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Monday links

  • There should be a special hell — a very special hell — for so-called private companies that thrive by enabling mass, unlawful government surveillance. (H/T MJR)
  • I’ve complained of authoritarian bigotry from some of the most ardent Trumpists. But ain’t nothing compares with this from some San Francisco Clintonista, who wants Trump supporters to die and their houses to burn down. Unless this is particularly wicked satire, it’s additional evidence that the authoritarian left is more violent than the right in the U.S. will ever be.
  • Though I don’t, can’t, and won’t ever support Trump, I understand those who find themselves increasingly pushed in his direction.
  • The Chertoff Group — those nice folks who brought you Rape-o-Scan machines for your airport “security” — issue a white paper on how to stop insider threats. It’s instructive, dull as ditchwater, but mercifully brief. Most interesting is their failure (in the first paragraph under “Threat Overview”) to understand the motivations of their most storied “threats.” (Tip o’ hat to MJR)
  • Yikes. If this didn’t come from such an authoritative source and wasn’t so well researched, I’d dismiss it as a conspiracy theory. David T. Hardy on Hillary Clinton and the murderous chain of command at Waco.
  • At TZP, Y.B. ben Avraham writes on the U.N., Trump, freedom, and hasbara.
  • “Optimism” and “pessimism” are shorthand descriptions, typical binary thinking. What’s needed instead of either, said Erich Fromm, is a rational faith in human nature. (This site, Brain Pickings, appears to be a treasure trove of great thought. Thanks to feralfae for the find.)
  • In the good reads department, Bill St. Clair has compiled, in easy-access form all available chapters of Mike Vanderboegh’s unfinished novel of fourth-generation warfare, Absolved.
  • The Pirate Party might end up taking over Iceland. Money quote: “Outsiders may regard the idea of a government run by Pirates as a joke. But ‘the voters think a joke is better than what we have now …'”
  • Yes, it is a dog eat dog world out there. 🙂

15 Comments

  1. Unclezip
    Unclezip October 24, 2016 7:52 am

    The San Francisco link seems to be a jpg. I’ve noticed this happening before – is somebody working your site?

  2. Claire
    Claire October 24, 2016 7:59 am

    The San Francisco link is a .jpg. So is the “dog eat dog” link.

    Dunno about anybody else but me working on the site.

  3. Comrade X
    Comrade X October 24, 2016 9:36 am

    There are authoritarians on both the right and the left. Here’s an example from the right;

    http://www.dailywire.com/news/8638/what-alt-right-ben-shapiro#

    There are people and things I do not like from both the right and the left but it is the one’s who are preaching hate that I do not support. We all have a right to believe what ever we like but that right stops if you actually want and try to harm people. Words are only words but it’s when there are actions that actually back up words of hate that we must oppose IMHO no matter what side it comes from.

  4. Laird
    Laird October 24, 2016 10:05 am

    I found it deeply ironic that, after listing all the evils he/she wishes to visit upon Trump supporters and their families, the San Francisco Clintonista refers to them as “savages”. I don’t think the word means what you think it does, dearie.

    More seriously, I hope it wasn’t you, Claire, who redacted that person’s name from the pdf. Because he/she needs to be outed and vigorously “named and shamed” all over the internet.

  5. He Who Fakes It Well
    He Who Fakes It Well October 24, 2016 10:06 am

    Dunno about anybody else but me working on the site.

    Only plugin updates and such.

  6. david
    david October 24, 2016 10:18 am

    Claire –
    I’ve been kind of busy for a few months, but just realized I’d not seen an email from you since back around the time you moved to this venue. I’m thinking I ‘got lost’ somewhere along the line as I’d never have unsubscribed intentionally.

    Can you manage to get me back on the email list? I know you check comments, and I’m assuming you can see my email.

    thanks,

  7. LarryA
    LarryA October 24, 2016 10:36 am

    I don’t think the word means what you think it does, dearie.

    I don’t think she knows what “alienate” means ether, as in “alienate into submission.”

    She’s in San Francisco, so we can excuse her for not knowing that a clear majority across the U.S. aren’t “for” Clinton or Trump.

    Early voting starts today. It’s going to be interesting.

  8. Claire
    Claire October 24, 2016 11:17 am

    Laird — It wasn’t me who did the redacting. I agree if that’s a real message then the real author deserves an outing.

    HWFIW — YES! You! And thank heaven for you. But you’re not surreptitiously going around changing .htmls to .jpgs, I’m pretty sure. 😉

    David — I don’t have an email list. I do have an RSS feed, up there at the top of the main blog page. If you were subscribed to a blog RSS feed via BHM, that would have disappeared (beyond my control). Does the new one here help?

  9. Unclezip
    Unclezip October 24, 2016 11:49 am

    Heh. “Only 60 million” savages can wreck hell on your life. sweetie.

  10. Desertrat
    Desertrat October 24, 2016 12:21 pm

    The Chronicle’s screed was written by a nutzoid from Berzerkley. Those folks make San Francisco people appear to be rational. Just as with Mario Savio’s “Free Speech” movement: You’re free to speak so long as you’re in accord with the views of the movement.

    When you look at the antecedent conditions for the whole Waco deal, it was lies and corruption from the git-go. SOF magazine ran several excellent articles, as did the Waco newspaper. I’m not at all surprised at the idea of Hillary’s involvement.

  11. Pat
    Pat October 24, 2016 1:36 pm

    Not so far off-topic: Today, Oct. 24, is Burn U. N. Flag Day!

  12. Fred
    Fred October 24, 2016 2:29 pm

    The left is more violent than the right will ever be?

    ‘Ever’ is a long time. Of course, I don’t necessarily classify self defense against tyrants as the same type of violence either.

  13. John Hardin
    John Hardin October 24, 2016 8:44 pm

    Is there some reason the username in the Berkeley/SF post is obscured?

  14. Claire
    Claire October 25, 2016 4:55 am

    It came to me that way, John Hardin. If the post is real, I believe the writer should have been made public.

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