Netwar Front
since 03 - 21
| Powered by TagBoard Message |
Cost of the War in Iraq
(JavaScript Error)
This is my blogchalk:
Brazil, Rio de Janeiro,
Rio de Janeiro, America,
Portuguese, English,
Vasconcellos, Male, 46-50,
Philosophy, technology.
|
This work is
licensed under a
Creative Commons License.
Review My Site
Saturday, March 15, 2003
One Week Left to Help
Find the World's Most
Stupid Security Measure
Global competition will identify absurd and pointless security requirements
The human rights watchdog Privacy International has launched a competition to discover the world's most pointless, intrusive, annoying and self-serving security measures.
The "Stupid Security" award aims to highlight the absurdities of the security industry. Privacy International's director, Simon Davies, said his group had taken the initiative because of "innumerable" security initiatives around the world that had absolutely no genuine security benefit.
"The situation has become ridiculous" said Mr Davies. "Security has become the smokescreen for incompetent and robotic managers the world over".
"I have stood for ages in a security line at an inconsequential office building and grilled relentlessly only to be given a security pass that a high school student could have faked. And I resent being forced to take off my shoes at an airport that can't even screen its luggage" he said.
Even before 9/11 a whole army of bumbling amateurs has taken it upon themselves to figure out pointless, annoying, intrusive, illusory and just plain stupid measures to "protect" our security.
It has become a global menace. From the nightclub in Berlin that demands the home address of its patrons, to the phone company in Britain that won't let anyone pay more than twenty pounds a month from a bank account, the world has become infested with bumptious administrators competing to hinder or harass us. And often for no good reason whatever.
Unworkable security laws and illusory security measures do nothing to help issues of real public concern. They only hinder the public and intrude unnecessary into our private lives.
Until March 15th 2003 Privacy International is calling for nominations to name and shame the worst offenders. Nominations in the form of stories and anecdotes are most welcome.
The competition will be judged by a panel of well-known security experts, public policy specialists, privacy advocates and journalists. The competition is open to anyone. Nominations can be sent to Stupid Security. Winners will be announced at the 13th Computers, Freedom & Privacy conference in New York on April 4th.
more @ Privacy International.
Received from Politech. POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list. You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe to Politech. This message is archived and Declan McCullagh's photographs are here.
post by vasco on 8:41 PM
U.S. Military Concerned
Saddam Hussein May
Launch First Attack
Could Saddam Hussein be preparing his own pre-emptive strike?
By John McWethy
U.S. officials fear that once President Bush signals the U.S. is headed to war, Saddam Hussein will strike pre-emptively, administration sources told ABCNEWS.
Detailed new intelligence from the southern Iraqi oil fields shows that many of the 700 wells have now been wired with explosives. (video image)
But if the United States takes action to stop an Iraqi first strike, especially if they try to seize and protect the oil fields, U.S. officials admit they may end up starting the war itself.
This new level of concern about Iraq is caused by an accumulation of intelligence including troubling new details that focus on three areas:
- Specific new evidence indicates that Iraqi activity in the Western desert shows the strong likelihood Scud missiles are hidden there. These missiles could easily reach Israel carrying chemical or biological warheads which could draw Israel into any war.
- Detailed new intelligence from the southern Iraqi oil fields shows that many of the 700 wells have now been wired with explosives. These explosives appear to be connected to a central command post, so Saddam could easily set the wells ablaze.
- Near the border with Kuwait, where 135,000 U.S. troops are now stationed, recent surveillance indicates Iraqi artillery batteries have been moved dangerously close. The artillery is capable of firing shells filled with poison gas.
The United States is now considering moving against all three of these targets before any war begins in an effort to prevent Saddam from acting first, sources told ABCNEWS.
more @ ABC News.
post by vasco on 2:08 PM
Reporter Got Enough
Guts to Takes His
Independent Blog to War
By Mark Baard
Sporting a cameraman's vest and lugging a satellite phone, Christopher Allbritton may be no match for heavy artillery. But he's apparently got enough guts to be the Web's first independent war correspondent.
Allbritton, a former New York Daily News reporter living in the East Village, plans to file stories directly to his weblog, Back to Iraq 2.0, next month as part of an independent news-gathering expedition to Iraq.
Allbritton says he wants to cover the humanitarian effects the likely U.S.-Iraq war will have on civilians in Iraqi Kurdistan, which is protected by a U.S.-imposed no-fly zone over northern Iraq.
