We Need More Thinking

Several issues that haven't been well thought out.

Apparently numerous government-connected organizations are blocking sites containing Wikileaks material, now including AT&T and Verizon. There's a simple reason for this. Classification remains in force, even if classified material is leaked. The proper response for a person with a clearance when asked about it is neither to confirm nor deny. The sheer volume of Wikileaks material is straining this rule, although not very much of the leaked material is actually classified. I've been wondering about the classification status of the rest. Official use only? Nobody who knows is going to say, for that simple reason. Further, getting classified material on an unclassified computer is big trouble, leading to wiping disks and such. That's why government agencies and their contractors (this is probably the reason for AT&T and Verizon's actions, Emptywheel) are blocking the sites. Just visiting the New York Times these days could get your computer nuked.

The Tea Partiers want the government out of everything. They also want honest politicians who aren't on the take. Dana Milbank enlightens us as to the first actions of Tea Partiers who got elected to Congress: hook up with lobbyists. There goes the "honest" part. There is a solution: government funding of elections, private money prohibited. We'll see which precept the Tea Partiers are willing to give up.

Fox defects in the "War on Christmas."

Happy Holidays from Walmart, too!