Top UNDER-REPORTED stories of 2007

[nerdgirl 0]

Time Magazine’s TOP 10 Under-reported stories of 2007.

(1) Darfur-like violence in Somalia
(2) USAF’s Temporarily Lost 6 Nuclear Warheads
(3) U.N. Dials Back AIDS Estimates
(4) Undue Influence at the White House
(5) Tuberculosis
(6) Angola's Booming Economy
(7) Obesity Rate Levels Off Among U.S. Adults
(8) Brazil's Big Oil Find
(9) Earmarking — Alive and Well
(10) Renewed violence btw Ethiopia & Eritrea

At a minumimum, recall (2), (4), (5), & (9) being discussed in SC in 2007.

Looked for a similar list at Fox News.com but didn't find anything close. (Not sure where Time is considered along the political spectrum in MSM.)

What was your top Under-reported news story & why?
Still thinking about my candidates, which anything having to do with the Presidential candidates is definitely *not*.

VR/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[Royd 0]

They missed one. Dems call it wrong. The surge is actually working.

[Gravitymaster 0]

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They missed one. Dems call it wrong. The surge is actually working.

And you are surprised? The Press rarely reports good news to the degree they report bad news.

Remember all the claims that Iraq was collapsing into a civil war and the future was nothing but gloom and doom?

[BillyVance 35]

I do remember reading in the history books that after WWII ended in Europe with Germany's official surrender, our troops still had to contend with German guerrilla and insurgent attacks for a few years before things finally settled down. Same thing's happening, more or less, in Iraq.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[kelpdiver 2]

I thought the nuke 'scare' was overreported since it never left the airplanes. Wandering the US highway system in a truck would scare me. This, no.

Why would we care about #6 (Angola) very much?

#7 is false - at least in the sense that we're not taking the obesity issue very seriously right as our health system is costing too much anyway.

---
To me the underreported story is the ineffectiveness of Congress right now. It is talked about in the sense of the Democratic Party being weak, but not enough about the cost of this to the country. The fact that we won't be able to file our taxes for a couple extra weeks because of it should be a great concern. That the Executive Branch continues to get its way over the Legislative in Iraq is a greater one. The White House has long been the more powerful branch, but it's especially bad now. And since the two parties play tit for tat, if a Democrat wins it will continue to be true.

[jakee 1,596]

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I do remember reading in the history books that after WWII ended in Europe with Germany's official surrender, our troops still had to contend with German guerrilla and insurgent attacks for a few years before things finally settled down. Same thing's happening, more or less, in Iraq.

Same thing, apart from being completely different?

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[Amazon 7]

How about you and Gravity"master" volunteer to go over for a couple tours.. and get some first hand experience and let us know how its going.....mmmmkkkk???

[Gravitymaster 0]

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How about you and Gravity"master" volunteer to go over for a couple tours.. and get some first hand experience and let us know how its going.....mmmmkkkk???

Sure, Field Marshall. With all your combat Command experience it's no problem. Just let us know when you are finished turning the ME into a Glass Fucking Parking Lot. Of course, then there will be no need.

[Royd 0]

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How about you and Gravity"master" volunteer to go over for a couple tours.. and get some first hand experience and let us know how its going.....mmmmkkkk???

What's the matter? Does it frost your ass that 'The war is lost' Reid is eventually going to have to eat his words?

OBTW, Happy New Year.

[Amazon 7]

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Sure, Field Marshall. With all your combat Command experience it's no problem. Just let us know when you are finished turning the ME into a Glass Fucking Parking Lot. Of course, then there will be no need.

Oh Please quit with the fucking transference...Field Marshal.. indeed... but see even though the right wing stylizes themselves as such.

I will just stick with the rank that I EARNED......and that is former Staff Sergeant to you...
Remember now its the administration that YOU voted for twice.... and that gave your incompetent in chief the power to fuck over millions of your fellow countrymen and women. That is what got us into the mess.. Perhaps you could support your administration in a more tangible way.....NAH.. never happen.

I guess its true that the older republicans are standing right there behind all the young republicans.. still avoiding serving their country in any way they can find with any excuse they can find.


And personally there are far better WMD's to use than turning it into a glass parking lot. Half lives are very tricky things.

[Amazon 7]

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What's the matter? Does it frost your ass that 'The war is lost' Reid is eventually going to have to eat his words?

PSSST we won.. remember your Incompetent in Chief already declared..."Mission Accomplished"

[Gravitymaster 0]

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And personally there are far better WMD's to use than turning it into a glass parking lot. Half lives are very tricky things.