While "embedded" reporters with backing from major news outlets bump along on prearranged Hummer rides and report what they see in the mainstream media, Allbritton will hitchhike and bribe his way through an area that could become the most dangerous place in Iraq outside Baghdad.
more @ Wired.
post by vasco on 1:48 PM
Chipping Away
at Wireless
Communication
Intel CEO Craig Barrett says that his company's new Centrino chip, designed to make wireless computing easy, is "the most tangible evidence" yet of the convergence of computing and communications: "It's going to give a kick to the industry." That kick comes (admits Barrett) "after 20 years of talking about it." Centrino laptop users will be able to use wireless networks ("hotspots") if they are within a radius of 100 yards, and there are already more than 10,000 hot spots functioning in 15 countries around the globe.
more @ New York Times
Received from NewScan Daily newslist. NewsScan Daily (FREE), a lively summary of information technology news writed by John Gehl and Suzanne Douglas. To subscribe, send email to Newscan. Copyright 2003. NewsScan Daily (R) is a publication of NewsScan Inc.
post by vasco on 1:12 AM
Wi-Fi Alliance Is Putting
a Seal of Approval
at Connecting Places
The Wi-Fi Alliance, a trade group whose members include a number of major technology companies (Cisco, Dell, Intel, etc.) is putting a Wi-Fi logo ("Wi-Fi" stands for wireless fidelity) at places where the network card of any kind of laptop will be able to connect reliably to the network. Wi-Fi Alliance board member Andrea Vocale, a Cisco executive, says: "The pervasiveness of Wi-Fi is what it's about. We want the experience to be the same, with one standard everywhere." The Wi-Fi Alliance's site is http://www.wifizone.org.
more @ Mercury News.
Received from NewScan Daily newslist. NewsScan Daily (FREE), a lively summary of information technology news writed by John Gehl and Suzanne Douglas. To subscribe, send email to Newscan. Copyright 2003. NewsScan Daily (R) is a publication of NewsScan Inc.
post by vasco on 1:01 AM
European Commission
Says Microsoft Violated
Antitrust Rules
The European Commission has determined that Microsoft violated EU antitrust rules, and experts on the EC have proposed two major remedies: requiring Microsoft to share more proprietary information with its rivals and to unbundle its Media Player software from the Windows operating system. Both remedies would go beyond the changes agreed to last year by Microsoft and the Justice Department after courts found Microsoft had abused its monopoly position in the U.S. operating systems market. The EU's case is still months from a conclusion, but insiders say an internal commission is reviewing the recommendations to ensure they will stand up in court and be technically enforceable.
more @ Wired.
Received from NewScan Daily newslist. NewsScan Daily (FREE), a lively summary of information technology news writed by John Gehl and Suzanne Douglas. To subscribe, send email to Newscan. Copyright 2003. NewsScan Daily (R) is a publication of NewsScan Inc.
post by vasco on 12:33 AM
Friday, March 14, 2003
From Now, 2 days to the
World's Peace March,
and Counting!!!
Another Poster for Peace
Print it Out
Download any poster for free by clicking on an image above
Put It Up
"Copyright-free" means you can add in your own information, or even print this art commercially. click here for ideas.
Pass It On
Everyone loves a good poster. Send this to your email circle by clicking here.
more @ Another Poster for Peace.
post by vasco on 11:59 PM
Companies Experiment
Incorporating Blogging into
Their Business Strategy
Corporate blogging is catching on, as companies begin to experiment with using weblogs for both internal and external communications. And while some companies may see weblogs as too informal and uncontrolled to justify the corporate risk, others have embraced blogging as a new channel for customer communication. Two companies already incorporating blogging into their business strategy are Macromedia and Gartner Group. Gartner VP and research director French Caldwell says Gartner's "Emerging Storm" weblog is "an experiment," adding that the research firm "sees a lot of future in blogs." Macromedia senior VP of business strategy Tom Hale says it's important that companies use an honest voice in their weblogs. "A blog that isn't truthful won't work -- it will be perceived as a shill toeing the company line and spinning the company story. A blog that is truthful, tells it like it is and is honest builds a trusted influence and source. It also says a lot about the company's stance towards its customers: 'We're open with information, we're here to help, we want to listen.'" For businesses to reap the full benefits of blogging, however, it's important to provide a forum for reader comments -- a strategy that makes some companies cringe. However, as one blogger puts it: "Discussion is going to break out. Might as well have it break out where you can see
it."
more @ NewsFactor.
Received from NewScan Daily newslist. NewsScan Daily (FREE), a lively summary of information technology news writed by John Gehl and Suzanne Douglas. To subscribe, send email to Newscan. Copyright 2003. NewsScan Daily (R) is a publication of NewsScan Inc.
post by vasco on 11:59 PM
Mitch Kapor Quits
Groove Board Over
TIA's DOD Sale
Lotus Development Corp. founder Mitch Kapor, a staunch privacy advocate, has resigned from the board of Groove Networks after it sold its Groove collaboration software to the controversial Total Information Awareness program at the Department of Defense. Kapor said only that he had long planned to increase his focus on a nonprofit venture and that he would remain a Groove shareholder. Since leaving Lotus in 1987, Kapor has co-founded the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a cyberspace civil liberties group, and invested in several companies, including Groove. More recently, Kapor has devoted his efforts to developing an open-source information manager called Chandler through his nonprofit Open Source Applications Foundation. Kapor said he was troubled by the ambitions of the Total Information Awareness project. "I'm a very committed civil libertarian, and along with other civil libertarians, I have significant concerns about the potential damage to our freedoms from the TIA project."
more @ Los Angeles Times.
