Obsidian Wings

Cyber warfare article on NPR

by liberal japonicus

I'm alive. Not really following things closely, but this NPR article on how the US hacked ISIS caught my attention. There are some interesting points related to my encounters with the internet here in Korea that I'll try and discuss, but just wanted to put this up there for now.

Chimpeach!

by Ugh

Someone said something about impeachment?

My only thought is that if the House makes this solely about Ukraine then it's a huge mistake.  

(I guess my other thought is that this should have been done w/r/t W, but alas)

Bomb bomb bomb... Act of war?

by Ugh

I really don't understand Pompeo's view that somehow the attack on Saudi oil facilities is an "act of war."  Or rather, how it could possibly constitute an act of war against the United States.  Or, even if not, how it is the United States would respond to an attack on the Saudis by bombing Iran.  Really?  I suppose there might be some kind of defense agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia the obliges the US to respond; yet, don't the Saudis have their own Air Force, etc. that they can use to respond?  

It's disturbing to me that it might actually be Trump keeping his warmonger appointees from launching attacks on Iran. 

Which reminds me that W is still worse (not that it's a contest...).

Feh.

Whither the Economy -- a long overdue Open Thread

by wj

It is pretty clear that President Trump’s hopes for re-election depend enormously on having the economy be in good shape thru next fall. After all, his actual accomplishments otherwise (beyond constantly giving voice to his supporters fears) are essentially . . . nothing. (Well Putin and Kim may disagree. But getting them to successfully swing the election to him will be a challenge. Especially as Iran may be working in the other direction.)

It is increasingly clear that he knows it. And knows that the prospects are fading. He can’t, of course, admit that his policies, especially his trade policies, are to blame. Nor can he admit that the chaos and uncertainty that he revels in lead to the kind of uncertainty that causes businesses to stop investing until the future is clearer. So he’s spewing demands and putting up scapegoats, in the apparent hope that this will be enough.

The latest flurry: demanding that the Fed drop interest rates. Not just lower them, but drop them to zero. Or even go negative! https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/11/trump-says-boneheads-fed-should-cut-interest-rates-zero-or-even-set-negative-rates/ This at a time when unemployment is as close to zero as it gets. He combines this with denouncing the Fed governors (3 out of 5 of whom are his appointees!) as “boneheads” -- which seems likely to be counterproductive. It looks, basically, like a panic attack. But perhaps not an unwarranted one.

Just another straw in the wind….