the ominous first signs of inhaled anthrax or ordinary colds and flu: Anthrax victims don't have runny noses."
Nov. 2, 2001
She Lands the Propaganda Account Can techniques used to advertise Uncle Ben's Rice help the U.S. change its image? Advertising honcho Charlotte Beers is on the job, so I guess we'll soon find out.
Porn filters, other rules prompt library to shun funds A Newport, Washington library takes a stand, voting to "shun federal money for Internet access because it comes with too many strings, including a demand for pornography filters on all the district's computers."
Activists Enrage WTO with Phony Web Site Read all about the spoof WTO Web site -- www.gatt.org -- which the real WTO is rather disturbed about. As the creator of my own spoof site, you can imagine who I'm rooting for. Now, if only Dubya's Dayly Diary could get this kind of publicity.