Received from NewScan Daily newslist. NewsScan Daily (FREE), a lively summary of information technology news writed by John Gehl and Suzanne Douglas. To subscribe, send email to Newscan. Copyright 2003. NewsScan Daily (R) is a publication of NewsScan Inc.
post by vasco on 11:45 PM
Au Government Rocked
by Anti-War Resignation
of Intelligence Official
by Bob Burton
The Australian government has been stunned by the resignation of one of its senior intelligence analysts who argues that, based on U.S. and other intelligence information he has seen, there is currently no justification for a war on Iraq.
''I'm convinced a war against Iraq at this time would be wrong. For a start, Iraq does not pose a security threat to the U.S., or to the U.K. or Australia, or to any other country, at this point in time," former Office of National Assessments intelligence analyst Andrew Wilkie said, announcing his resignation late on Wednesday evening.
''I just don't believe that a war at this time would be worth the risk,'' he said.
A critical factor behind Wilkie's resignation was claims made by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell to the U.N. Security Council purporting that a link exists between al-Qaeda and Iraq. ''As far as I'm aware there was no hard evidence and there is still no hard evidence that there is any active cooperation between Iraq and al-Qaeda,'' Wilkie told Australia Broadcasting Corp (ABC) television.
more @ Yahoo News.
founded @ ::Jakeneck:: posted by throq.
post by vasco on 7:32 PM
Associated Press
Protests Government
Seizure of Package
Government agencies opened a package mailed between two Associated Press reporters last September and seized a copy of an eight-year-old unclassified FBI lab report without obtaining a warrant or notifying the news agency.
The Customs Service intercepted a package sent via Federal Express from the Associated Press bureau in Manila to the AP office in Washington, and turned the contents over to the FBI.
FBI spokesman Doug Garrison said the document contained sensitive information that should not be made public. However, an AP executive said the package contained an unclassified 1995 FBI report that had been discussed in open court in two legal cases.
"The government had no legal right to seize the package," said David Tomlin, assistant to the AP president.
The package was one of several communications between Jim Gomez in Manila and John Solomon in Washington, AP reporters who were working on terrorism investigative stories.
It was the second time that Solomon's reporting was the subject of a government seizure. In May 2001 the Justice Department subpoenaed his home phone records concerning stories he wrote about an investigation of then-Sen. Robert Torricelli.
more @ Oklahoma's Newschannel 8.
Founded @ Cult of Dead Cow posted by Grandmaster Ratte'.
post by vasco on 5:07 PM
ABC News Live
Will Launch 24-Hour
Broadband Service on War
As the drumbeat of war escalates TV-news coverage and competition among networks, ABC News has announced plans to launch a 24-hour Web-based service available to broadband users. The service, to be called ABC News Live, in its initial stage will resemble C-SPAN more closely than CNN, mixing live feeds of breaking news with some anchored coverage, news summaries every half hour and rebroadcasts of programs such as "World News Tonight" and "Nightline." There will also be live coverage of UN debates and White House news briefings, as well as feature segments by ABC News correspondents that won't be shown on regular ABC news broadcasts. Senior VP Bernard Gershon called ABC News Live programming "baby steps toward the first Internet news network" and said he could "see a situation in two or three years where the broadband space will be competitive to the cable-news space." The new channel will be available to subscribers of the existing ABC News On Demand broadband service and RealNetworks' RealOne SuperPass service. ABC owner Walt Disney says it may entertain future deals that would make the service available through other broadband providers, such as cable systems and telephone companies.
more @ Wall Street Journal. (sub req'd)
Received from NewScan Daily newslist. NewsScan Daily (FREE), a lively summary of information technology news writed by John Gehl and Suzanne Douglas. To subscribe, send email to Newscan. Copyright 2003. NewsScan Daily (R) is a publication of NewsScan Inc.
post by vasco on 1:01 AM
Thursday, March 13, 2003
From Now, 3 days to the
World's Peace March,
and Counting!!!
Global Candlelight Vigil for Peace: Sunday, March 16 -- 7:00 PM
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Reverend Robert Edgar, and other religious leaders call for candlelight vigils around the world on march 16th to say yes to peace -- and no to war with Iraq.
So far, 1241 vigils have been scheduled in 56 countries. The next few Web pages will connect you with a candlelight vigil in your area or allow you to schedule a new vigil.
more @ Move On and Win Without War.
post by vasco on 4:49 AM
Wednesday, March 12, 2003
..::Psy-Ops Iraq Art-of-War Leaflets::..
A cool link @ Global Security related to leaflets that U.S. army is using trying to conquer Iraq's people heart and to make the soldiers defeat.
post by vasco on 2:43 AM
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
Air Force Tests MOAB,
the Biggest Conventional
Target Guided Bomb
The Air Force on Tuesday tested for the first time the biggest conventional bomb in the U.S. military's arsenal, a 21,000-pound munition that could play a dramatic role in an attack on Iraq.
Cheryl Irwin, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said the test was completed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., but she did not know whether it was considered successful.
The bomb, known as the Massive Ordnance Air Blast, or MOAB, is guided to its target by satellite signals. It was dropped out the rear of a C-130 transport plane, officials said.
The bomb is so powerful that it's detonation was expected to create a mushroom cloud visible for miles. Asked about the test at a Pentagon news conference, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld would not say whether it would be used in an Iraq war and he declined to discuss its capabilities.
"This is not small," he said.
