Tired

You know how you are tired sometimes, all day, didn't sleep well, didn't get enough sleep, and then...finally, time to sleep again, get "caught up" and....you can't sleep? And then it's not very good sleep and then you wake up too early? Yah. Like that.

So I asked for a topic and got: Mumbai stuff.

One thing I find interesting is that people often blame technology, read a bit today about how technologically advanced the gunmen were. Like they used Skype and GPS and Google Maps and stuff. Wow! So advanced! They are computing at a 3rd grade level!

So of course Google Maps is to blame! and cell phones (evil evil cell-phones!) and Skype!

What? I mean, really, What!?

Here is the issue, one more time, slowly: You can't prevent terror attacks very well.

That's it. You can stop them, counter-intel, infiltration, fronts, informants, etc, etc. But you are very unlikely to be able to prevent them at all period. Particularly in a very poor country were many cops don't have guns, most of them don't practice with them, nobody gets serious CT training, high population density ( = target rich environment) and non-exotic weapons. So, yes, good idea, let's blame Google. DAMN it if only they hadn't had those maps why....uh...yah, I don't know either.

Responses. Because you kinda gotta do something. Particularly when it's a provocative attack from a hostile and mostly lawless nation. But...what? Attack them? Good answer, kill more people, yours and theirs, waste resources, make yourself MORE vulnerable to attacks, etc. Pressure? Yes, obviously, of course you do this. International conglomerative pressure is best. Still tho...then what? The attacked has happened. They are unlikely to do it again. Particularly not in the same place in the same way. Sort of like being suspicious of your girlfriend AFTER she cheats on you...ain't likely to do much good then.
You can catch those that did it...maybe make somebody feel better. It's hard for me to relate to this one, never had much sourceable trauma myself. Not sure how I'd feel. Seems like the damage is done.

In general state sponsored terror, which this seems semi-likely to be, tho I think it's again a example of using terror for domestic control and international intrigue. The US wants in to Pakistan, wants to get out of that bad press we keep getting about accidentally murdering a bunch of school kids, or random dumbfucks, poor unlucky bastards, that Kashmir, Waziristan region of fuck is no doubt an operating base for many bad motherfuckers. You know, freedom fighters. Of course we don't really have a lot of spare forces to invade and occupy that shit (thanks George), and if we did they'd be attacked constantly (we're fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here) and make more enemies than we'd kill. And the Pakis themselves can't do it, for...basically the same reasons, tho at least that'd be internal shitstorms. India can't do it, for obvious reasons.

You can't likely get your security apparatus (as they like to call them) upgraded to...as mentioned, not do much of anything about anything.

You can get pissed and angry (what?! India?! Angry at Pakistan?! Surely not!). You can plan counter-terror attacks and covertly support them with your own internal secret police types. That's likely to be productive.

But I think the generally agreed upon standard is that...you have to kill the source, cut the root, etc. Poor angry people without hope make good terrorists. See Chechnya, see Afghanistan, see Ireland. Angry rich socially and culturally isolated people also make good terrorists. See the 9-11 dudes. Or Usama B.

It's a newer smarter world now. Terrorism doesn't provoke sympathy and change, it doesn't draw good attention. It's a tool you use against yourself. "I cut myself...just so I can feel...anything! My life is so daaaaarrk!"

Yes, I think terrorists are basically the emo teens of the international set. They can't get their way so they wreck daddies car and have a lot of unprotected sex and cut themselves. Develop drug habits. Anything for attention. And just like in real life with real teens the attention the get will just be used to oppress them further. Grounded. Restricted. Ganged up on.

Invest invest invest. But. These are "culturally backwards" parts of the world. They are not clamoring for more TV and consumer goods. They really don't want us. But, at the same time, they are fucking dirt poor, easy to infiltrate, intimidate, extort, and control. So...what?

Give Pakistan money to give money to them? Wells and schools and such? We are actually doing this, but there's a hitch in that Pakistan can't reveal to them that the money is coming from America, AND Pakistan is a corrupt country so a lot of that money never gets to where it's supposed to go, and if we bring in our folks to monitor and direct that money...then people know where it's coming from.

I suppose one answer would be to...move a bunch of new and friendly people in there. Equip them well with cash, hardware, and guns. If your next door neighbors suddenly have lots of cool stuff, are happy, and smart, AND well armed...maybe eventually...you want some of what they've got? And because they've got big guns and APCs in their yards you can't just take it from them, which is what would normally happen. Maybe that would work.

Ultimately it's going to be a solution that is sneakier than force, sneakier than building allianances against them to force them to do whatever, or allow us to do whatever. That's the tricky part these days I think, trying to be sneakier. The problem isn't the problem, it's the source of the problem and probably the source of the source. Water in the basement is an issue, but less so than a leaking hot water heater, which is less of an issue than the broken pipe under the foundation.

I discussed this on the other blog, but I think it's the same solution really. Fuck them in the butt and stab them in the back and do it so they think it was their buddy and so he thinks it was them. Sneaky. The new world of economic warfare.