acidlabs » terrorism http://www.acidlabs.org Conversation. Collaboration. Community. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 07:13:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Best. T-Shirts. Ever. http://www.acidlabs.org/2006/10/04/best-t-shirts-ever/ http://www.acidlabs.org/2006/10/04/best-t-shirts-ever/#comments Wed, 04 Oct 2006 06:32:21 +0000 Stephen Collins http://dev.acidlabs.org/2006/10/04/best-t-shirts-ever/

Stick it to GWB and the TSA here.

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]]> http://js-kit.com/rss/www.acidlabs.org/p=372 1 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Antiterror http://www.acidlabs.org/2006/08/25/antiterror/ http://www.acidlabs.org/2006/08/25/antiterror/#comments Thu, 24 Aug 2006 23:04:15 +0000 Stephen Collins http://dev.acidlabs.org/2006/08/25/antiterror/

Bruce Schneier makes more sense than ever on the hysteria over terrorism. Pay attention!

It’s time we calm down and fight terror with antiterror. This does not mean that we simply roll over and accept terrorism. There are things our government can and should do to fight terrorism, most of them involving intelligence and investigation — and not focusing on specific plots.

Oh, and an interesting related article at Salon.

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]]> http://js-kit.com/rss/www.acidlabs.org/p=352 0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ The “terrorists” are winning the war on terror http://www.acidlabs.org/2006/08/21/the-terrorists-are-winning-the-war-on-terror/ http://www.acidlabs.org/2006/08/21/the-terrorists-are-winning-the-war-on-terror/#comments Sun, 20 Aug 2006 22:53:40 +0000 Stephen Collins http://dev.acidlabs.org/2006/08/21/the-terrorists-are-winning-the-war-on-terror/

AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!

Sorry. Had to do that.

This story from the UK (via boingboing) and a story out of Sydney I heard on ABC NewsRadio this morning in which Jewish students at Sydney University are having to wear baseball caps over their yarmulkes in order to avoid being targetted in racial-religious attacks; Muslim students are being targetted too. This all points to a growing intolerance of cultural diversity and pervasive fear of difference (especially when those who are different might be “terrorists” – bullshit!) in Western culture.

I’m sure the point can be argued, but to me, this all smacks of small-minded xenophobia brought on by the anti-terrorism fearmongering of our governments. This is NOT the culture I was born into. Australia used to be a largely tolerant society, along with its cultural neighbors – the UK and the USA.

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]]> http://js-kit.com/rss/www.acidlabs.org/p=348 1 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Public reaction to travel restrictions http://www.acidlabs.org/2006/08/15/public-reaction-to-travel-restrictions/ http://www.acidlabs.org/2006/08/15/public-reaction-to-travel-restrictions/#comments Mon, 14 Aug 2006 22:50:18 +0000 Stephen Collins http://dev.acidlabs.org/2006/08/15/public-reaction-to-travel-restrictions/


Further to yesterday’s post here, this article at the Toronto Star provides interesting insight (albeit of a straw poll nature) into the cynical public reaction to last week’s events.

My estimation of the masses has just racheted up a notch or two.

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]]> http://js-kit.com/rss/www.acidlabs.org/p=343 0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ The dumbness (and fearmongering) behind the new travel rules http://www.acidlabs.org/2006/08/14/the-dumbness-and-fearmongering-behind-the-new-travel-rules/ http://www.acidlabs.org/2006/08/14/the-dumbness-and-fearmongering-behind-the-new-travel-rules/#comments Sun, 13 Aug 2006 22:32:35 +0000 Stephen Collins http://dev.acidlabs.org/2006/08/14/the-dumbness-and-fearmongering-behind-the-new-travel-rules/

UPDATE – And another link about this. This time from someone who intimately knows about security and how it ought properly be implemented; Bruce Schneier.

As mentioned before, I take the risk of real terrorism, very seriously. But I’ve got a big bee in my bonnet about the latest fearmongering taking place. A thorough reading of the news reveals it’s all more of the same from the usual suspects; Bush, Blair and their collective sycophancy clubs.

Here in many places (1, 2, 3).

And the public who never read a newspaper or watch an independent news broadcast get sucked in deeper.

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]]> http://js-kit.com/rss/www.acidlabs.org/p=341 8 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Do not be afraid http://www.acidlabs.org/2006/08/09/do-not-be-afraid/ http://www.acidlabs.org/2006/08/09/do-not-be-afraid/#comments Tue, 08 Aug 2006 22:23:28 +0000 Stephen Collins http://dev.acidlabs.org/2006/08/09/do-not-be-afraid/

Worthwhile reading on why being afraid of terrorism – the spurious line being perpetuated by the increasingly extreme right Western governments – is just not worth it. Their agenda causes a “false sense of insecurity”. Fact is, we’re not significantly at risk. You’re probably more likely to be hit by lightning than be affected by a terrorist incident.

Don’t listen to Big Brother.

