From: madscientist at wyoming.com (Philip Stortz)
Subject: Microsoft wins Homeland Security Bid ( Reuters)

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 fire 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@...mail.com>
> To: <full-disclosure@...ts.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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