Separately, the Pentagon's No. 2 official said in a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars that if President Bush decides to invade Iraq, it will be a "war of liberation" as well as an effort to rid Iraq of weapons banned by the United Nations.
"Those very weapons are the source of our concern," said Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. "The issue is not about Iraqi oil. If the United States had wanted access to Iraqi oil, we could have dropped our whole policy 12 years ago, lifted the sanctions and let Saddam Hussein have his weapons of mass destruction."
MOAB, privately known in military circles as "the mother of all bombs," has been under development since late last year. The bomb carries 18,000 pounds of tritonal explosives, which have an indefinite shelf life. It replaces the Vietnam-era "Daisy Cutter," a 15,000-pound bomb with 12,600 pounds of the less-powerful GSX explosives.
As originally conceived, the MOAB was to be used against large formations of troops and equipment or hardened above-ground bunkers. The target set has also been expanded to include deeply buried targets.
Some residents in the area felt the bomb's detonation but said the explosion was not as big as they had expected.
"It was kind of weak," said Patricia Sariego, a receptionist at the Best Western Hotel in Navarre, on the southern edge of Eglin. She said the blast shook doors.
more @ NewsOK. read also CNN News and The Age.
post by vasco on 11:56 PM
Major League Baseball
to Webcast Games,
Blacking out Local Teams
Major League Baseball is launching its MLB.TV service, which will enable fans with broadband access to watch baseball on their PCs. Nearly 1,000 games will be webcast this season, but the service will use Internet-location technology to black out most viewers' home teams. The move marks the most ambitious effort to date to put major sports games online, but also highlights the challenges -- both technical and political -- that have kept most sports events off the Web. The league is trying to strike a balance between protecting its lucrative contracts with traditional broadcast partners and expanding its Internet exposure. MLB says there is significant demand for games outside a home team's market, citing surveys showing that about 50% of a team's fans don't live in the area.
more @ Wall Street Journal. (sub req'd)
Received from NewScan Daily newslist. NewsScan Daily (FREE), a lively summary of information technology news writed by John Gehl and Suzanne Douglas. To subscribe, send email to Newscan. Copyright 2003. NewsScan Daily (R) is a publication of NewsScan Inc.
post by vasco on 11:29 PM
.::War on Iraq Test::.
1. Q: What percentage of the world's population does the U.S. have?
A: 6%
2. Q: What percentage of the world's wealth does the U.S. have?
A: 50%
3. Q: Which country has the largest oil reserves?
A: Saudi Arabia
4. Q: Which country has the second largest oil reserves?
A: Iraq
5. Q: How much is spent on military budgets a year worldwide?
A: $900+ billion
6. Q: How much of this is spent by the U.S.?
A: 50%
7. Q: What percentage of US military spending would ensure the essentials of life to everyone in the world, according the UN?
A: 10% (that's about $40 billion, the amount of funding initially requested to fund our retaliatory attack on Afghanistan).
8. Q: How many people have died in wars since World War II?
A: 86 million
9. Q: How long has Iraq had chemical and biological weapons?
A: Since the early 1980's
10. Q: Did Iraq develop these chemical & biological weapons on their own?
A: No, the materials and technology were supplied by the US government, along with Britain and private corporations.
