Barack Obama's Shared Values

Barack Obama said yesterday in a televised statement in response to the Paris terrorist attacks,

..... this is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values that we share."

No way, no how. That's not the world we live in. Obama either needs to clam up or he needs to learn to speak for himself.

Despite intersections here and there, and appearances of commonality, there are very different value systems at work. This is a story that reveals two sets of values, one set that I share and the other which I do not.

I once had a friend from Pakistan. We worked together at the Postal Service. Let's call my friend Mahmud, because, well, that was his name. 

About 1.5 million refugees escaped Viet Nam by boat.
It is unknown how man tens of thousands perished in the effot.

Mahmud was urbane, stylish, sophisticated and world traveled. He had a Ph.D in economics from an Ivy League school.

Reflecting family influence, Mahmud's career aspirations were more in business than academics. Mahmud had a gorgeous, intelligent, friendly and sparkling young wife, and two of the cutest little kids you would ever see.

We worked together in a part of the Postal Service that produced product cost and revenue data, and used, among other things, econometric analysis to analyze the data and produce forecasts. Mahmud and I were reformed minded. We both wanted the Postal Service to scotch its simplistic (and in our view, misleading) unweighted labor productivity metric in favor of an advanced weighted measure. We were determined to produce an alternative replacement productivity model on our own, in our spare time.

To help, we wrangled authority to hire a temporary employee -- she was an ESL Vietnamese refugee right off the boat -- to transcribe, organize and, at our direction, crunch reams of data that we had accumulated in hard copy over the years, so we could analyze it and establish baseline multi-factor productivity trends. Our hire and her family were sponsored by a local Presbyterian church.

Our refugee hire worked her tail off, so when a suitable vacancy opened we got her hired on to a full-time permanent job with its full panoply of benefits. I remember, years later, how proud she was when she tracked me down to brag on her daughter who had been admitted to Duke Medical School and thank us for taking her on when she despaired for her future. I said, no need to thank anyone, you earned it.

Anyhow, the partnership with Mahmud was one I enjoyed, where I could offer him insights and understanding of the data we were using, and counsel on how to wind his way through the bureaucracy, the regulatory system and the political climate (in those days, where merit still counted for something, one could actually do all that). And Mahmud could offer me on-the-job, one-on-one graduate school level training in matters statistical and econometric. While our planned approach proved to be too unwieldy to implement, we were part of a movement that was ultimately successful, and led to the Postal Service adopting a measuring called Total Factor Productivity (which was subject matter of a earlier post).

After a few years with the Postal Service, Mahmud was restless and impatient. He wanted a bigger stage and a more important position, so he moved on first to a consulting firm, and then to a very large corporation headquartered in New Jersey that we all know of, and most of us have been customers of at one time or another. Mahmud was a chief of one sort or another in that company's strategic planning department, came to wear thousand dollar suits, and was known to take us out to lunch on his expense account when business beckoned him to Washington, DC.

After not hearing from Mahmud for a year or two, one peaceful Sunday morning I was at home. The phone rang. "Hi," the caller said "This is Mahmud, how are you doing?" "Fine," I said and we talked back and forth about work situations and old friends for a few minutes. Then Mahmud said, "Grady, I wanted to ask you a question because of your legal background." "Ok," I said. Mahmud asked "Is it against the law in the United States to assault your wife?" "It sure is!" I responded.

To think, I had vouched for the man when he applied for citizenship.

That was the last time I talked to Mahmud and conversed about our way less than universal values. I understand he left the country to evade prosecution.

When There Was Hope

Barack Obama greets James Gordon Meek,
Arlington National Cemetery, November 11, 2009.

Yesterday, in light of the lies that John Kerry was caught in courtesy of the testimony of the Director of National Intelligence, I was thinking about the full range of the Obama administration's lies, delusions, policy failures, and Mideast and Northern Africa destabilizations in the arenas of war and peace and foreign affairs, and transparency and disclosure of the same. I recalled this intensely personal article written by a an old Arlington friend and neighbor of ours -- the guy an informed and consummate professional who repeatedly put himself in harm's way -- when there was hope. 

