The Mont Order Club’s first ever video conference in our society’s long existence was made in February, and saw spirited participation from our advisers. Foremost in importance were some of the wise judgments our advisers rendered on the ongoing crisis of the Westphalian nation-state. Namely, our advisers spoke of the challenges posed by the Internet and other new media to the archaic international system.
At the Green Party of England and Wales’ recent spring conference in Liverpool an item titled “Constitutional Reform” appeared about half way down the policy agenda. It had been proposed by a small group of Green Party members hailing mostly from the East Midlands. Its position on the agenda had been determined by a “prioritisation ballot” — a good device used by the Party whereby any Party member can vote for the order in which they think agenda items should be discussed.
The gods destroy those they call promising. In this case, there may well be a firming agenda from various circles of praise that seem to be haloing the new, hip shooting Arkansas Senator. Much of this admiration stems from the simplicity of it all – Tom Cotton, for one, doesn’t want the implications of international diplomacy to be too troubling for US interests. For that reason, he has left his diplomacy text books at home. Embrace the inner brute, and feel more comfortable with things.
Ben Swann investigates the origins of the militant group referred to as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
What about the CIA officers who directly violated the law, who carried out interrogations that resulted in death? What about the torturers of Hassan Ghul?
— John Kiriakou, Democracy Now!, February 10, 2014
The world owes Edward Snowden a great debt for blowing the whistle, and today’s decision is a vindication of his actions.
— Eric King, deputy director of Privacy International, February 6, 2014
Foreword to America’s Oldest Professions: Warring and Spying (available in Kindle version free this week.)
The jury is still out in the trial of former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling for allegedly having leaked the story of “Operation Merlin” – the covert CIA effort to lure Iran into working on phony plans for a key component of a nuclear weapon – to New York Times reporter James Risen.
Laws have certain flexibility to them, the vast legroom that allows a degree of significant contortions. The most resilient ones tend to be those concerning security. Where safety is perceived to be at stake, the legroom widens. Interpreters of national security laws tend to make leaps to extend their application as far as possible. Rather than reading down the effects of legislation, with the tendencies to limit civil liberties, the desire lies in expanding power. The drafting, for that reason, is fundamental.
Neoconservatives arrayed in their Washington offices are congratulating themselves on their success in using the Charlie Hebdo affair to reunite Europe with Washington’s foreign policy. No more French votes with the Palestinians against the Washington-Israeli position. No more growing European sympathy with the Palestinians. No more growing European opposition to launching new wars in the Middle East. No more calls from the French president to end the sanctions against Russia.
