Minority Report

I am Such a Nerd.

I just solved a minimal cost network flow problem that models primary care access for individuals below the poverty line living in Pittsburgh that has 841 decision variables. Two years ago, I couldn't even tell you what that sentence meant. I am actually pretty psyched about being able to solve it. Too bad I didn't know how to do this stuff when I worked in DC - I would have been on fire as a policy analyst. If I feel up to it later this week, I'll try to explain what all this means. If you already know, you're pretty nerdy too.

In Case I Disappear

I was checking out the site statistics when I noticed an unusual domain visitor, number 15 on the list, osd.mil.

For the unitiated, .mil is a domain for the United States military. The osd stands for Office of the Secretary of Defense.

That's a little freaky - why is Rummy's office interested in my blog? Turns out they were looking at this post.

I'm sure based on this and other posts, I've now been tagged as potentially un-American. And since I'm brown, you know what that means, right?

So if you don't hear from me for a few days, you could do the rational thing and assume it's because I'm in the midst of mid-terms.

But if you don't hear from me for a long while, please realize that the US government has abducted me, placed me on a Gulfstream jet, and flown me secretly to Syria to be tortured. They will disavow any knowledge of my abduction and my whereabouts. After realizing I know nothing about terrorism and have no ties to terrorist organizations (in about 6-18 months), they will release me in some other country, like Albania, without papers.

But don't worry, I plan to give up Joe as my accomplice.

Bush Ruins Economies

Literally. The man has a destructive effect on the local economy because they shut EVERYTHING down.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Europe's No. 2 airline, may seek redress for cancellations and delays from German authorities who temporarily brought the Frankfurt area to a standstill yesterday for a visit by U.S. President George W. Bush, damaging business for local companies.         

      

Lufthansa had to cancel 92 flights, affecting 5,730 passengers, as a consequence of air traffic restrictions, said spokesman Thomas Jachnow in a telephone interview. Delays to another 330 flights totaled around 300 hours. Jachnow said losses went ``well into the millions,'' though he declined to elaborate.         

      

Bush's eight-hour trip to Mainz, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Frankfurt, for talks with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, led the authorities to halt river traffic on the Rhine, Europe's busiest waterway, suspend takeoffs and landings at Frankfurt airport, Europe's second biggest, and close four motorways for periods of up to four hours. Much of Mainz city center was cordoned off, damaging business in local stores.         

      

``Sales were awful,'' said Hans Keller, owner of a pharmacy about 100 yards away from the restricted area. ``Bush's visit has caused economic damage to all businesses here in Mainz and nobody is going to compensate us.''

The bad news is that he's coming back to the US. I hope he stays in Texas or some other red state.

 

Russian or American Press?

For a second, I was confused as to which coutnry's press corp they were describing:

The Kremlin press pool is a handpicked group of reporters, most of whom work for the state and the rest selected for their fidelity to the Kremlin's rules of the game. Helpful questions are often planted. Unwelcome questions are not allowed. And anyone who gets out of line can get out of the pool.

...Television channels air newscasts with fancy graphics but follow scripts approved by the Kremlin. Elections are held, but candidates out of favor with the Kremlin are often knocked off the ballot. Courts conduct trials, but the state almost never loses. Parliament meets but only to rubber-stamp Kremlin legislation.

One of the Russia experts they interview describes it as the "illusion of democracy" which kind of sounds like what we've got here - we've got the dramatic music, the fancy graphics, the polished and attractive news anchors, it MUST be democracy, right? Kind of like Fox News...

God Bless Bob Herbert

Bob Herbert has been a one-man campaign in the media to expose and decry the very evident US policy of removing all semblance of due process, abducting and torturing various Muslims from around the world in a deeply misguided and flawed attempt at anti-terrorism. It's a battle for the soul of America and Bob seems to be the only one really fighting to keep ours pure:

Whatever may have happened in Canada, nothing can excuse the behavior of the United States in this episode. Mr. Arar was deliberately dispatched by U.S. officials to Syria, a country that - as they knew - practices torture. And if Canadian officials hadn't intervened, he most likely would not have been heard from again.

Mr. Arar is the most visible victim of the reprehensible U.S. policy known as extraordinary rendition, in which individuals are abducted by American authorities and transferred, without any legal rights whatever, to a regime skilled in the art of torture. The fact that some of the people swallowed up by this policy may in fact have been hard-core terrorists does not make it any less repugnant.

There are few people who have the courage to do the right thing, especially in an envionment that discourages dissent and suggests that those who critique are either unpatriotic or out-of-touch with reality. Thank you, Bob.

