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Don't Tell The Terrorists We Told You

Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007 2:15 AM


It appears that the very same administration that is always pimping secrecy as essential to our national security - that exposure of methods would tip our hand to the terrorists - managed to blow a key source by prematurely whipping the cover off September's 'latest video' from Osama bin Laden to cross-promote the noble General Petraeus and his tweaked numbers.

The video was apparently obtained by a 'small, private intelligence service' that monitors the internet for such nuggets. The firm's founder - who is not without controversy as a source - maintains that the early release alerted al-Qaeda to a 'leak,' and that years of hard work have been flushed down the tubes.

Exactly why we're hiring a 'small, private' firm to do the heavy lifting in our intelligence-gathering efforts is unclear. Maybe we're too busy wiretapping our own citizens.

But it is abundantly clear that secrecy only exists to cover up the wrongdoings of the Bush Administration, and not as part of a properly employed national security policy.

Update: The White House is denying that the video was leaked. So, clearly, the people who provided the video must be making it up, right? There's no reason to believe they actually know when and to whom the material was released, right?


So a woman was fined $220,000 for pirating music via services like Kazaa, and the standard argument is that it's somehow okay, that the record companies are making obscene profits and aren't going to miss any of it, or that the artists will somehow be glad of the free publicity.

And then there's the simple and direct truth: nobody in the business of creating anything likes having their work stolen. Period.

So I have to wonder why things are so clear when it comes to stealing MP3's, but our government is tap-dancing around the question of torture, because it's somehow okay, it's for the sake of national security, and, hey - it works for Jack Bauer!


Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is reportedly backpedaling on her 'baby bonds' idea to provide healthcare to the nation's children after the concept was heavily criticized by conservatives.

Hillary's next big idea is to provide matching funds from the federal government for "American Retirement Accounts" (up to $1,000 for those making less than $60,000, and $500 for those making $60,000 - $100,000).

Frankly, it's a bad sign when your campaign platform consists of "I'll give you money!"


On a side note, it was mentioned that Hillary had added Sandy 'Copies of Classified Documents Down My Pants' to her team. This story has been revealed as a bit of wishful thinking on the part of a conservative website, and incorrect.


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