The NYT discovers Prince is trying to insert himself into the Somalian civil war even as he exits Blackwater/Xe. Of course, the Times gets only part of the story. Prince the past 18 months or so has been prospecting a whole host of African conflicts to use in his search for new financial sponsors.
There’s the old business phrase ‘turn around meeting’. It’s where a party goes in expecting to discuss X but finds the other party surprisingly make it all about the opposite, discussing er, Z. Prince inflicted that on one unsuspecting non-governmental but supremely influential institutional figure. This figure thought the meeting would be about Prince making charitable contributions. Instead, Prince made the meeting about this non-governmental entity funding him to ‘solve’ a human crisis in Africa by killing any identified bad guys. Just one example of many.
We’re all for the Times keeping an eye on Prince. But if the Stiftung knows all this, then surely an intern at the Times could put it together.
Comment says
re CPAC Hope to see these conflicts flower – They are largely irrelevant electorally, but always interersting – an indicator of what may lie ahead.
Dr Leo Strauss says
The new panel at CPAC presenting the Muslim-American pov against Gaffney’s Sharia Threatens All promises some fireworks.
Dr Leo Strauss says
We remain skeptical of Obama’s draft regulations to address outsourcing. Maintenance and supply are obvious and low hanging fruit.
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/jan2011/db20110120_248308.htm?campaign_id=yhoo
Note that already the Administration says they do not intend ‘insourcing’ but finding the ‘right’ balance. Yet another example of the Goldilocks Syndrome.
Dr Leo Strauss says
The entire contractor-outsourcing and hollowing out of government phenomenon of the 2001-2010 period needs significant overhaul and reversing. It all happened in plain sight. Now, when DoD or the Community are involved in some truly blatant boundary testing, we collectively pay short attention. Rarely is the wider problem and phenomenon even acknowledged.
So much wealth and power have been privatized. So much of it embedded in the suburban enclaves circling D.C. with McMansions, SUVs and gated communities. So little chance either Obama or the Hill have the stomach or even interest in taking it on.
Dr Leo Strauss says
@Comment
It’s on the Tram, a stop or two away. Fractious infighting the only compelling thing. It long ago ceased to be a ‘must-be-seen-at’ event except for potential candidates who flock to the residual branding bestowed by the media. We’ve reported here over the last couple of years the growing disenchantment among the Values Voters base with Grover et al. in general. Even before his affiliation with a particular sponsor of CPAC many voices called for an alternative to his Wednesday meetings as well.
Non-Rightists would be wise to refrain from schadenfreude. All loathe liberal democratic pluralism far more than their sectarian backbiting.
Comment says
Leo, has cpac walked into Cafe Terminus yet?
Comment says
We read Clarridge’s book a decade or so ago
Hunter says
I’d be interested to read any thoughts anyone here had on this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/world/23clarridge.html?ref=pakistan&pagewanted=all
Dr Leo Strauss says
Unfortunately a micro example of the institutional collapses and private rapacious opportunism that still have not been completely eradicated. DoD frustration with getting ‘actionable’ information from the Agency is a decades-long critique. When the full tale is told of the hollowing out of key governmental functions under the Warlord and continuing to the enrichment of a still largely unaccountable contractor force, Clarridge will be seen more as representative rather than the exception.
Dr Leo Strauss says
@anxiousmodernman
So true, those ten minutes gone — and the erotic subtext hilarious.
anxiousmodernman says
Did anyone catch this piece of erotic fiction from David Brooks? Warning, you’ll never get these ten minutes back.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/01/17/110117fa_fact_brooks?currentPage=1
Comment says
When Greenwald really opens up on someone he hates like Lieberman – he really earns his polemical rank – :
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/01/21/lieberman/index.html
Comment says
Deep in Angola and the Congo there are some tribes that would love to have Erik Prince over for dinner. Maybe with lettuce and tomato.