Re: Microsoft wins Homeland Security Bid ( Reuters)

[Philip Stortz <madscientist () wyoming com>]

it's called a payoff, in exchange for the many years that microsoft has been kind enough to provide back doors and 
other security "flaws".  

seriously, the department of homeland security is just more political bull at best, more likely it's more bureaucratic 
morons making things work even more poorly.  consider that the last time i reported a "nigerian" scam on the fbi tip 
site i got a nice bulk email, claiming not to be "automatic" (just a stock form letter, not much difference) advising 
me that i didn't need to let them know about such things.  translation, go away, you bother us.  never mind that people 
(fools admittedly) have been killed in these scams, or that it would be a fine way to fund terrorism or any other 
illegal endeavor.  just like before 9/11 they really didn't care about people who wanted to learn how to fly planes but 
didn't care about take off or landing.  they continue to wait until a felony is committed, or people are killed, then 
they'll investigate, no point whatsoever in giving them any tips, unless the crime is already fully complete, after all 
they want to arrest people who've committed!
  horrific crimes that boost the agents place in the agency, no one ever, ever gets promoted for preventing crimes.  

homeland security is just another red hearing masquerading as a solution when the real problems have to do with 
administration, budget, and the good ol boys network that pervades government and law enforcement, and of course it's 
another nice way to expand federal powers when already existing powers were never properly used for maximum crime 
prevention or to pursue unfashionable cases.

the real threat to the public has always been the random criminal with a bad plan who winds up in a pinch and thinks 
killing people will magically solve their problems.  the second largest threat will continue to be from law enforcement 
abuses, legal and illegal.  in third place is a legal system that's capricious at best in the criminal courts, worse in 
civil court, and a complete mockery in administrative law in all too many cases.  if the legal system truly worked, 
there would be only a theoretical need for appeals, today they are a good bet just because every judge and every jury 
is different.

by the time anything "important" ever actually gets up to the department of homeland security the case will be solved 
or the trail hopelessly cold.  remember, these are the morons who suggested people buy plastic and duct tape.  the only 
possible use for all that duct tape and plastic would be wrapping up the bodies after the fact (not to mention that a 
commercial respirator, that might actually provide some protection would probably be cheaper).  you will never, never 
know about a "gas" or "bio-weapon" attack in time to respond, that's never made public as it would create a panic, and 
it would have to be a truly huge attack to be confirmed before every one who would be exposed had been and the cloud 
had diluted to insignificance.  just consider how slow the public notification and evacuation is even when a chemical 
plant, a known hazard, catches on fire or has a "release".  it's p.r. and hype, and another waste of precious federal 
funds pure and simple.  now if we could fir!
 e government employees who are too lazy or stupid to investigate real tips (and their inept bosses who don't even know 
how to use email or even how to turn a pc on...), that might help.  the only people who get fired now are the whistle 
blowers, it's a lot easier to prove.

the fbi had an expert on al Qaeda, he was sick of being dismissed by his bosses (and he was too interesting a person 
for most of his bosses) and found a job as chief of security in the twin trade towers.  John O'Neill died in a 
stairwell of the world trade center on 9/11, shortly after starting work there....

> From: "morning_wood" <se_cur_ity () hotmail com>
> To: <full-disclosure () lists netsys com>
> Subject: Re: [Full-disclosure] Microsoft wins Homeland Security Bid ( Reuters)
> Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2003 21:19:53 -0700
>
> how can Microsofts Windows OS even be considered for Homeland Security...
>
> http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?msid=79912

-- 
"Where a calculator on the ENIAC is equipped with 18,000 vacuum tubes and weighs 30 tons, computers in  the future by 
the year 2000, may have only 1,000 vacuum tubes and weigh only 1.5 tons"  Popular Mechanics, March 1949
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