Category Archives: Security

Food, Security

US Senate Skewers Bush on Environment

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The US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works has revealed how insecure America has become as a result of the Bush administration attitude towards the environment. You might think a guy who likes to release photos of himself fishing and clearing brush would want to make the safety of wildlife and nature a top priority. Not so, says the truth and his record:

The purpose of this hearing is to examine the Bush Administration’s record on important public health and environmental matters. Unfortunately, instead of reviewing accomplishments—we look back on years filled with environmental rollbacks that serve special interests, and do not serve the American people.

Today, this Committee will shine a light on the Bush Administration’s efforts to undermine EPA and the Department of the Interior’s mission to protect public health and the environment.

Here is a typical example:

EPA proposed to do what it called the “CHEERS study” jointly with the chemical industry, in which low-income families were offered gifts and other incentives if they agreed to enroll their newborn children in pesticides studies in their homes over a two year period. After a great outcry, EPA cancelled the study. EPA recently tried to revive a study much like CHEERS, but retreated after our Committee’s staff asked detailed ethical questions about it, which EPA could not answer.

Apparently the administration has been gutting the agencies meant to protect the natural resources of the country, and disregarding evidence of harm to the people who live, work and play in them.

The Committee hearings are available for review in full online.

Sailing, Security

US Navy Ignores Pirates

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Well, I stand corrected. I mentioned earlier that I thought the US would show concern for the problem with pirates near the Horn of Africa. Not so, points out the Danger Room from Wired.com:

“The coalition does not have the resources to provide 24-hour protection for the vast number of merchant vessels in the region,” Combined Maritime Forces commander, U.S. vice admiral Bill Gortney tells Reuters. “The shipping companies must take measures to defend their vessels and their crews.”

Taking a historical view, it pains me to read this. One of the primary reasons he United States of America dumped the Articles of Confederation and wrote the Constitution of the United States was to gain the power of taxation. And the primary reason the founding fathers needed taxation was so the country could build a Navy for the specific purpose of fighting pirates.

I also find it very frustrating that last Thursday, the Admirals stood in front of the American people in Durham and discussed in detail the role of naval power to protect the global system to insure the free flow of trade. Yet here we have a clear example of trade disruption on the seas, and the U.S. Navy basically tells ship owners they can’t solve the problem.

Nicely said. My opinion was biased by speaking with former crew of US warships that patrolled the Indian Ocean. They said special forces teams would often helicopter in (probably from Djibouti), brag about taking out pirates on secret missions, and then disappear again. Perhaps it is only certain merchant ships that get this treatment. France, who actively maintains a large military base in Djibouti and operates an African rapid deployment force (RDF) from there, certainly seems ready and willing to make an impression on the pirates. Perhaps I am also biased there too as I once met a former Foreign Legionnaire stationed in Djibouti who spoke of fighting Somalis.