Yadda yadda... need some matches for that worn out strawman? Or do you prefer dragging him out and beating him like a dead horse from time to time.

I doubt your Glass Parking Lots Solution to the problems in the ME ring very highly with your Superiors or fellow soldiers. Especially those who have actually seen combat and been in a Command position. In fact I'll bet they would be down right ashamed of your infantile "War Strategies" which are so far right of GWB that it's laughable to hear you call him a moron or imbecile. Earlier you mentioned tranference. I think we have an excellent example here, don't you?

[Amazon 7]

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I doubt your Glass Parking Lots Solution to the problems in the ME ring very highly with your Superiors or fellow soldiers. Especially those who have actually seen combat and been in a Command position. In fact I'll bet they would be down right ashamed of your infantile "War Strategies" which are so far right of GWB that it's laughable to hear you call him a moron or imbecile. Earlier you mentioned tranference. I think we have an excellent example here, don't you?

Actually I think there are plenty of the self serving type right here in SC..... That never served at all.. aint that right Karl....

Can you point out where I seriously ever called for nuking the Middle east????

That sounds more like a far right winger wet dream of someone who has never studied the effects of radiation.


Oh by the way.. nice PA's as usual... I love the fact that YOU stylize yourself capable of being in COMMAND... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.......... instead of being one of the people actually out there doing something and being in harms way...... yup...nice and safe and sound.. as always.

Nope. its better to send off others and be all patriotic sounding... and talk crazy brave slogans in your grand right wing neo-con war on the american peoples finances.... instead of going yourselves.

Instead.. you support the never ending deployments of our children and neighbors... to enrich.... whom..... friends of your administration.. I just wish all of you who are such great supporters of this war would enlist and go see just how well its going over there for yourselves...and report back to us on all the GOOD things you believe are happening over there since your much maligned MSM will only report all that pesky bad news that makes all of the neo-cons on the right look so totally fucking incompetent

[Gravitymaster 0]

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I doubt your Glass Parking Lots Solution to the problems in the ME ring very highly with your Superiors or fellow soldiers. Especially those who have actually seen combat and been in a Command position. In fact I'll bet they would be down right ashamed of your infantile "War Strategies" which are so far right of GWB that it's laughable to hear you call him a moron or imbecile. Earlier you mentioned tranference. I think we have an excellent example here, don't you?

Actually I think there are plenty of the self serving type right here in SC..... That never served at all.. aint that right Karl....

Can you point out where I seriously ever called for nuking the Middle east????

That sounds more like a far right winger wet dream of someone who has never studied the effects of radiation.


Oh by the way.. nice PA's as usual... I love the fact that YOU stylize yourself capable of being in COMMAND... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.......... instead of being one of the people actually out there doing something and being in harms way...... yup...nice and safe and sound.. as always.

Nope. its better to send off others and be all patriotic sounding... and talk crazy brave slogans in your grand right wing neo-con war on the american peoples finances.... instead of going yourselves.

Instead.. you support the never ending deployments of our children and neighbors... to enrich.... whom..... friends of your administration.. I just wish all of you who are such great supporters of this war would enlist and go see just how well its going over there for yourselves...and report back to us on all the GOOD things you believe are happening over there since your much maligned MSM will only report all that pesky bad news that makes all of the neo-cons on the right look so totally fucking incompetent

Strawman. How's that decent into Civil War working out? and the Surge? How's that doing.

Better still, we take your advice and just start walking thru muslim countries blasting away at everyone...man, woman child, because they need to be taught a lesson Scorched Earth or Glass Fucking Parking Lot, the results are the same...... kill em all and let Allah sort them out. Is this the War Strategy the military taught you in the Field Master Training? Is the brilliant military insight you claim to have over those who didn't serve?

Oh, I didn't read the personal attack and name calling you sent me by PM, I just deleted it. I have blocked any further Juvenile behavior from you. This will serve as your notice in the future that any PMs that are insulting or personal attacks will be posted. You may not expect any annonimity with PMs. If you can't post it in a thread, then it's obviously something you are ashamed of. You have been warned!!

[Amazon 7]

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Oh, I didn't read the personal attack and name calling you sent me by PM, I just deleted it. I have blocked any further Juvenile behavior from you. This will serve as your notice in the future that any PMs that are insulting or personal attacks will be posted. You may not expect any annonimity with PMs. If you can't post it in a thread, then it's obviously something you are ashamed of. You have been warned!!

