jump to navigation

“Democracy or Friendship?” – The US Role in Supporting Democracy July 31, 2012

Posted by Chris Mark in Laws and Leglslation, Politics.
Tags: , , , , , ,
4 comments

Heather Mark completed her PhD in Public Policy & Public Administration ‘several year’ ago.  Her Dissertation was titled: “The Role of the United States Foreign Policy in the Global Adoption of Democratic Governance”.  The US has long espoused the position of supporting democracy.  Does the US actually practice what it preaches?  Here is an excerpt from Heather’s dissertation:

“As the twentieth century wore on, however, the threats to democracy became less specific, but presidents and policymakers continued to use the ideology to frame their policy statements.  This begs the question: “Do the actions of the United States actually further the cause of democracy, as policymakers indicate?”  If the U.S. public knew the effect of U.S. actions on democracy, would the rhetoric still be as effective?”

Download and read her dissertation here.  Make your own decisions regarding the US’s role.

“Ruh Roh!…Google did it again!” – Admits it did not delete ‘streetview data’. July 27, 2012

Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.
Tags: , , , , ,
add a comment

I what can only be described as an absolute shock (catch my sardonic humor?)…Google has now admitted that it did not delete “… all the personal data, such as emails, its Street View cars collected in Britain and other countries in 2010.”

According to MSNBC:

“The failure to comply with a promise to delete all the data was notified to Britain’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which said the fact that the data still existed appeared to breach an undertaking signed by Google in November 2010. (more…)

“The UN, Guns, and US Constitution” – Explaning the Arms Trade Treaty July 27, 2012

Posted by Chris Mark in Laws and Leglslation, Politics, terrorism, weapons and tactics.
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
add a comment

Recent events in the US have once again ignited the debate over control of guns within the US.  This post is not a political debate rather an introduction to US gun issues and, more specifically, actions of the United Nations.   First, for some quick statistics.  According to the US Firearms Institute between 40% – 50% of US homes own firearms.  There are between 250 million  and 280 million firearms in the US owned by between 120 million and 150 million US citizens.  Hunting, shooting, and firearms are deeply embedded in the US culture and history.   In fact, the right to own firearms is guaranteed in the US Constitution’s 2nd Amendment which states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”   As every 6th grader knows, the 2nd Amendment is part of the Bill of Rights which was passed in 1791.   While many people don’t agree with the 2nd Amendment the US Supreme Court has upheld the amendment and clarified the intent in several cases: (more…)

“40 Years Later”; Remembering the Munich Olympics Massacre July 25, 2012

Posted by Chris Mark in News.
Tags: , , , , , , ,
add a comment

I apologize for not posting.  I have been in Moab with my family hiking and driving RZRs around.  With the start of the start of the XXX Olympic Games this week, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the 1972 Games of the XX Olympiad in Munich.  For those who don’t remember (or who have not seen the movie), in 1972 the second Olympics since the 1936 games were held in Germany.  11 Isreali athletes, as well as a German police officer and 5 terrorists were killed in what has become known as the Munich Massacre.  According to Wikipedia: “the Munich massacre is an informal name for an attack that occurred during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Bavaria in southern West Germany, when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and eventually killed by the Palestinian group Black September.[3][4][5][6][7] (more…)

“Does an F1 Car = F1 Racer? OR Does a Bullet = Sniper?” NO – Expertise ain’t about technology July 19, 2012

Posted by Chris Mark in Uncategorized.
Tags: , , , , , , ,
add a comment

I was reading a story today on Foxnews titled: “could guided bullets turn an average joe into a sniper?”  The article is written by a former ballerina turned “defense specialist” (I didn’t make that up).  I have written about this subject before in “The Carpenter Not The Hammer Builds the House”.  In short, her article suggests that new, more accurate bullets could turn an “average joe” into a sniper.  The referenced article on bullets demonstrates several major flaws in thinking about security or defense.  First, it quotes a “specialist” who has no specialized knowledge of the subject gained through actual experience.  I am not doubting that Ms. Barrie has read some great books and attended great lectures but the fact remains that without real world experience, it is difficult to understand how she is qualified to speak on the subject at hand.  We see this in many areas of security from information to physical and so on.  The second issue is one I see every day.  It is the mistaken belief that the technology makes the expert.  It discounts the knowledge, training and practice required to use the ‘tool’ with effect.  If I were to buy a Formula 1 racecar would I suddenly be considered a ‘racer’?  A more accurate rifle does not make a sniper…it simply makes a sniper more accurate.  Within information security we see the same flawed logic.  Companies believe that by purchasing the latest and greatest technology they can replace expertise gained through years of work ‘in the trenches’.  A leading application layer firewall is only as effective as the person deploying, configuring and managing the device.  The moral of the story?  Technology makes experts more effective they do not create or establish expertise. BTW: the picture is a Canadian Sea Marshal Tactical Team (CSMTT) sniper on a ship.