11. Q: Did the US government condemn the Iraqi use of gas warfare against Iran?
A: No
12. Q: How many people did Saddam Hussein kill using gas in the Kurdish town of Halabja in 1988?
A: 5,000
13. Q: How many western countries condemned this action at the time?
A: 0
14. Q: How many gallons of agent Orange did America use in Vietnam?
A: 17 million
15. Q: Are there any proven links between Iraq and September 11th terrorist attack?
A: No
16. Q: What is the estimated number of civilian casualties in the Gulf War?
A: 35,000
17. Q: How many casualties did the Iraqi military inflict on the western forces during the Gulf War?
A: 0
18. Q: How many retreating Iraqi soldiers were buried alive by U.S. tanks with plows mounted on the front?
A: 6,000
19. Q: How many tons of depleted uranium were left in Iraq and Kuwait after the Gulf War?
A: 40 tons
20. Q: What according to the UN was the increase in cancer rates in Iraq between 1991 and 1994?
A: 700%
21. Q: How much of Iraq's military capacity did America claim it had destroyed in 1991?
A: 80%
22. Q: Is there any proof that Iraq plans to use its weapons for anything other than deterrence and self defense?
A: No
23. Q: Does Iraq present more of a threat to world peace now than 10 years ago?
A: No
24. Q: How many civilian deaths has the Pentagon predicted in the event of an attack on Iraq in 2002/3?
A: 10,000
25. Q: What percentage of these will be children?
A: Over 50%
26. Q: How many years has the U.S. engaged in air strikes on Iraq?
A: 11 years
27. Q: Were the U. S and the UK at war with Iraq between December 1998 and September 1999?
A: No
28. Q: How many pounds of explosives were dropped on Iraq between December 1998 and September 1999?
A: 20 million
29. Q: How many years ago was UN Resolution 661 introduced, imposing strict sanctions on Iraq's imports and exports?
A: 12 years
30. Q: What was the child death rate in Iraq in 1989 (per 1,000 births)?
A: 38
31. Q: What was the estimated child death rate in Iraq in 1999 (per 1,000 births)?
A: 131 (that's an increase of 345%)
32. Q: How many Iraqis are estimated to have died by October 1999 as a result of UN sanctions?
A: 1.5 million
33. Q: How many Iraqi children are estimated to have died due to sanctions since 1997?
A: 750,000
35. Q: How many inspections were there in November and December 1998?
A: 300
36. Q: How many of these inspections had problems?
A: 5
37. Q: Were the weapons inspectors allowed entry to the Ba'ath Party HQ?
A: Yes
38. Q: Who said that by December 1998, "Iraq had in fact, been disarmed to a level unprecedented in modern history."
A: Scott Ritter, UNSCOM.
39. Q: In 1998 how much of Iraq's post 1991 capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction did the UN weapons inspectors claim to have discovered and dismantled?
A: 90%
40. Q: Is Iraq willing to allow the weapons inspectors back in?
A: Yes
41. Q: How many UN resolutions did Israel violate by 1992?
A: Over 65
42. Q: How many UN resolutions on Israel did America veto between 1972 and 1990?
A: 30+
44. Q: How many countries are known to have nuclear weapons?
A: 8
45. Q: How many nuclear warheads has Iraq got?
A: 0
46. Q: How many nuclear warheads has US got?
A: Over 10,000
47. Q: Which is the only country to use nuclear weapons?
A: The US
48. Q: How many nuclear warheads does Israel have?
A: Over 400
50. Q: Who said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter?"
A: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
post by vasco on 10:00 PM
13th Annual Computers
Freedom and Privacy
Conference on Freedom
Dear Friends of the Computers Freedom and Privacy Conference:
The date is rapidly approaching for the 13th Annual Computers Freedom and Privacy Conference. CFP 2003 will be held in New York City from April 2-4. This year's CFP will focus on the Freedom to Move, Think and Speak.
I urge you to go online at www.cfp2003.org and register today. We are making a special effort this year to hold events in a variety of formats. Exciting events include:
A debate on the Pentagon's Information Awareness Program; The "Moral Maze" - a role playing session where both privacy advocates and their opponents are confronted with dilemmas that put their principles to the test; A video surveillance tour of Manhattan by the "Surveillance Camera Players"; Conservative Congressman Bob Barr on why he is a privacy advocate ; A recreation of the Yahoo case that tests the meaning of American concepts of free speech on the global Internet; The results of the "Silly Security Contest" and a keynote by security expert Bruce Schneier, which in very different ways, will illustrate the difference between smart and dumb security; Framing speeches by Canadian Privacy Commissioner George Radwanksi and Cyber Policy visionary Larry Lessig; Up to the minute briefings on the "Patriot II" bill and the future of Computers Freedom and Privacy after 9/11
And of course you can learn about, discuss, and debate many other topics, from how new intellectual property regimes will determine the future of free speech on the Internet, to trusted computing, to Internet filtering programs, to how technology is used by dictatorships.
You can register for CFP 2003 on the conference Web site. The early registration fee is still available, so act now.
I am looking forward to meeting you in Manhattan in April.
Barry Steinhardt
Chair CFP 2003
Received from Politech. POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list. You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe to Politech. This message is archived and Declan McCullagh's photographs are here.
post by vasco on 3:38 AM
The Future of Weblogs:
a Platform for the
Internet's Next Wave
Blogging, which a few years ago was viewed as a lot of inconsequential chatter, is morphing into a cutting-edge phenomenon that may provide a platform for the Internet's next wave of innovation and moneymaking opportunities. "Just like the Internet was 10 years ago, blogging is popular with an underground culture that is doing it for the love and passion," says Tony Perkins, editor of the recently folded Red Herring magazine. "Now there are people like me coming along and trying to figure out how to package it. It's time to take it to the next level." Other heavy hitters hoping to cash in on the Web's so-called "Blogosphere" include Terra Lycos, AOL and Google. Last month, Terra
introduced publishing tools to help users launch their own blogs, and AOL plans a similar move later this year. Meanwhile, Google just snapped up Pyra Labs, which runs Blogger.com, a network of Weblogs boasting more than 1 million members and more than 200,000 active blogs. "We want to take what has been an underground phenomenon and introduce it to the masses," says Charles Kilby, Terra Lycos' director of product marketing. "This is the 'eBayization' of the media," says Perkins. "You create a compelling arena and then let the real entertainment come from the participants themselves."
more @ Associated Press News.
Received from NewScan Daily newslist. NewsScan Daily (FREE), a lively summary of information technology news writed by John Gehl and Suzanne Douglas. To subscribe, send email to Newscan. Copyright 2003. NewsScan Daily (R) is a publication of NewsScan Inc.
post by vasco on 3:20 AM
Intel Bets Big
on Wi-Fi and Will
Invest 150 Million
Intel is investing in four Wi-Fi firms in an effort to boost the wireless technology and build demand for its Centrino chipset, which offers Wi-Fi connectivity and improved notebook battery life. Financial terms were not disclosed, but last October Intel had announced plans to invest $150 million in companies pursuing Wi-Fi technology and so far has funded seven ventures. The latest recipients of Intel's largess are rovingIP.net, Vivato, Broadreach Networks and Pronto Networks. In December, Intel teamed up with AT&T and IBM to form Cometa Networks, which will create a nationwide network of wireless broadband hotspots in stores, restaurants, hotels, gas stations and other public venues.
more @ CNet News.
