Every so often I wonder if I should remove the Amnesty 'Ceasefire' graphic from the right hand column of this blog.
Posted by racingsnake
@ 07:53 PM GMT+00:00
08 Nov · Wed 2006
Why?
Dave Walker's ID Cards analysis
For those of you who don't already know Sun UK's own "Man In Black" - Dave Walker is one of their most respected security specialists, equally at home discussing the intricacies of Trusted Solaris or the evidential requirements of computer forensics. He left a comment on my earlier post to let me know that he's dusted off a 'Letter to Tony Blair' in which he does a detailed dissection of ID Cards and their practicality on a national scale. It's so good I can't leave it languishing in a comment you might never reach... so here's the permalink.
Be warned, though - it's not a 30-second read. And bring your brain.
Posted by racingsnake
@ 06:34 PM GMT+00:00
Mid-term ballots - a perspective from over here
There has been a fair bit of coverage of the mid-terms over here, with plenty of detail for those inclined to delve into it. Perhaps this is a reflection of the extent to which US politics is perceived, more than ever, as having an international dimension which is directly affecting so many people in so many places.
Here are a few of the items which, for whatever reason, I think have stood out from the rest of the UK mainstream coverage.
On the 'issues':
- South Dakota's rejection of a conservative harder line on abortion (an interesting counterpoint to Bob Casey's win in Pennsylvania with an anti-abortion stance);
- Missouri's rejection of a candidate who stuck with the epublican party line against stem cell research;
In terms of visibility:
- Joe Lieberman's victory as an independent in Connecticut;
- The voters' refusal to let go of issues like the Iraq invasion;
- The Republican loss in Florida over the Foley sex scandal.
The coverage also refers openly and repeatedly to government corruption as a significant factor. Clearly the damage done by episodes involving the likes of Rove, Libby, Abramoff and DeLay was both serious and lasting.
I am in no way qualified to judge whether the swing in the balance of power will prove beneficial or not. Superficially, it's tempting to characterise this as an unqualified victory for the Democrats and an opportunity for them to assert their values - but there are precedents to suggest that a weakened incumbent can actually lead to worse outcomes than one capable of executing (even unpopular) policy.
Posted by racingsnake
@ 01:04 PM GMT+00:00
New link to Flickr
Thanks to some advice from Superpat, I have added a Flickr 'badge' to the right-hand column of this page. You should find it just below the Copyright notice. Clicking on any one of the three random thumbnails will take you to my photos on Flickr. I hope you like them.
Posted by racingsnake
@ 12:37 PM GMT+00:00
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