Also noted by Schneier and boingboing.

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]]> http://js-kit.com/rss/www.acidlabs.org/p=337 3 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Hell in (several) handbaskets http://www.acidlabs.org/2006/07/30/hell-in-several-handbaskets/ http://www.acidlabs.org/2006/07/30/hell-in-several-handbaskets/#comments Sat, 29 Jul 2006 21:52:58 +0000 Stephen Collins http://dev.acidlabs.org/2006/07/30/hell-in-several-handbaskets/


Seminal cyberpunk author, William Gibson, has posted an incredibly insightful opinion piece about the current crisis in the Middle East. He particularly laments the narrow vision and “behind the curve” thinking of the US and Israel in the several wars being fought across the region. Like me, he believes that if thinking and mindset continues this way, there can never be a resolution.

Now, let it be said plain and simple, in disagreeing with the conduct of war in the Middle East, I in no way support the actions of Hezbollah, insurgents in Iraq or belligerent states such as Iran. I simply don’t support the way the US (and my country, Australia) are undertaking to solve the issues. Nor do I purport to have the answers.

If you read the piece carefully enough, you’ll “get” that it’s about dichotomy of mindset (Kuhnian paradigms, in Gibson’s case) and how the thinking informing the paradigms of the opposing sides informs their language such that opposing sides use the same words for different things. As such, there can never be agreement or resolution given the chasm of opposing paradigms between those involved.

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]]> http://js-kit.com/rss/www.acidlabs.org/p=327 1 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ Dear Bruce, I’m worried… http://www.acidlabs.org/2005/10/24/dear-bruce-im-worried/ http://www.acidlabs.org/2005/10/24/dear-bruce-im-worried/#comments Mon, 24 Oct 2005 03:14:38 +0000 Stephen Collins http://dev.acidlabs.org/2005/10/24/dear-bruce-im-worried/

UPDATE (29/10/2005): Bruce Schneier has indeed blogged about my email!

Below is the text of an email I’ve sent to security commentator and blogger, Bruce Schneier, in the hope that he will see fit to comment on it. It raises matters in respect of proposed legislative changes here in Australia to deal with the prevention of terrorism. The proposed changes are attracting significant comment from across Australian society as they unquestionably involve excesses which breach fundamental human rights; rights which Australia as a nation has agreed to respect as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Note that I’m not against anti-terrorism legislation. In fact, I’m very much for it. Terrorism is a scourge which rightly needs to be purged from the face of the globe. However, these latest proposals continue the trend by neo-conservative Western governments across the globe (in which I include the UK Labour government) to propose and enact laws which see fit to subjugate human rights in favor of a demonstrably draconian position, defending the changes with fearmongering and “movie plot” threats.
The changes proposed for Australia are at best a matter for significant concern; one which ought to involve citizens making representation to their elected officials to express their dismay at the extreme position proposed.

BruceYou may or may not be aware that a number of new, pretty draconian, legislative changes are in the works here in Australia. They are very much modeled on UK law in the same space. The proposals include such matters as:

  • 14-day secret detention without arrest by security services
  • shoot-to-kill “on suspicion” powers for police
  • imprisonment and fines for revealing an individual has been the subject of an investigation

There are a raft of other changes which are equally if not more concerning. These matters are causing a significant amount of conversation in the media here, not least because Jon Stanhope, Chief Minister of the ACT, revealed the draft legislation on his website a week ago, in defiance of a Federal Government request not to do so
(http://chiefminister.act.gov.au/media.asp?media=692&section=24&title=Media%20Release&id=24).
The draft legislation is viewable at http://chiefminister.act.gov.au/whats_new.asp?title=What’s%20New as well as a response from the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions expressing his concerns over the legislation.
Additionally, many commentators in politics (including more than one former Prime Minister), media (including Nobel laureate JM Coetzee, who has compared the laws to the worst excesses of the South African apartheid regime) and churches have expressed deep concern over the proposed changes.

If you are interested in further looking at this material, any of the major Australian media outlets have a wealth of material (try http://abc.net.au/news/default.htm, http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/ as a start).

It’s not online, but my local broadsheet, The Canberra Times, ran a series of in-depth examinations on the weekend which I can get to you somehow if you’d like.

This seems to be the sort of thing you may be interested in commenting upon…

Steve Collins

You can read the draft directly here. This is scary stuff! Jon Stanhope’s What’s New page also has a number of responses from individuals and organisations in a position to comment appropriately, there are responses from:

The condemnation is pretty universal. Coupled with the protests and concerns expressed by a number of prominent Australians, the groundswell of opinion aginast the proposed legislative changes must surely have an effect on the Howard government. If not, they will have demonstrated once and for all a position I have believed they held for some time; that they care little for what the opinion of the Australian people is, and that most moves they make are for the sake of political expediency and perpetuation of their powerbase.
If you’re an Australian, I urge you to write or email your State and Federal member expressing your concern about these proposed changes.

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