Received from NewScan Daily newslist. NewsScan Daily (FREE), a lively summary of information technology news writed by John Gehl and Suzanne Douglas. To subscribe, send email to Newscan. Copyright 2003. NewsScan Daily (R) is a publication of NewsScan Inc.
post by vasco on 3:10 AM
Monday, March 10, 2003
Virtual Sit-in of
Dow "Greenwash" Site,
All this Week
Why Is Dow Suing Bhopal Survivors in Bombay, India?
by Ricardo Dominguez
Dow Chemical is going to court this week in India. Not as the defendants for their ongoing responsibility for the Bhopal disaster, but as the plaintiffs: Dow is suing the SURVIVORS of the disaster for protesting at a Dow plant, and--we're not making this up--they're demanding US$10,000 from them... about 10 years of wages at local rates.
But pesky internet activists are showing Dow there is no escape, with a virtual sit-in of Dow's internet Greenwash headquarters, Bhopal.com.
Dow's unapologetic website, which includes an "incident review," denies that Dow purchased any liability for the disaster when they bought Union Carbide, which was the majority stakeholder in the Bhopal plant (even though Dow did pay up for Union Carbide's asbestos liabilities in the First World). The site also states that "The legacy of those killed and injured is a chemical industry that adheres voluntarily to strict safety and environmental standards." (You may want to read that sentence again just to be sure you got it right.)
After the 1984 gas leak, which has killed 20,000 people to date, Union Carbide abandoned the factory site and fled India. For 18 years since, the toxic wastes left by Union Carbide have been bleeding poisons into the groundwater and affecting the health of the people living near the factory. Dow merged with Union Carbide in 2001 and paid up for Union Carbide's asbestos liabilities, but it refuses to do the same for Bhopal.
Dow has faced may protests since taking over Union Carbide, but suing the victims represent a new low in Dow's attempts to gag its critics. Most of the survivors come from the poorest sections of Indian society. To reinforce its message, therefore, Dow is asking for a monetary settlement from the victims. The amount they seek represents an average Indian's earnings over 10 to 20 years. The cause? Dow's "loss of business".
If Dow sues real-life protesters into silence, protest will spring up elsewhere. This protest hopes to show Dow that the only way to really silence protest will be to spend a small fraction of its US$28 billion annual turnover on cleaning up Bhopal.
A virtual sit-in is simply an automated way of sending lots of traffic to a website. Activists around the world park their browsers on a page which does nothing more than automatically load the bhopal.com site several times a minute. In the same way that a real-world sit-in disrupts traffic, the virtual sit-in makes the target site less responsive and slow. Eventually, the site may become so crowded with protestors that it stops serving information completely.
The virtual sit-in will be located at The Yes Men's hugely successful spoof of Dow's website. Dow has been playing whack-a-mole with the DowEthics.com site, launching several abortive legal attempts to shut it down, only to have new activists set it up in a new spot on the internet. Other parts of the site explain more honestly why Dow refuses to clean up Bhopal and why image is everything to Dow.
Action Ends on March 17th, 2003.
targeted site @ here.
Received from Widdershins mailing list. Widdershins is a mail list for the discussion of the intersections of hacking and hacktivism, politics and government, cyberspace and meatspace - all rolled up into one. It is meant as a central location for discussing such things as world events in relationship to technology, proposed legislation and its impact on hackers, and the ever-changing cyber landscape viewed from the security explorer.
post by vasco on 4:55 PM
Global Movement
Is Now a Potent
Political Reality
Grassroots Globalization Gets Real
By Kevin Danaher and Jason Mark
The huge worldwide peace marches in mid-February were of historic importance. For years progressive activists have trumpeted the promise of "grassroots globalization" – an alternative to the current corporate-led globalization. The planetary peace rallies showed the force of such a people's globalization. They proved that grassroots globalization is getting real.
As the sun rose on the morning of February 15 the anti-war gatherings began. Peace marchers took to the streets of Seoul, Tokyo and Melbourne to oppose an invasion of Iraq. More than one million people carrying anti-war banners paraded past Rome's Coliseum. Peace demonstrations occurred across Spain, and London witnessed the largest protest in British history. Up to 400,000 people clogged Manhattan's East Side as Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu led crowds in a chant of "Peace! Peace! Peace!" In snowy Minneapolis nearly 10,000 people streamed through the city, while in Phoenix thousands marched in t-shirts. All together, at least 10 million people around the world came together to oppose an Iraq war.
The immediate impact of the global peace marches is uncertain. The worldwide demonstrations certainly rattled "the warheads in Washington" – as one anti-war placard cleverly put it – and put the White House on the defensive. Nevertheless, the Bush Administration appears hell-bent on launching a war against Iraq.
