“Ouch.” That’s what I wrote in the margin of Arundhati Roy’s The End of Imagination today when I read Roy’s critique of the political system in India, the electorate’s party choices, and the pervasive oppression of “counter-terrorism.” In the post-9/11 world, power works in very consistent ways whether in India or the US: power represses, and repression […]
Remote war and responsibility
Contains spoilers for Eye in the Sky. The United States recently expanded its military activity in the Horn of Africa. Among the regional groups it now openly targets in the name of post-9/11 counter-terrorism is Al-Shabab (The Youth), a decentralized network based in Somalia and operating around the Somali-Kenyan border. The US has in fact […]
Advent and info security
The Advent story in the Gospel according to Matthew takes a curious turn when foreign “wise men” show up and begin interacting with King Herod the Great. According to Matthew, these foreign visitors first journey to Herod’s palace to inquire about Jesus. Then, after dreams warn them that Herod has only malevolent interest in Jesus, […]
Automate. Don’t Surveil.
When I write about surveillance, I’m typically writing about states and businesses surveiling citizens and other members of the public or voluntary organizations using the logic of state surveillance to regulate their members. I’ve also recommended Janna Malamud Smith’s book Private Matters a number of times on this site. In the book, Smith uses psychology, […]
Intelligence Wars: A Conversation with Dr. Lowell Christy
The People have power and we can tap into that again. —Lowell Christy Last July, as the media reported on Edward Snowden, the NSA, and surveillance through phone and internet service companies like Verizon, Google, and Microsoft, I spoke with Dr. Lowell Christy about his research on the American Revolution and the logic of 21st […]
Reader Review #02
Posts tagged “Reader Review” include a few top articles from my weekly reading. Their topics may vary, but their quality and provocation quotient won’t. Enjoy. Kenyan Author Binyavanga Wainaina Tells Us All: “We Must Free Our Imaginations.” Africa is a Country: #Watch Binyavanga’s brilliant YouTube documentary calling out the BS behind “African” homophobia (Elliot Ross) In a […]