I also learned from a different source yesterday that Afghanistan is a place, unlike any other it would seem, where we can actually have a thin reed of optimism.

Looks like Afghanistan may not be winding down in such a rush, after all.  I'd been predicting that "Harsh Reality" might actually force even our Idealogue In Chief to slow his yank-defeat-from-the-jaws-of-victory rush for the door timetable for withdrawal of US troops, and now it looks like we might actually have a temporary case of Common Sense and slow things down a bit.  I hope so, as certainly Afghanistan needs our presence for a few years, yet, as did Iraq, unfortunately-- and now look:  people being burned alive in cages, beheaded, enslaved by the hundreds, etc. There's an old phrase at the office:  "You may not be interested in War, but War is interested in you."  Not exactly grammatically correct, but it gets the idea across that some of our leaders seem to have lost or never learned.  (Sigh...)

Let's pray for the best.

The Ukraine

Russia masses 100,000 troops at the Ukranian border.  U.S. government channels the panhandler at the 19th Street I-90 exit. Precious.

Slow Down on the Bricks

The Washington Post headline reads,

Iran, world powers reach historic nuclear deal

The Post breathlessly reports on "the first such pause in more than a decade" in Iran's nuclear program. Of course, the halt isn't a halt any more than Obamacare is affordable, universal and cost saving, and allows you to retain your insurance and keep your doctor. The nuclear deal doesn't require Iran to retrench or dismantle any of the advances it has made towards producing nuclear weapons. In return for window dressing the U.S. concedes economic sanctions. The deal repeats the mistakes made leading up to the nuclear arming of North Korea.

Ronald Reagan in his actually historic 1987 Brandenburg Gate speech demanded, "Mr. Gorbachev tear down this wall." Imagine how much more successful he would have been if had adopted the Obama strategy. The Gipper would have said "Mr. Gorbachev, be careful about how many bricks you are adding to this wall; in return we will help you out of your economic troubles." The Soviet Union would have remained intact to this day. Obama would be pleased.

President Ronald Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate, West Berlin Germany, June 12, 1987.

  

NSA Overreaches are Bush's Fault?

I was watching CNN this morning when Christiana Knownothing Amanpour chimed in from London, commenting on the latest NSA spying scandal to the effect that Dear President is merely continuing what had been previously done under Bush Cheney. Wow lady, you have to get back to our shores. Or better yet, don't broadcast your pap over the pond. You are totally out of touch.

Sprawling Utah Data Center.

NSA's budget is dark, so we cannot see it and analyze the dollar trends.  But we can see NSA's footprint and observe how it is expanding dramatically. The most well known indication is NSA's ridiculously large multi-billion dollar 12 exabyte capacity Utah data center under development, which by the way, has had its opening repeatedly delayed by meltdowns and glitches. It almost makes you wonder whether NSA is using the same contract and management team that is responsible for HealthCare.Gov.

Closer to Dear President's home are developments at NSA headquarters at Fort Meade, Maryland, just up the Baltimore Washington Parkway from Washington DC.  

NSA Headquarters

It was once said NSA stood for No Such Agency. No way, no how are those claims forthcoming, not anymore. With more than 56,000 employees, Fort Meade is Maryland’s largest employer and is the third ­largest workforce of any Army base.

The main NSA building, as such, does stand out.

But it is dwarfed by the size of its campus.

Fort Meade campus (within dashed line)

NSA HQ is middle, left edge 

The Fort Meade command boasts,

Fort Meade is virtually a a city within itself.  It consists of 5,067 acres with 67.5 miles of paved roads, 3.3 miles of secondary roads and about 1,300 buildings. There is a modern post exchange mall, bank, credit union, post office, chapels, seven schools, and many other facilities on the installation. Whatever your interests -- crafts, sports, movies -- all are available on Fort Meade.