I Want One of These

Bio-Beetle is part of a growing trend in environmentally friendly rental cars and other forms of for-hire transportation. In several places across the nation, it is possible to rent - by the hour, the day or the week - hybrid gasoline-electric cars or cars that run on electricity, natural gas or, as in the case of Bio-Beetle's VW, vegetable oil.

Fueling the car, Ms. Smith found, proved to be fairly easy, with a Pacific Biodiesel station in a convenient location near Kahului Airport in Maui. And it was cheaper, too. "When we refueled to go back to the airport, the price of biodiesel was quite a bit less," Ms. Smith said, about $2.30 a gallon versus $2.69 on average for regular unleaded.

Too bad it's not easy to find a bio-fueling station. There's a well-known business school professor at Carnegie Mellon who believes that the US should stop growing food (since we grow way more than we need) and replace farm crops with switchgrass, which can be converted into biomass fuel. Of course, don't expect the 2 oilman tools running the country to go out for a reality-based energy independence scenario. Imagine what achieving energy independence would do for the country in terms of reducing our dependence on friendly totalitarian regimes in the Middle East who tacitly support terror organizations with proceeds from our oil consumption.

I'll have to settle for a hybrid - I've got my eyes on a hybrid SUV once we have a need for a child car safety seat...

When Will the Pentagon Learn?

As if their ineptitude hadn't already reached epic proportions, the Pentagon is pushing hard not to be held accountable by anyone, especially the State Department or the CIA.

The Pentagon is promoting a global counterterrorism plan that would allow Special Operations forces to enter a foreign country to conduct military operations without explicit concurrence from the U.S. ambassador there, administration officials familiar with the plan said.

The plan would weaken the long-standing "chief of mission" authority under which the U.S. ambassador, as the president's top representative in a foreign country, decides whether to grant entry to U.S. government personnel based on political and diplomatic considerations.

The Special Operations missions envisioned in the plan would largely be secret, known to only a handful of officials from the foreign country, if any.

The notion of the military running amuck in any country, completely without any knowledge of the local ambassador, already portends a foreign policy disaster but if you really need to be pushed on the point, the Post offers anecdotal evidence:

In one instance, U.S. commanders tried to dispatch Special Forces soldiers into Pakistan without gaining ambassadorial approval but were rebuffed by the State Department, said two sources familiar with the event. The soldiers eventually entered Pakistan with proper clearance but were ordered out again by the ambassador for what was described as reckless behavior. "We had SF [Special Forces] guys in civilian clothes running around a hotel with grenades in their pockets," said one source involved in the incident, who opposes the Pentagon plan.

I'm no expert, but carrying grenades around in your pocket in a foreign hotel sounds like an awfully bad (and messy) idea...

Emasculating the US as a Superpower

Prior to September 11th, the US was considered the world's only superpower - some even called us a 'hyperpower.' Our allies, especially those in Europe, tended not to do anything without our participation. Just after 9/11, we had the world wrapped around our finger.

Four years of unilateral arrogance and the shunning of traditional allies for ones like Poland and Sumatra have emasculated us globally, especially in Europe.

With the United States pinned down in Iraq, where the continued deployment of nearly 150,000 troops has severely strained the U.S. military, European leaders no longer expect further military expeditions in Bush's second term. And so they have been gracious -- but assertive, thus reflecting how far the United States has fallen from "hyperpower" status -- a term coined about America by French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine.

Indeed, analysts said, European leaders are increasingly united against U.S. positions and feel emboldened to go their own way on such issues as Iran and China.

Heisbourg said the divisions created by the Iraq war had also changed the dynamic within Europe, with officials trying to form a more united front on key issues. Europeans who had been more assertive in their stand on the war, such as the French, have become more restrained while the British, who had argued that Europe had little choice but to support the United States, have leaned back toward the rest of Europe. "Those at the center, such as Germany, have become more bold in stressing their Europeanism," he said.

The net effect is a Europe more willing to go its own way even as the Bush administration has engaged in a charm offensive in recent weeks to rebalance relationships badly frayed by the Iraq war.

US power globally is waning - our aggressive, morally bankrupt and deceptive, imperious foreign policy has shred our international credibility as a power to be reckoned with. Instead, the Europeans are uniting to counterbalance us and take our place as leaders on the world stage:

The Europeans, including the British government, feel privately that the past three years have been hijacked by Iraq. Facing the grinding, bloody and unending reality of Iraq doesn't mean accepting Bush's original premises but getting on with the task of stability at hand. For months before his visit, NATO countries, including France, have involved their police in training local Iraq security forces. Ceasing the finger-pointing is the basis for Europe's consensus on its new if not publicly articulated policy: the containment of Bush. It ought to go without saying that Bush misses the nuances and ambiguities.