OHHHH BIG SCARY.........OHHHHHHHH


Nah.... you should have read it.It was not a personal attack.....it fits you so well.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA.........

I have had your PMs blocked for over 2 years.. Glad I got the response I expected.. based on your PM's before....back when you made your last threats. But.. here we are again.. different day... same shit.... But go ahead and keep making the same inane posts..... you said you would not even respond to me....... remember....

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA


Now where did I put that ch wav

[vortexring 0]

What was your top Under-reported news story & why?

1) The war in Iraq.


Despite continual news reports it's still under-reported. The reasons being that if you consider the lies, deceit, greed, ignorance and utter incompetence demonstrated by the people who made the decisions for the war - why hasn't anything been done about this? Why was the leader re-elected?

If enough reporting on these matters was done, then we'd possibly see moral justice.

The ignorance, apathy, cynicism and contemptuousness held by most people might actually come to something.

In a sense, you, me, and most other people of the democratic nations which conducted the war shoulder some blame too. Whether as civilians or serving military, we're generally still going about our daily lives and duties without really giving this matter considered thought. Why should we? Right?

For the majority of military people, it's discouraged to give such political matters considered thought. And quite rightly too. You'd lose military effectiveness were this the case...
You'd have considerable recruitment and retention problems.
This in itself is an area which could bring up some interesting debate.

But essentially, this entire aspect of the Iraq war has been under-reported.

It's naturally my opinion it should therefore be daily headline news.

'for it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "chuck 'im out, the brute!" But it's "saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot.'

[TheAnvil 0]

Interesting list. I think the utter failure of the Doha round of the GATT would be among my top 10, but that's just me.

Some of Mugabe's atrocities were definitely under-reported, but I REALLY hate that SOB and might have a skewed view.

FairTax supporters at political events haven't gotten the attention they deserved from the press, so their massive turnout of supporters was a bit under-reported as well I'd say.

Nice list, nonetheless. GREAT to see Angola doing well. were the west coast of Africa to become more stable, many good things would result.

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[nerdgirl 0]

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Why would we care about #6 (Angola) very much?

Angola may deserve to be considered because it represents a successful transition by a previously failing state plagued by multi-decade internal ethnic-divisive civil warfare (~1/2M fatalities) that is an emerging, nominally democratic, market capitalist state with significant oil reserves. Perhaps, potential lessons learned if we pay attention.

(Nota bene: Angola has substantive problems, particularly w/r/t reconstruction and corrupt governance.)

VR/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[nerdgirl 0]

My nominees (subject to addition):

I’ll 2nd Vinny’s mention of failure of Doha trade talks, as a larger indicator of state multilateral processes.

I don't think Russia's slide away from democracy toward Putin-tsar got enough attention (even if he was Time's man of the year).

Cyber (in)Security

What may mark the first incidence of politically-motivated state-on-state ‘cyber-invasion:’ the Estonian government, police, banks, airports, and communications systems were shut down in April by an cyber attack traced to Russia.

In June, the Chinese military hacked into the Office of Secretary of Defense’s unclassified computer network. Far from the first: in 2005, there were almost 80,000 attempted hacks. About 1,300 were successful, including hacks into the Army’s 101st and 82nd Airborne and the 4th Infantry. Not just the DoD that’s being targeted, State Department computers were hacked by China too.

In November, UK’s MI5 intelligence service contacted “300 executives and security chiefs at banks, accountancies and legal firms, warning them that they were under attack from ‘Chinese state organizations’ over the Internet.”

The US Air Force stood up Cyberspace Command (AFCYBER). While the Sec of the Air Force appears to be very supportive, I would prefer that it be led by a 3-star or 4-star. Recognize issues w/r/t USAF org. structure. AFCYBER won’t be fully operational until late 2009.

Armed Robots in Warfare

Not defusing IEDs, reconnaissance, or mine-sweeping, but the first deployment of armed robots (w/ M249 ‘machine guns’) -- the “special weapons observation remote reconnaissance direct action system” (SWORDS) -- which can also be outfitted with rifles, grenade launchers, and anti-tank rocket launchers. The Army deployed 3 in Iraq in June. Another ~100 SWORDS robots have been/are being prepared for deployment, and the DoD has budgeted about $1.7B on ground-based military robots between 2006 and 2012 … largely because Congress has required it (i.e., that’s what largely been driving DARPA’s Grand Challenge). NB: originally SWORDS were scheduled to be deployed in Iraq in 2005 but were delayed due to “logistics” issues.