Fort Meade is not standing still.

Fort Meade and the surrounding areas are in the midst of significant growth, change and transformation. 

For Meade is home to 95 tenant units, many of which are expanding their presence at Fort Meade. The National Security Agency, Defense Information School and the 902nd Military Intelligence Agency are three such agency that are slated to grow in personnel and occupancy at the post. DINFOS alone is expected to increase the size of its building by one-third and expand its annual student capacity to 4,000.  In addition, the newly established Cyber Command, headquartered on post, may add up to an additional five thousand personnel.

With the additions of thousands of new employees, residents and family members, Fort Meade has been busy keeping pace with necessary upgrades to its infrastructure.  Miles of fiber optic cable have already been laid to improve communications and new water, sewer and utility line have been installed or upgraded to handle personnel and resident growth.

Future construction includes a new 24-hour shopette, Post Exchange, Child Development Centers, golf course, youth sports complex, and a Veterans Administration Center -- the first ever to be constructed on a military post.

There are veterinary services, kennels and pet care on post, a clinic, a pharmacy and outpatient surgery services, eleven restaurants, bowling, running track, indoor basketball courts, an already established 27 hole golfing complex, a library and museums, and an RV park, general use pools as well as pools at most housing clusters, as well as outdoor recreation facilities to numerous to mention.

None of this includes or houses tens of thousands of contract personnel who are hired by the agency to carry out its orders.

Fort Meade further boasts,

Every day, more than 100,000 people seek the services Fort Meade offers. Its primary mission is to provide a wide range of services to more than 95 partner organizations from the Army, Navy, Air Force,Marines and Coast Guard, as well as to several federal agencies including the National Security Agency, Defense Media Activity, Defense Informations Systems Agency, the Defense Courier Service and the U.S. Cyber Command.

The NSA and its cousin alphabet soup agencies housed at Fort Meade are big, bloated, growing and out of control.

Even with its 5,067 acres Fort Meade is running out of space.  So what did it do?  Why the unthinkable -- a short drive from Dear President's White House, Fort Meade revealed plans to plow under a secure, military golf course.

In July 2010, the NSA revealed that it was expanding into a 227-acre parcel of land at Fort Meade called “Site M”, constructing a series of buildings that could cost as much as $5.2 billion. This expansion would displace two golf courses currently occupying the land and provide the NSA, which already occupies 630 acres at Fort Meade, with more space to build “an operational complex and to construct and operate consolidated facilities to meet the National Security Agency’s (NSA) continually evolving requirements and for Intelligence Community use”. The project has been shrouded in secrecy throughout its existence and there are only a few references to “Site M” in DoD budget planning documents. However, a recently discovered collection of development planning documents for the Site M project provide detailed information about the proposed $3.2 billion expansion, indicating that the facility will be a centralized command center for the NSA’s evolving cyberwarfare capabilities.

It came to pass sooner than anyone expected.

The golf course at Fort Meade will close May 1 after more than six decades of play, officials at the Army base said Thursday.

Golf course (right) is no more.

The 27-hole course, which saw 35,000 rounds of play last year, had been scheduled to close in September to accommodate building projects at the rapidly growing installation. But the date was moved up to accommodate construction deadlines, effectively canceling the final season of play.

The NSA is expanding rapidly and massively, even at the cost of Dear President's favorite past time. There is a hell of a lot more than Cheney Bush going on there. You can bet on it.

NSA News Lost in the Clutter

The Washington Post continues to report disturbing revelations on the scope and intrusiveness of NSA domestic spying.

The Obama administration secretly won permission from a surveillance court in 2011 to reverse restrictions on the National Security Agency’s use of intercepted phone calls and e-mails, permitting the agency to search deliberately for Americans’ communications in its massive databases, according to interviews with government officials and recently declassified material.

