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Saturday, February 4, 2006 |
TheNation: "The nation's largest telephone and cable companies are crafting an alarming set of strategies that would transform the free, open and nondiscriminatory Internet of today to a privately run and branded service that would charge a fee for virtually everything we do online.
Verizon, Comcast, Bell South and other communications giants are developing strategies that would track and store information on our every move in cyberspace in a vast data-collection and marketing system, the scope of which could rival the National Security Agency. According to white papers now being circulated in the cable, telephone and telecommunications industries, those with the deepest pockets - corporations, special-interest groups and major advertisers - would get preferred treatment. Content from these providers would have first priority on our computer and television screens, while information seen as undesirable, such as peer-to-peer communications, could be relegated to a slow lane or simply shut out."
Engadget: "A UK service called World Tracker apparently uses cell tower data (or GPS, when available) to track the location of just about any GSM cellphone."
11:46:22 AM 
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Guardian: "The government is considering weakening laws designed to capture alleged war criminals and torturers who enter Britain, after pressure from the Israeli government, the Guardian has learned.
The changes would bar individuals from seeking international warrants for the arrest of people suspected of serious human rights abuses. The government has confirmed that Israeli officials have lobbied for changes in the law, which has kept some of their military officials away from Britain in case there should be an attempt to arrest them."
So the Israeli government is aware that there are war criminals among their 'administration'.
11:40:55 AM
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The Dutch government and parliament have decided to send 1200 more troops to the war zone in Afghanistan. The majority of the population does not support this decision.
Xinhua: "A memory stick containing files on the Dutch military mission to Afghanistan was lost just as the Parliament is set to give the go ahead for the deployment, local TV RTL reported on Thursday.
The confidential information concerns the rules of engagement for Dutch troops in Afghanistan and the personal protection of Dutch Defense Minister Henk Kamp.
A captain in the Air Force, who had spent five months in Afghanistan, left the unencrypted USB stick in a rented car two weeks ago."
The Dutch authorities can't even prevent 'No Toking' signs from being stolen in Amsterdam.
So how can we expect the Dutch troops to guarantee law and order in Afghanistan, or not to lose their choppers?
One word of advice to our brave soldiers: Watch out for your American friends.
11:29:08 AM
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