Armed UAVs, e.g., the Predator have been deployed in OIF and OEF.

At this point all deployed unmanned vehicles (air or ground) are directly linked to a human controller.

iRobot’s Warrior X700 – yes, the same folks that make the extremely hackable Roomba vacuum cleaning/cat amusement toy robot – is a robotic weapons platform designed to be “the first robot that can really haul your pack and be not only a partner but be a stronger and faster partner.” Unlike SWORDS, iRobot Warriors are "being engineered with advanced software, giving them the ability to perform some battlefield functions autonomously." It’s not clear whether that autonomous behavior extends to its Metal Storm very rapid electronic firing system, 40 mm grenade launcher, air-burst rounds, or NLW/less-than-lethal munitions (all which have been indicated in conjunction w/iRobot Warrior configurations).

Btw: iRobot & TASER have teamed to produce a taser-carrying robot for the military and law enforcement.

Israel has the VIPeR armed robot, which is equipped with a "9 mm mini-Uzi with scope and pointer, or grenade launcher.” “Following operational evaluation, the IDF plans on fielding VIPeR in its infantry platoons."

The November issue of Armed Forces Journal featured a trio of articles on “Robots on the Battlefield”:
- MAJ Daniel Davis, USA “Who decides: Man or machine?”
- MAJ David Bigelow, USA “Fast forward to the robot dilemma” on ethics of arming humanoids
- Vice Admiral Joseph Dyer (ret … & now VP at iRobot) “Robots make war more survivable”

There are pragmatic issues (i.e., hackability, command & control, and ‘normal accidents’) to be considered, as well as normative issues:
- How will this change the conduct of modern war?
- Does it make human life more or less expendable?
- If an armed robot malfunctions and kills soldiers or civilians, who is culpable/liable?
- Will the use of semi-autonomous robots lower the bar to offensive actions?
- What did Clausewitz say on the nature of war and the importance of it remaining a horrible, grave undertaking?

Concur w/Time’s nominee of TB as an issue, but I would add polio, malaria, &
Re-emergence of Dengue Fever & Chikungunya

While most dengue fevers & chikungunya [CHIK] cases are nonlethal, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), which for almost 50 years was largely confined to Southeast Asia, has spread to Central and South America, including Puerto Rico.
2007 estimates for Central and South America are 1M new cases of dengue (both varieties), which is double the 2006 cases.

There’s no vaccine. The only work on medical countermeasures is being funded by the DoD through the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) and through the Army’s Medical Institute for Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) & Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR).

The best method is mosquito eradication, including DDT (as Singapore did).

And if you accept anthropogenic global warming – the mosquito-borne dengue viruses (there are 4 serotypes) thrives in warmer climates.

Malaria is still killing millions world-wide.

Diarrheal diseases are impacting very large numbers of armed service members & DoD civilians deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While federal funding for biodefense across the USG exceeded $10B in 2007 (the NIH is the largest funder not the DoD), I would be extraordinarily surprised if funding for all the others mentioned above exceeded $500M. And missile defense got $11B …

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) from IEDs
Closed head injuries associated with IEDs finally got some MSM coverage in April in the Washington Post. The New England Journal of Medicine reported on traumatic brain injuries back in 2005: “All admitted patients [at Walter Reed Army Medical Center] who have been exposed to a blast are routinely evaluated for brain injury; 59 percent of them [soldiers] have been given a diagnosis of TBI. Of these injuries, 56 percent are considered moderate or severe, and 44 percent are mild.” Still way less attention than the issue deserves, im-ever-ho.

Continued Trend in Declining Funding For Physical Science & Basis Research and Fewer Physical Scientists in the US (& UK too[/url])
US entrepreneurial capitalism depends on innovation & technology. If the US becomes an overall consumer of innovation generated elsewhere, the US loses.

I’m sure that I’m missing under-reported domestic US issues.

VR/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[Amazon 7]

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In June, the Chinese military hacked into the Office of Secretary of Defense’s unclassified computer network. Far from the first: in 2005, there were almost 80,000 attempted hacks. About 1,300 were successful, including hacks into the Army’s 101st and 82nd Airborne and the 4th Infantry. Not just the DoD that’s being targeted, Staryte Department computers were hacked by China too

I realize its far more important to our country... DOD has far more important systems to protect.. but hell at Microsoft ( the most attacked company on earth) there was far more than that per month when I was there in Global Operations