Why the TSA is So Terrible

It's always been terrible.  Now it's just more terrible.  Abolish the entire thing and hire private security measures.  

John Oliver on Apple and Encryption

"Does China Need or Want Taiwan?"

Dignified Rant has an interesting new post on the topic.  Needing and wanting can entail all sorts of definitions and motivations ... though the bottom line is, as I think we've all been saying for a long time, Taiwan needs to make the price of invasion too high for China to pay. 

You know, Taiwan may be losing the public relations war (if this incident is any indication of how otherwise perfectly intelligent and reasonable people will naively believe the stupidest propaganda about Taiwan).  You know what?  Fight the PR war better, Taiwan, but at the same, arm up in case the moment ever comes when we go past words to sticks and stones.

Another TSA Christmas

This is from last year, but it's still as hilarious as ever.  My homeward journey this year was a complete mess, and my hatred of the useless, annoying TSA remains unabated.

Quote of the Day: China's Anti-Japanese Agitprop

Hmmm:

"The CCP may not want a conflict with Japan, but it's been telling Chinese youth for 20+ years that Japan is greatly responsible for the '100 years of humiliation.' So now the CCP is stuck; they have to be tough on Japan—even if they don't want to be—because their citizens demand it. The CCP has created an anti-Japanese frankenstein at home that has to be placated. They have to ride the anti-Japanese tiger their education/propaganda has created, or risk a domestic backlash."

A Tale of Two Speeches at the UN

It's obvious who's living in a perilous fantasyland and who's living in grim reality.  Here's a piece of Netanyahu's speech.  

Israel will never acquiesce to nuclear arms in the hands of a rogue regime that repeatedly promises to wipe us off the map.  Against such a threat, Israel will have no choice but to defend itself.  I want there to be no confusion on this point: Israel will not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons.  If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.  Yet in standing alone, Israel will know that we will be defending many, many others.

Such clarity is rare indeed nowadays.  I can only wish our own wretched leadership were capable of it.  (Video of Netanyahu's entire speech here.) 

Kenya Police on Twitter

I forgot to post this earlier since life intervened, but here's the Kenya Police's official Twitter feed.  They've been live-tweeting their efforts at Westgate mall.  It's been riveting, and I'll just give one of their many tweets from the aftermath:

Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others. #WithOneAccord. Thank you for your support.
— Kenya Police (@PoliceKE) September 24, 2013

How About More Security Cooperation For Taiwan & Japan?

Something to think about. Note this observation too:

"Together or independently, both governments have an obligation to pursue domestic and international options to fill legitimate defense needs, if the U.S. is unwilling to provide."

Fouad Ajami on the Aftermath of Iraq

See what he has to say. Here is a bit of it:

First, look at the map.  To Iraq's east lies Iran and a border of several hundred miles.  Had we kept the residual presence in Iraq we would have had a listening station on Iran's border.  The Iranians knew this, and that was why they were eager to push us out.  The Iraqis were more than willing to have us stay without advertising it.  We squandered that possible advantage.  The Iranians would have had to think things over if we were so close to them and right on their border.  

Geek News: Revolutionizing Digital Privacy

There's an app for that!  Read the whole thing. There is a related thought. I also couldn't resist making this:

Here's a nice little Quote of the Day from Silent Circle CEO (and former Navy SEAL, by the way) Mike Janke: 

"We feel that every citizen has a right to communicate, the right to send data without the fear of it being grabbed out of the air and used by criminals, stored by governments, and aggregated by companies that sell it."

PREACH.  Surveillance society snooping pushing you?  Push back.  The fact that I have nothing to hide doesn't mean that you get to look at my stuff just because you can and feel like it.  The app launches on February 8.

Taiwan: Security Issues Never Take a Holiday

While I've been obsessing about holiday recipes (naughty), Dignified Rant still has his eye on the ball (nice).

TSA = Terrible Shenanigans Again

As everyone travels to spend Christmas with family and friends, here are two giggles to help you on your way if you're flying:

~TSA = Taking Sense Away according to this blog by a former TSA screener

~Remy is back with another holiday TSA video (recall his hilarious 2011 offering?):

Quote of the Day: Surveillance Society

Absolutely:

It’s anyone’s guess how we are supposed to stop terrorism by focusing so much of our energies on monitoring the activities of people who will never be terrorists.

Not unrelated: the execrable (and useless) TSA, along with everything we've ever said about the encroaching, intrusive, snooping government playing fast and loose with civil liberties and every rant ever about how we are citizens, not subjects.

Dear Security Council ...

Here is a fascinating (and grim) look at the multiple letters sent to the Security Council by Israel's ambassador to the UN. Dating from February 27 to November 12 of this year, these missives detail the increasing rocket attacks from Gaza (as well as the Security Council's silence). Yep, nobody cares about people firing rockets into Israel, but heaven forfend the Israelis get sick of it and fight back, so cue now massive scurryings and utterings at the same UN.

Twitter Fight and Real War: The IDF and Hamas

One of the amusing/annoying aspects of Twitter as a social media platform is the way that "Twitter fights" erupt on it constantly with people hurling 140-character insults and zingers at each other.  Yesterday, though, as some friends and I were just discussing, the online Twitter fight and actual warfare slammed together in one of the most surreal, "what is reality?" moments I've ever seen online.  To wit: as the IDF and Hamas were mixing it up on the ground in the Gaza Strip, both parties were also mixing it up on Twitter in real time.  Buzzfeed has coverage, as does Twitchy.  (Seriously, though, I don't get why the IDF now doesn't have a gazillion followers on Twitter.)

On Benghazi and Petraeus Testifying (Or Not)

I get out of an afternoon seminar, and just as I'm breathing a sigh of relief that the weekend's finally here, this mess blows up, and I'm thinking, Really?  In terms of responding, I'm just going to quote an irate Ace of Spades because  it's everything I want to say:

Why Is Petraeus Not Testifying? 

I don't care if he had an affair or not-- you don't get a pass from answering critical questions on a major debacle simply because you also might have done something else wrong in your personal life. 

What the hell is this crap? Who cares if he had an affair? What does that have to do with Benghazi? 

I don't know he should necessarily resign over this -- apart from the security breach (which seems minor, if the FBI already says it's not expecting charges). 

But I sure the hell know he doesn't get a Get Out of Testifying Free Card. 

Testifying before Congress isn't up to your own discretion, when it's convenient for you.

UPDATE: OK, hilarious quip here.

Romney and F-16s to Taiwan

The Romney campaign has declared its support for selling the fighter jets to Taiwan. Well, GOOD.  As Dignified Rant also just said, "Have no doubt that Taiwan needs the planes and that we need Taiwan to have the planes."  

Kill Lists and the "Disposition Matrix"

This Washington Post piece is racing across the Internet.  Take a look. Via Wired's Danger Room.  So where's the outrage about Obama's institutionalizing program of drones and ever-expanding targeted killings? Oh, and is it just me, or does "disposition matrix" sound positively Orwellian?

A Study in Contrasts: Security Issues

Lara Logan on Al Qaeda & the Taliban in Afghanistan

CBS chief foreign affairs correspondent Lara Logan has something to say.  You may remember that she was assaulted in Cairo when she was covering the Tahrir Square unrest.  By the way, that charming accent is South African.  Note: she's not technically giving a report as much as sharing her perspective and opinion, though some people seem to have a problem with that.

 

RELATED: Richard Engel in Egypt.  See too Dignified Rant's post "Is Afghanistan Doomed?"