tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301700579040384196.post113717350977229445..comments2008-03-18T13:24:45.845-07:00Michael Canfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253993580978300259noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301700579040384196.post-26600416206065599832008-03-18T13:24:00.000-07:002008-03-18T13:24:00.000-07:00I really wonder what a "nicer" guy like Obama will do with the new powers gained by Bush vs. congress. I seriously doubt a president will cede these powers no matter how nice he is. I guess this means we need to be careful who becomes president. Or put our heads deeper into the sand.<BR/><BR/>I feel that in the last 8 years a precedent has been made. I don't know if it is "dangerous". It felt that way in the past, but now there is something new going to happen with this election. I have no idea what.<BR/><BR/>It's like the Roman empire when the first emperor was made, the whole thing had to be about empire. Nobody would think of restoring the republic. I could never figure out why this was so.<BR/><BR/>I think we are going to either have a congress with a big ones or deal with more powerful presidents. Forever. So basically, we have a more powerful president.<BR/><BR/>I'd like to see what happens if the power is used for good. I suspect if McCain gets into office, he makes a bid for even more power. Why not? Bush showed how easy it is. Just stand up to congress and dare them to do something. <BR/><BR/>Cue the scary music and accuse congress of not "protecting" the people enough. Done. <BR/><BR/>The other thing that is funny is that the whole thing about domestic spying. I don't mind being spied on if it's going to make me safe. I'd prefer a court to look over the records sooner or later so one does not set up a dictatorship behind our backs.<BR/><BR/>But the real thing that gets me is this whole spying thing is being done by extreme cheapskates. It's like the airport security. The rent-a-cops are paid like minimum wage. So the people they get to do the spying are going to be incompetent. So in a way, they are giving lots of power to incompetent people. <BR/><BR/>That means all this data is going to leak all over the place sooner or later. Also, they are collecting so much data, that sorting through this is going to be impossible. <BR/><BR/>In a court case, when you ask for documents, the opposing side does not give you less data than you ask for. That would be contempt. They give you more. Much more. So much, it's really hard to sort through all the irralevant crap. That's what really cracks me up about Total Information Awareness. You have all the information, but you can't sort it.<BR/><BR/>Better to get less information as long as you are sure the info is about terrorists only. Even all that is not totally useful. The biography of the terrorist's second cousin hat maker back in Yemen is pretty useless. But the way they seem to measure it, more is better.<BR/><BR/>My solution to the whole problem would be to post everything, Everything, online. The problem is that the databases are so shoddy that I'd get my identity stolen, again, and I'd have to spend my own time to fix it. I'd love to send these credit agencies a bill for my time, but that would never happen. :)<BR/><BR/>FredAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301700579040384196.post-43316728502399926982008-03-17T17:13:00.000-07:002008-03-17T17:13:00.000-07:00Thanks Bryan! Appreciate you kind words about that story. I'm glad you liked it! Black Gate is a great magazine, I only wish they published more frequently.Michael Canfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08253993580978300259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301700579040384196.post-90462372579576062742008-03-17T12:35:00.000-07:002008-03-17T12:35:00.000-07:00Hi, Michael.<BR/><BR/>You are right on about Obama. I was an Edwards supporter for a long time and a Deaniac from early in the 2004 cycle. I just wish Obama could wrap this up so we can put the primary behind us before it gets worse. I was ready to support either candidate, but the longer this fight goes on, the more distasteful the Clinton candidacy becomes.<BR/><BR/>Glad to discover we share some political perspectives. I try not to let politics interfere with my admiration for writers (Card and Lisle come to mind) but it is still cool when a good writer also has good politics. =)<BR/><BR/>Which brings me to the reason I found you, through Michael Ehart's blog. He and I are posters at the SF Reader forums and I recently added some notes to my blog about your story "The Whited Child" from Black Gate #9. It's a great story, especially the voice you use. It was the first Black Gate story I read and it made the whole magazine worth the price of admission.<BR/><BR/>I'll be looking for more of your work.<BR/><BR/>Peace and progress,<BR/>Bryan HitchcockBryan Hitchcockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03155751185209414920noreply@blogger.com