In addition, the court extended the length of time that the NSA is allowed to retain intercepted U.S. communications from five years to six years — and more under special circumstances, according to the documents, which include a recently released 2011 opinion by U.S. District Judge John D. Bates, then chief judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

What had not been previously acknowledged is that the court in 2008 imposed an explicit ban — at the government’s request — on those kinds of searches, that officials in 2011 got the court to lift the bar and that the search authority has been used.

For you low information voters out there, as for the limitations from intrusion and privacy protections put in place by the government in 2008, then removed in 2011, it works out this way. Bush corralled the NSA and Obama let it loose.

Bill & Barack at Andrews

In related news, Fort Meade, host to NSA, risked offending the commander in chief by closing down its golf courses to accommodate a $3.2 billion building project to house burgeoning spy bureaus. However, Fort Belvoir and Andrews Air Force Base golf courses remain open to serve him whenever needed.

Andrews says it well.  

Welcome to The Courses at Andrews 

Reflecting a military presence; the classic sense of style and gracious hospitality, The Courses at Andrews Air Force Base carries an air of true timeless elegance.  High-end amenities, exceptional facilities and an unforgettable golf experience are the standard at this military resort. 

The envy of many golf courses located the Maryland and Northern Virginia area, The Courses at Andrews boasts three 18 hole championship courses that are created from an extraordinary design and provides an enjoyable challenge for golfers at all skill levels. 

Our distinguishing attribute extends beyond just the three golf courses.  It's reflected in everything we have to offer at The Courses at Andrews, including our golf tournament, operations food and beverage signature outlets, the only military resort resale golf shop, our complimentary practice facilities, and our state-of-the-art fitness center.  Moreover, we are committed to making The Courses at Andrews AFB a place of warmth, hospitality, and operational efficiency.  To us, that means prompt, courteous service, and genuine responsiveness to your needs. 

We hope you enjoy your experience at The Courses at Andrews and will use the facilities often.  

Remember, The Courses at Andrews Air Force Base.... "where we have accomplished something very special."

Contact Congress

Seeing as now we have confirmation that the President of the United States understands America's national security interests about as well as he understands the U.S. economy, I think it vital that everyone contact their elected representatives in Congress to make their views known on the threatened Syria attack. Many are persuadable. If you are in Montana, our Congressman, Steve Daines, has asked for input on this important issue. He says,

I am deeply concerned about the potential use of military force in #Syria, but I want to hear from you. Email me: https://daines.house.gov/email-me

I have shared views with my congressional representatives, well at the least the two of the three that have a brain cell or two to rub together. This is an excellent opportunity to put representative democracy into action.  

Giddy Up Cowboy

Someone ought to tell him that -- at least until snows blanket the high country -- it's straw hats, dude, straw.  No felt.

I Didn't Set a Red Line

He makes such a big deal about color that I never imagined he was color blind.

Slow Play in Syria

Obama changes his mind.  Do cruise missiles have a rewind? Never mind until September 9.

Syria has gone way beyond the issues. Ain't gonna do our country no good, no how, no matter how the votes turn out.

By mid-afternoon, Obama emerged in a steamy White House Rose Garden, surprising lawmakers, reporters and the public with news of his plan.

"I'm ready to act in the face of this outrage," Obama said. "Today I'm asking Congress to send a message to the world that we are ready to move forward together as one nation."

Then Obama and Biden left the White House by motorcade to play a round of golf.

Members of Congress, forgive me for playing out of order -- it's your turn now, of course, please. NATO, how about we play a scramble? We could use more involvement here. Fore -- President Assad! Incoming! I said fore, did you hear me? Duck! Vladmir, sorry to have distracted you as you were preparing to putt in. Israel, you can go hide in your bunkers. Iran, maintain your stance and play through whenever you are ready. 

Golf etiquette, that's no answer to this entire bloody mess. 

Sequester No Problem When It Comes To Syria

When the sequester went into affect Barack Obama announced curtailment of naval deployments to the Persian Gulf, fronting Iran, with its nuclear ambitions and an announced policy of annihilating Israel, and site of the Straight of Hormuz, where 35 percent of seaborne oil and 20 percent of worldwide crude passes through. Yet Obama and friends are surrounding Syria, which other than a buffer has essentially no geopolitical strategic value, has no net oil exports and is a direct threat to no one outside its borders, with a broad array of military assets.  