In the end, we end up as the global Johnny-come-lately instead of global leader, ironically the opposite effect of what Bush and the neocons had in mind.

President Bush said Wednesday that he and German, British and French leaders had discussed negotiating tactics to try to get Iran to give up its suspected nuclear weapons program, and his national security adviser later left open the possibility that Mr. Bush would consider offering incentives to dissuade Iran from its nuclear ambitions.

The tactic of incentives, favored by the Europeans, had been roundly rejected by the Bush administration as recently as two weeks ago.

Squandering the good relations that we had with the world may end up being the costliest mistake that this Administration has "led" us into.

Sign of Desperation

You really know they're desperate when they send ME letters trying to recruit me into the Army National Guard. I was positive that I was on a watchlist somewhere that would automatically exclude me from consideration - a sure sign that the draft can't be too far away...

Dear American,

You may never have another chance like this one. To become a force against terror and other forces that threaten America's way of life.

Silly me - I thought they meant the Republicans. At least they acknowledged I was American.

Throughout the year, parents, teachers, counselors, coaches, and even your friends have been asking you: "What are you going to do next?"

What will your answer be?

Before you decide, you owe it to yourself to talk to the Army National Guard. Make no mistake. The Guard Needs you. Just call 1-800-GO-GUARD to find out why.

I already know why. They need some warm bodies to get shot at in Iraq because they did such a miserable job planning for the "post-war."

The skills and experiences you'll gain as a soldier are irreplaceable. They will help you succeed and advance in whatever civilian career you eventually choose.

Somehow, learning how to shoot up poor brown Muslims and Arabs doesn't sound like much of marketable skill.

You can also go to college right aaway because the Guard offers up to 100% tuition assistance. But that's not where it ends.

Threats to America are everywhere, and we need to confront them swiftly and forcefully when they arise. Whether it's helping to fight the war on terror or cleaning up after earthquakes, tornadoes or hurricanes, Americans need the best and brightest to protect them. Will you answer their call?

Somehow I get the feeling there's not a lot of reservists left pulling tornado duty.

You no longer have to sand on the sidelines, watching as others defend America. This is your chance to make a difference.

Tens of thousands of men and women just like you have embarked on this great adventure full of challenges, adventure and new experiences. They are waiting for you to join them.

I think this is what we ought to tell people who claim to support the war. Incidentally, they could use some better writers - embark on this great adventure full of adventure?

You have many options to consider this year, and will have to make some tough decisions. The Army National Guard is a big commitment, but the sacrifice you make for your country will be rewarded and appreciated.

Some appreciation. Cutting medical benefits for veterans, paying contractors more than soldiers, overstaying tours, and sending reservists into combat zones while leaving their families financially stranded? And I get to weigh that against a solid job opportunity where no one will shoot at me? Gosh, that IS a difficult decision...

Check us out; there's absolutely no obligation on your part. Call 1-800-GO-GUARD today to find out more about the Army National Guard. There's absolutely no commitment, and you'll be glad you called.

Sincerely,

Richard R. Guzzetta
LTC, National Guard Bureau
Chief, Strength Maintenance Division

P.S. When you meet with your recruiter, make sure to ask about your free T-shirt and DVD. The Guard has them reserved just for you.

Y'know I'm broke but I'm not quite that desperate just yet. But clearly they are.

Santorum is Out of Touch

And nothing more than a shill for Bush, as is made obvious in this NYT piece:

Almost no one is a more outspoken advocate of President Bush's Social Security plan than Senator Rick Santorum, the third-ranking Republican in the Senate leadership, who is campaigning across his state this week, trying to get young people to focus on their retirement.

This is a key element of the Republican strategy, creating an energized and mobilized younger generation fighting for its piece of an ownership society.

But there is a problem with that approach: retirees and those near retirement, a legendary political force, refuse to be shut out of the debate. At Widener University in Chester on Tuesday afternoon, people over 50 occupied perhaps half the seats at a forum held by Mr. Santorum and asked many of the questions - most of them negative.

At one point, Mr. Santorum looked out at the raised hands and said somewhat plaintively: "I'm seeing a lot of older hands. I'm not seeing any younger hands."

And still they kept coming, the "older hands," with questions that were not really questions.

As both parties take stock of the grass roots on Social Security during this Congressional recess, Pennsylvania underscores the political challenge for Republicans. It is a state with a disproportionate number of older Americans; 15.6 percent of the population was over 65 in the 2000 census, a number exceeded only by Florida.

If you want to win Pennsylvania, you have to win the older voters. And they're not going to be voting for Social Security reform. It's about time this blue state got a blue senator....