The long-term achievement of the worldwide marches promises to be more powerful. The very idea of a "global peace movement" is now a potent political reality. The currents of discontent are rising into a wave of citizen activism with the potential to re-order international relations and re-invigorate efforts for human rights and democracy. As the New York Times put it: "There may still be two superpowers on the planet: the United States and world public opinion."
A Globalization of Conscience
The worldwide peace protests were made possible by globalization. These were wired demonstrations, organized and coordinated through the World Wide Web. But make no mistake – this was not your CEO's globalization. The peace demonstrations represented a globalization of conscience, not a globalization of commerce.
Such a globalization of conscience has long been in the works. In recent years trade unions have formed relationships among workers in different countries. Environmentalists have encouraged consumers to use their power to stop rainforest destruction. Human rights groups have brought attention to the plight of indigenous groups threatened by ill-conceived "development" projects. Fair trade organizations have created links between producers in the world's poor countries and consumers in the wealthier nations. And activists from all these movements have united across continents to challenge the power of institutions such as the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund. The idea is that community can act as an antidote to commodification.
At first, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 threatened to set back the budding grassroots movement. Wars, after all, tend to muzzle dissent and distract from other priorities. As the rubble smoldered at Ground Zero, it seemed that the burgeoning corporate accountability movement would be another casualty of the terrorists' assault.
But if wars undermine social justice movements, they also breed their own resistance. The belligerence of the Bush White House has ignited an international backlash that promises to deliver new energy and new supporters to long-standing social movements.
The challenge facing us is whether we can expand our efforts to address the causes of violence, not just the consequences. How can we bring together the global peace movement and the global justice movement? How can grassroots globalization reach its full potential?
Redefining Safety
The answer lies in building a movement dedicated not simply to preserving the peace, but to creating peace. Instead of merely preventing conflicts, we should be striving to eliminate the roots of conflict. This will require a wholistic definition of safety.
Each peace rally is a cry for safety. But safety, to paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is not just the absence of war – it is the presence of justice. Real safety will demand more than stopping the Bush Administration's imperial instincts. It requires abolishing the environmental, political and economic injustices that feed the resentments and fears propelling war.
Without limiting our dependence on oil, we will not be safe. Without helping citizens around the world achieve real democracy, we will not be safe. Without ensuring that all people everywhere have a roof over their heads and enough food to eat, we will not be safe. True security rests on putting the ideals of democracy and fairness at the center of our priorities.
The Bush Administration is dangerous because it believes that security lies in domination. Viewed through the lens of empire, the International Criminal Court, the International Landmines Convention, the Kyoto Protocol on Global Warming, and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty appear as threats to America. The White House's lethal folly lies in failing to see that real security relies on cooperation.
Luckily, the rest of the world already gets it. The peace marchers have the common sense to know that bombs won't make us safe. They know that lasting security, real safety and a just peace depend on our efforts to build the better world we know is possible.
Kevin Danaher and Jason Mark work for the human rights group Global Exchange. They are writing a book, to be published this fall by Routledge, about the corporate accountability movement.
Received from AlterNet Headlines newslist, brief summaries of leading stories from AlterNet -- the independent news and syndication service.
post by vasco on 12:28 PM
For a war to be just,
it must meet several
clearly defined criteria
Just War or a just War?
by Jimmy Carter
Profound changes have been taking place in American foreign policy, reversing consistent bipartisan commitments that for more than two centuries have earned our nation greatness. These commitments have been predicated on basic religious principles, respect for international law, and alliances that resulted in wise decisions and mutual restraint. Our apparent determination to launch a war against Iraq, without international support, is a violation of these premises.
As a Christian and as a president who was severely provoked by international crises, I became thoroughly familiar with the principles of a just war, and it is clear that a substantially unilateral attack on Iraq does not meet these standards. This is an almost universal conviction of religious leaders, with the most notable exception of a few spokesmen of the Southern Baptist Convention who are greatly influenced by their commitment to Israel based on eschatological, or final days, theology.
For a war to be just, it must meet several clearly defined criteria.
The war can be waged only as a last resort, with all nonviolent options exhausted. In the case of Iraq, it is obvious that clear alternatives to war exist. These options — previously proposed by our own leaders and approved by the United Nations — were outlined again by the Security Council on Friday. But now, with our own national security not directly threatened and despite the overwhelming opposition of most people and governments in the world, the United States seems determined to carry out military and diplomatic action that is almost unprecedented in the history of civilized nations. The first stage of our widely publicized war plan is to launch 3,000 bombs and missiles on a relatively defenseless Iraqi population within the first few hours of an invasion, with the purpose of so damaging and demoralizing the people that they will change their obnoxious leader, who will most likely be hidden and safe during the bombardment.
The war's weapons must discriminate between combatants and noncombatants. Extensive aerial bombardment, even with precise accuracy, inevitably results in "collateral damage." Gen. Tommy R. Franks, commander of American forces in the Persian Gulf, has expressed concern about many of the military targets being near hospitals, schools, mosques and private homes.
Its violence must be proportional to the injury we have suffered. Despite Saddam Hussein's other serious crimes, American efforts to tie Iraq to the 9/11 terrorist attacks have been unconvincing.
