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March 05, 2005

Madrid democracy & terrorism conference

For reasons that are unclear, but I wasn't inclined to argue about them, I've been invited to a "summit" on "democracy, terrorism and security" in Madrid next week, me and my close personal friends Rebecca MacKinnon, Ethan Zuckerman, Dan Gillmor, Joi Ito, David Isenberg, and Bill Clinton...you know, the same old crowd.

About thirty of us (excluding Bill) are in a group talking about the Net, democracy and terrorism, not a topic I know a lot about. I presume there will be some arguing in favor of tightening security on the Net in order to prevent terrorism, an approach me and my jerking knees oppose. I mean, everything I know about security could be written on the back of a tie-dyed t-shirt, but I do think some of the batten-down-the-hatches arguments ignore not only the social and political costs but miss ways an open, worldwide network can help in the fight against terrorism. But I'm willing to listen and learn. And the format of the conference sounds like it should facilitate learning: The first day we meet behind closed doors and on the second we engage publicly.

The Summit is sponsoring an online forum about its topics right now... [Technorati tags: madrid terrorism]

Posted by D. Weinberger at March 5, 2005 12:19 PM


Comments

I hope that you will advocate for a return to sanity from the metaphor-made-real of a ‘war on terror.’ While the terrible crimes that terrorists perpetrate must not go unpunished, and no nation should be allowed to provide criminals safe haven, justice and security are matters for law, not for armed warfare.

We will all be more secure when war ends and all countries work together to support a framework for international justice.

Posted by: fp | March 6, 2005 10:04 AM


In an AP article on commondreams.org about the Madrid conference, Ed McCullough quoted history professor Charles Powell's remark: "No conflict or problem of global dimension can be resolved without the United States". This simply isn't true. The world is forming an economic and political system which excludes the U.S. because the U.S. doesn't value the products. The products are renewable energy and energy efficient and sustainable agriculture, construction, transportation, with more social-oriented industry in general, and proactive non-violent democracy-building programs. U.S. ideas, expertise and leadership are almost obsolete. Why should the world sit and wait for the U.S. to see the light? By 2008, the U.S. will be in a poor bargaining position playing catch-up. The world must learn how to follow its own lead - it's the only way to shake off the hegemon. Nobody needs the U.S. Hopefully the Madrid conference will be about action, rather than reaction.

Posted by: rtdrury | March 8, 2005 04:10 AM


firenze-dusseldorf

li trovarono una notte di febbraio stesi sul binario tre.fatti persi.
con stivali di pelle nera e guanti bianchi da sposa.
lui con una gonna di sasha ed un gilet assurdo
fatto con linguette di lattine di birra.
lei con una vestaglietta da camera tipo china blue.
quel vellutino stinto delle casalinghe che si pensano sexy.
occhi e lacrime di rimmel lui,
mani bellissime con ferite d'arma da taglio.
bocca con troppo rossetto sbavato lei,
sangue rappreso sotto il seno sinistro.
li tirarono via di li' poco prima
che passasse il treno firenze-dusseldorf.
alle tre e diciannove di una notte da lupi.
li portarono insieme in un'ospedale bianco
su una collina alta
in una camera stretta .
ed era quasi l'alba.
e vennero i dottori.e gli strizzacervelli.
e fecero domande.
e loro non parlavano.
si tenevano per mano.
cosi' forte che non riuscirono a staccarli.
e rimasero sorpresi
nel vederli sorridere.
cosi' distrutti e
ancora con la forza di sorridere.
un vecchio psichiatra diagnostico'
una strana forma di simbiosi viscerale
in soggetti psicopatici con delirio d'onnipotenza.
Inguaribili.
giancarlo di michele

Posted by: giancarlo di michele | May 14, 2006 03:14 PM


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