Saddam Hussein Also Disliked the Geneva Convention

Remember Gulf War I? The first President Bush was raising a fuss about Saddam Hussein and his gassing of the Kurds. He doesn't adhere to the Geneva Conventions! He must be stopped! It was used as one of the reasons to go to war.

Now we as a nation have decided to, finally, follow the Geneva Convention once again. And when I write to support that new policy, all hell breaks loose. That's fine. Econo-Girl is sure she angered a lot of people, and what's the point of living if you're not going to do that once in a while?

But the whole time he was rallying support against Saddam Hussein, the first President Bush never suggested we become just like him. He had the sense not to go into Iraq to begin with. That old geezer is looking better all the time.

Who's Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?

Econo-Girl is! Hence the article in the paper. And I hope I don't look that old in person. The photo in the paper makes me look like my mother, who looks great for her age, but still.

Recently, a Federal contractor was indicted for exceeding authorized use in an FBI computer system. Let's review his crimes: he circumvented security to install a printer, he failed to get approval to install said printer from FBI HQ in Washington, DC. Further, he took the password file and demonstrated that it was not protected properly.

Econo-Girl freaked out because when she was let go, it was for exceeding authorized use of a Federal computer system. Was an indictment to follow? So she went public.

Aside from that, how is the FBI going to attract good IT people if everyone knows that installing a printer requires HQ approval, and a little initiative to improve security of a password file results in indictment?

Waterboarding is Torture, and Torture is Wrong

Not to mention ineffective. Econo-Girl has serious doubts as to whether European lives were saved.

Econo-Girl's purpose in writing this blog is to start a dialog on the Geneva Convention, since it now applies to the Department of Defense again. Guess it's not quaint anymore, eh?

Over the next few weeks, Econo-Girl would like to post articles about the Geneva Convention, like its origin and major provisions. Legal analysis is not the magic some would have you believe.

If the grunts and paper pushers are knowledgeable, the anti-torture infrastructure will be strengthened.

- - - - --

The above post is a recreation of a post that got me fired from the CIA. It is not exact, but covers the main points as best I remember them. I had a blog called Covert Communications on a kind of classified Internet. I wrote a version of the above post and classified it so that only Americans with clearances could read it. You couldn't even get to the blog if you had less than a Top Secret and above clearance anyway.

Another purpose of the blog post was to start a dialog on interogation techniques with the people who are asked to do the interogating. It was to be a public education campaign, of sorts. I was going to do the research on my own time and type in the results when I got to work. I never spent more than 15 minutes writing any of my posts.

What can I say? Waterboarding is torture, and torture is wrong.

Ken Lay is Dead

And in the end, that is where we all will be. So was defrauding all those people worth it, Ken, now that you have some perspective on the matter?

Econo-Girl is reminded of that girl who stole a book from some published author, got it published again under her own name, and got caught. Econo-Girl read a comment somewhere "So there are worse things than not getting into Harvard," which is where the girl was going to school.

Here, Econo-Girl says, "So there are worse things than not being a corporate titan." Like being remembered and hated for being a thief.

Our New Treasury Secretary

Look at this guy. This is the face of the guy who is going to set the world's mind at ease about the stability of the dollar? Does it inspire confidence in you? Not Econo-Girl. The man looks like a lunatic, albeit one that is on steroids. Note to White House: it is possible to be strongly insane.


Reuters photo.

For Sale By Owner

Econo-Girl has seen so many For Sale By Owner signs she is positively dizzy. It's not something she has seen before. But with interest rates causing mortgage payments to rise, perhaps housing is getting a little too dear for some people. For a lot of people, as a matter of fact.

Of course, selling the home yourself means that you aren't shelling out 6% to a realtor. And if you would take a loss if you gave up 6%, you would be selling the place yourself.

The question is: how much downward pressure will this reality put on housing prices?

Sadly Validated

See The Telegraph from the UK:

Markets braced for the worst By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard (Filed: 15/05/2006)

Global markets are bracing for turmoil today after an ominous slide in the US dollar and a slump in equity and bond prices late last week sent tremors through the global financial system, evoking memories of the 1987 crash.

So what's an Econo-Girl to do? What she has been doing for a year: paying off debts that go up with with the interest rates, trying to economize in groceries, etc. She is even considering taking up sewing again. There's nothing like it. I makes you feel like you are a clothing designer.

Oil and the Dollar

The dollar is the currency used to purchase oil and illegal narcotics around the world. Regarding oil, if Iran decides to sell its oil in a currency other than oil, then there will be less global demand for the dollar to use to buy it.

If there is less demand for the dollar, then its value will decrease. If the value of the dollar decreases, to the U.S. consumer that means that prices will go up, massive importers like WalMart and Target will have their prices rise. Right now, it possible to get a lot of stuff cheap overseas because the dollar is strong, and sell it here to you for a low prices in terms of the dollar. That will fuel inflation in the U.S.

If the dollar decreases, it also means that U.S. exported goods will be cheaper, so it will help our exports. And suddenly, coming to the U.S. for vacation will be cheaper, so the tourism business will improve.

A falling dollar will have big ramifications for other nations whose currency is pegged to the dollar. Their currencies will fall in value, as well. So it is rather a big threat on Iran's part.

Threats seem to be a Middle East specialty.

Good News ?

Americans are borrowing less? Not at all. They are still borrowing more than last month, or even last year. But the rate of growth of that borrowing is decreasing! Whee! Don't you feel better now?

Meanwhile, there is a great fear of an economic slowdown in the U.S. And Iran is thinking of buying and selling oil in a currency other than the dollar.

View http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060505/ap_on_bi_go_ec_fi/consumer_credit;_ylt=AuogCCMGtgmsa2e3hjnVFA3v5rEF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA for the article.

Where's the Optimism?

Economists want to know: where U.S. consumer optimism? Job growth is going well, corporate profits are going up, what's the problem?

How disconnected are these goons, anyway? Would it be the rising cost of the same old debt because of the rising interest rates? Like credit cards and interest-only mortgages? Guess how many people that affects? Rising gas prices is only one part of it. So is the forboding knowlege that all this deficit spending is going to have to be paid by US, the U.S. taxpayer.

Bums.