The attackers must have legitimate authority sanctioned by the society they profess to represent. The unanimous vote of approval in the Security Council to eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction can still be honored, but our announced goals are now to achieve regime change and to establish a Pax Americana in the region, perhaps occupying the ethnically divided country for as long as a decade. For these objectives, we do not have international authority. Other members of the Security Council have so far resisted the enormous economic and political influence that is being exerted from Washington, and we are faced with the possibility of either a failure to get the necessary votes or else a veto from Russia, France and China. Although Turkey may still be enticed into helping us by enormous financial rewards and partial future control of the Kurds and oil in northern Iraq, its democratic Parliament has at least added its voice to the worldwide expressions of concern.
The peace it establishes must be a clear improvement over what exists. Although there are visions of peace and democracy in Iraq, it is quite possible that the aftermath of a military invasion will destabilize the region and prompt terrorists to further jeopardize our security at home. Also, by defying overwhelming world opposition, the United States will undermine the United Nations as a viable institution for world peace.
What about America's world standing if we don't go to war after such a great deployment of military forces in the region? The heartfelt sympathy and friendship offered to America after the 9/11 attacks, even from formerly antagonistic regimes, has been largely dissipated; increasingly unilateral and domineering policies have brought international trust in our country to its lowest level in memory. American stature will surely decline further if we launch a war in clear defiance of the United Nations. But to use the presence and threat of our military power to force Iraq's compliance with all United Nations resolutions — with war as a final option — will enhance our status as a champion of peace and justice.
Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, is chairman of the Carter Center in Atlanta and winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize.
More @ New York Times.
post by vasco on 4:00 AM
Sunday, March 09, 2003
Survivor,
Silicon
Valley-style
By Alan Feinberg
IT seems like you can't turn on the TV these days without seeing a so-called ``reality'' show. The trouble with these shows is that there's nothing real about them. From my perspective, reality has nothing to do with swallowing live slimy things (unless you're in Japan) or arm wrestling for food (unless you're in Texas).
The real world for many of us in the Bay Area is defined by start-ups. So I propose that we create our own reality show starring local tribes of entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Let's call it
Survivor, Silicon Valley
First we'll meet our tribe of intrepid entrepreneurs: Bob, a UC-Berkeley MSEE and former design engineer; Chen, from National Taiwan University; Lois, a newly minted Stanford MBA; Krishna, a software engineer and graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology; and Sanjay, another IIT alum and MIT Ph.D.
Our opposing tribe of VCs consists of chief Don and his band of nameless associates.
The first challenge takes place on a large sand hill. Don is seated on an elaborate throne at the top. At the bottom of the hill, entrepreneurs clad in logo shirts use an intricate contraption made out of old elevator parts to pitch their business plans up the hill toward Don, only to have them bounce off the impervious crystal dome that surrounds him. In between, Don's associates pick through rotting piles of executive summaries scattered across the sand.
Suddenly, one of these associates heads directly for Sanjay. The VC whispers three magic words: ``Keep me informed.'' He then disappears into a deep hole in the sand, never to be seen again. Sanjay dashes off to his office to tell his employees that an investor is actually interested in funding their plan. Little does he know that, at the end of the first day, he's already been voted out of the valley.
For our next challenge the scene shifts to a parking lot where a large circus tent has been constructed. Fueled by double espressos, Chen, Lois, Krishna and Bob have been running around the tent in circles since dawn. Meanwhile, smiling clowns dressed in blue shirts and khakis set fire to giant hoops with names like ``disruptive technology'' and ``traction.''
With great fanfare, Don -- now the master of ceremonies -- steps into the center ring. As he cracks his huge leather whip, Lois jumps high in the air, barely clearing the ``financial projections'' hoop. Badly singed and resigned to her fate she mutters: ``But my numbers are conservative!'' while the associates crack jokes about her ``burn rate.''
Before the others have a chance to cool off, the venture tribe surprises them by unveiling another set of fiery hoops hidden in a similar tent around the corner and another set after that. Our
entrepreneurs go well into the night jumping through hoops that seem to materialize out of nowhere.
Subsequent challenges include ``monkey marketing,'' in which blindfolded entrepreneurs try to steal bananas from an 800-pound gorilla and ``the term-sheet tango,'' a marathon dance contest between the tribes.
On the last day, survivors Chen and Krishna are thrown into a slimy pit filled with -- you guessed it -- lawyers. As the terrified tribe members stand knee deep in legal bills, giant leeches with names like "liquidation preferences'' are attached to their backs. Afterward, they're banished to their offices to await word of their fate from the mighty VC tribal council, otherwise known as the "partner's meeting.''
Sound like fun? If you're still brave enough -- or crazy enough -- to play ``Survivor, Silicon Valley,'' then I'd like to congratulate you. You have the makings of a true entrepreneur.
Alan Feinberg is founder and president of TEKSTART, a global resource for high-tech startup companies.
Published @ Mercury News.
Sended by Steve Cisler like a Post Tulipomania humor.
Received from Nettime. Nettime is a moderated mailing list for net criticism, collaborative text filtering and cultural politics of the nets. More info e-mail Nettime.
post by vasco on 2:53 AM