THE AMERICAN THINKER:
Echelon [See HERE - relipaundit] was, or is (its existence has been under-reported in the American media), an electronic eavesdropping program conducted by the United States and a few select allies such as the United Kingdom.Proving once again the BDS and NOT constitutional or legal principles are what's driving the NSA intercept brouhaha. WHAT MAKES IT WORSE THAN MERE PARTISANSHIP: These BDS afflicted Lefties have jeoparidized NATIONAL SECURITY in order to carry out their rank partisan smear - WHICH IS THE LOWEST, POOREST, SCHMUCKIEST REASON FOR LEAKING CLASSIFIED DATA EVER! It's nothing less than an attempted coup d'etat.
Tellingly, the existence of the program was confirmed not by the New York Times or the Washington Post or by any other American media outlet – these were the Clinton years, after all, and the American media generally treats Democrat administrations far more gently than Republican administrations – but by an Australian government official in a statement made to an Australian television news show.
The Times actually defended the existence of Echelon when it reported on the program following the Australians’ revelations.
“Few dispute the necessity of a system like Echelon to apprehend foreign spies, drug traffickers and terrorists….” And the Times article quoted an N.S.A. official in assuring readers “...that all Agency activities are conducted in accordance with the highest constitutional, legal and ethical standards.” Of course, that was on May 27, 1999 and Bill Clinton, not George W. Bush, was president.
5 comments:
Good point about Echelon. It's the same damn thing, isn't it?
Anyway, just thought I'd update you on my ongoing "negotiations" with Jihad Watch.
I made the point to Mr. Fitzgerald that we took a very different culture, in Japan, and beat them in a war, and then remade their Buddhism (outlawing Emperor-worship and anything else that conflicted with our goals), creating a Democratic Republic in its place.
I asked why we couldn't do the same in Iraq and the Middle East. I asked why he would advocate a return to the Realpolitik policy of letting the Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds fight it out, instead of going with what we know does work (i.e. Democracy).
He replied that I was being sentimental.
Yes, that's right. I'm sentimental. Democracy is sentimental.
How about that, Reliapundit. We've got two guys, Spencer and Fitzgerald, who wield enormous influence in the blogosphere, and they think talking about spreading Democracy in the Middle East is sentimental.
I'm going to continue to push. Abe Lincoln is my guide. I want to understand EXACTLY what Mr. Fitzgerald thinks about Democracy and Freedom.
I can't wait to find out.
Here's the link to the comments thread:
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/009693.php#comments
reforming islam cannot be done by us. it must be done by muslims. is it possible? maybe; maybe not.
maybe "we" win the hearts and minds of the free individuals who are born as muslims and live in mulsim nations?
maybe this "we" means the west/the free world/modernity?
i say this because the jihadoterorists are (even according to muslim critiques like irshad manji) literalists which means that they advocate ONLY what is in the quran. therefore, as she says, reform will require making figurative belief the norm. i am not sure this can happen any more easily/rapdily then their drift to atheism or convesion to less a jingoistic/misogynistic/genocidal religion.
therefore, i think we have to proceed as if spreading democracy is job one
and i agree with you that it is doable.
thop far from certain.
OH: I AM SURE ALL HUMANS WANT FREEDOM, but the forces which oppose it in islamofaswcist nations are veryt strongly/deeply entrenched. that's why this is a 3 generation WAR. one we must wage militarily and culturally and politically.
as more and more humans in islamic nations get more and more access to liberty and then the prosperity which only liberty produces, then they will reform themselves.
that will take 30-40 years.
in the meantime we must militarily engae the enemy. and fight them with diploimacy and econoimic means. with EVERYTHING we've got.
multifacted/multipronged.
if we win, then islam will emrge as something entirely different that it is today. maybe more like sufism. or buddhism/confucianism.
dunno. how we deal with the 75% of the islamic faith who may hate us (and find religous reasons for it) but who don't want to actively support jihad (this is a guesstimate) is a problem. but i know this: in the meantime: we must kill the extremists.
also: we must make it very difficult for this 75% to support or excuse the extremists.
anyhow... off the top of my head - that's what i think. for now. provisionally. ALL THE BEST!
You are so sentimental.
remind the jihad watch guys that (1)indonesia is the largest muslim country and is democratic; (2) india is the second largest muslim country and is democratic.
also: we can help the muslim/arab nations reform by using unscr sanctions against ALL nations which allow: (1) forced marriage; (2) consanguinous marriage; and (3)polygamy. these cultural practices must be stopped. you can blogsearch/google astute and those words for lottsa articles/links/posts on the subject.
I've read them and am in agreement with you on the subject.
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