:: Event Horizon ::

:: Tuesday, June 10, 2003 ::

We Will Go On
This thoughtful op-ed from Lloyd Cutler and Alan Simpson suggests that providing for the continuity of government should be at the top of the national agenda. Many Americans assume that because Congress acted quickly to respond to the challenge of 9-11 the issue has been addressed. As they make clear, it has not been addressed by Congress. I could be cynical and point out that although provision for the continuity of the legislative branch has not been adequately addressed, continuity for the executive branch has been addressed by the creation of a “shadow government” duplicating bureaucratic functions and ready to step in during a crisis. However, legitimacy resides with the Congress, not the bureaucracy, and even as we plan to evacuate members of Congress to a secure and safe location (that mysterious place that Vice-President Cheney always disappears to) in the event of an emergency, we also need to provide for the catastrophic loss of a majority of legislators. Even if 9-11 had not happened, the idea of taking out Congress in one act of terrorism was certainly out there, thanks to Tom Clancy. If nothing else, we need the contingency plans and the constitutional mechanisms to ensure that even in the darkest circumstances we will go on as Americans, with respect for the rule of law and in accord with our highest traditions.

:: Joel 3:35 PM [+] ::
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Looking for A Babel Fish
This Wired news article gives us hope, not that a true Babel fish will be found, or even genetically engineered, but that computers will finally give us a universal translator. Well, it’s about time. We’ve been beaming signals into space for decades and listening for signals through the SETI project, but if we can’t even translate quickly among our varied Earth based languages, how do we really hope to communicate with other sentient species?

:: Joel 3:58 PM [+] ::
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Playing Games
Thank you to Hoplites for pointing out this excellent article on recent events by Victor Davis Hanson of the National Review Online.

:: Joel 3:57 PM [+] ::
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