Boy that sequester, it's a helluva problem, isn't it?

Barack Obama Stands With Defense Contractors

During my days in Washington, DC we called them the Beltway Bandits. Apparently that information hasn't filtered down to today's generation of political leaders, for they are a band of brothers with the defense industry. The common goal, led by none other than Barack Obama, is to reverse the effects of sequestration and rebuild annual deficits to a trillion dollars. The headline reads, "Defense Industry Hatches Plot to Kill the Sequester." The industry and the check writer in chief are pursuing common goals, sharing tactics and suffering similar fates.

In assessing the difficulty of reversing the sequestration cuts, defense analysts say that much of the industry’s trouble is self-inflicted — because the apocalyptic predictions their leaders made about the sequester have not come to pass.

You don't say.  We highlighted the charade as it was launched earlier this year, covering Obama's seminal rant and describing the tactics, best known as the Washington Monument game. As per normal, the military has its own terminology, they call it the "gold watch" gambit.

But perhaps the biggest example of the Washington Monument maneuver is coming from the Defense Department, where it goes by another name. Over many decades of defense budget battles, the Pentagon has often used a tactic known as a "gold watch." It means to answer a budget cut proposal by selecting for elimination a program so important and valued -- a gold watch -- that Pentagon chiefs know political leaders will restore funding rather than go through with the cut.

"Already, the threat of these cuts has forced the Navy to delay an aircraft carrier that was supposed to deploy to the Persian Gulf," Obama said at a White House appearance on Tuesday, in case anyone missed the news.So now, with sequestration approaching, thePentagon has announced that the possibility of budget cuts has forced the Navy to delay deployment of the carrier USS Harry S. Truman to the Persian Gulf. With tensions with Iran as high as they've ever been, that would leave the U.S. with just one carrier, instead of the preferred two, in that deeply troubled region.

Some military analysts were immediately suspicious. "A total gold watch," said one retired general officer who asked not to be named. Military commentator and retired Army Lt. Col. Ralph Peters called the Navy's move "ostentatious," comparing it to "Donald Trump claiming he can't afford a cab."

You have no credibility. Keep it up boys. You are all for one and one for all -- Obama calls it a community and the Beltway Bandits call it readiness. No matter which word is used it's about throwing money at politically favored groups, something our country and our children who are picking up the bills can ill afford.

The Situation Room.

Rioting in the streets in Egypt and the Obama administration releases this.

President Barack Obama meets with members of his national security team to discuss the situation in Egypt, in the Situation Room of the White House, July 3, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) -- White House supplied caption to the "Photo of the Day."  

Rioting in the streets in Libya (no less than Susan, Hillary and Barack told us), a sovereign U.S. embassy outpost under lethal attack and the Obama administration releases this.

 Blah, blah, blah, blah. Blah, blah, blah, blah.  Blah, blah, blah.  Blah, blah, blah.

Results Oriented Diplomacy

Obama promises Medvedev that he will have more flexibility after the election because it will be his last term.  Medvedev promises to pass along the news to Vladmir.

Vladmir Putin takes into account Obama's posture by responding to the United State's request for extradition of Edward Snowden with a big fat "Nyet!"  Hey Barack, how are you adjusting to that response? 

Open Letter to the NSA Director

Dir Sir,

In this time of gargantuan federal deficits, I think it important government do all it can do to streamline activities, reduce workload and eliminate costs.  Accordingly, I invite you to relieve yourself of the obligation of securing, cataloging and analyzing my meta data.  To help out I have illustrated everywhere I've been for the last 24 hours, free of charge.

You no longer need concern yourself with mining or delving into this useless information.  It's a win/win. 

Three If By Sea

Kim Jong-un is running out of map games.