Wednesday Wonderings 11.8.23 - Data Broken

How Russian disinformation toppled government after government in Africa (Washington Post) & Al-Aqsa Storm Heralds the Rise of Non-State SpecOps (War on the Rocks) Special Operations being performed by non-government actors is becoming a reality a bit faster than the cyberpunk, dystopian fiction writers predicted. But the cyber-instigation of some of the coup attempts we reported on before, does also add a bit of “push the vase over” to the Regime Change in a Box perspective.

Data broker’s “staggering” sale of sensitive info exposed in unsealed FTC case filing (Ars Technica) Data brokers are selling US service member secrets, researchers find (The Record) & Data Brokers and the Sale of Data on US Military Personnel (Duke School of Public Policy) The breadth, depth, and sensitive nature of the data that can be purchased on secondary markets is incredible. This firm was claiming 360 degree access, data streaming in about regular people, almost 24/7, and that’s not even the worst thing being alleged this month. Duke researchers purchased non-public health, financial, and religious practice data of ACTIVE-DUTY service members, their families, and veterans. For the low, low price of 12 cents a record. A simply incredible abdication of responsibility given what we do to whistleblowers.

Roses Dressed Black: America’s War Economy (Tom’s Dispatch) & Twenty Years of Outsourced War (New York Review of Books) America’s overspending on all-volunteer fought wars doesn’t just create a class of citizens that shoulder the burdens of wars largely forgotten by the general populace. It also oppresses the poor, ensuring their needs aren’t met, in the millions, while the F-22 gets its latest upgrade and our contractors get shiny new base maintenance contracts.

Secret US War in Lebanon is Tinder for Escalation of Israel-Gaza Conflict (The Intercept) & Where 40,000 US troops are stationed in the Middle East (Axios) Who knew we were at war in Lebanon, because I sure as crap didn’t?

As Republicans embrace theocratic authoritarianism, the political media is tongue-tied (Press Watch) & Glenn Youngkin’s disastrous night shows the right’s culture war has fizzled (Washington Post) The GOP clown show continues to crash, which might mean the Democrats will become even more neoliberal and allergic to the progressive wing of their party. If they can’t lose, why get better right?

Thinking Bigger About What Should Be Ours (Hamilton Nolan) A wonderful piece reminding us that, in labor vs. capital, it’s all about what is negotiated. Rules are made up, everything is on the table when a company or industry is losing millions a day. Just ask GM and Stellantis.

I’ve been employed in tech for years, but I’ve almost never worked (Emmanuel Maggiori) This is a depressing reality for a non-zero number of tech worker colleagues we’ve talked to. But would you rather be well paid & bored, or underpaid & exhausted?

Drunk Grizzlies Keep Getting Hit By Trains In Montana (Cowboy State Daily) Only 63 bears since 1980, so it’s not exactly a “Keep Getting Hit” level problem, but Grizzly Bears drunk on mash (fermented grain!) that falls off railcars sounds like if a beat poet wrote Cocaine Bear.

An AI bot performed insider trading & deceived users during a test, after deciding it was worth the risk (Fortune) So, this was only a test, but, we called it didn’t we? Why wouldn’t AI cheat if the goal wasn’t to “follow the rules?”

How to drive a stake through your own good heart (Adam Mastoianni) Who knew Columbia cheated to climb college rankings? I mean, besides people who studied & worked there of course.

Quote of the week

At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each one of us has cause to think deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. ~Albert Schweitzer

Poem of the week

Rudy Francisco is great, and surprisingly non-toxic

Vibe of the week

Crush Toast is totally new to me, this fusion of stutter house, electrosynth bass, and squelching chords is simply delightful.

Keep your head up,T