Hidden Harmonies China Blog

As I have compared and contrasted before, the US can be particularly vicious and relentless, when it comes to hunting its "fugitives", such as Bobby Fischer, etc..  And it really doesn't matter how long Bobby Fischer went on the run, the US government doesn't have much of a history of forgiving (unless you are an elite campaign contributor, which often will get your a … [Read more...] about The Snowden Question: If the West Doesn’t Give Refuge, Who Will?

Earlier, I suggest that NSA put the effectiveness of the PRISM program to the test, by performing something easier, like fixing the "No Fly List", long plagued by inaccuracies. As it turns out, I spoke too soon.  I thought about it some more, and I realized that an obvious RESULT of the PRISM program would be a "No Fly List." As it turns out, the PRISM program was … [Read more...] about NSA PRISM Program Linked to Creation of “No Fly List” And “Drone Kill List”

I saw a funny clip of comedian Lewis Black on the Daily Show the other day.  When discussing Microsoft's new Kinect system that can interpret user expressions and even skin changes, Lewis raised a middle finger, and told Microsoft to "F* off".  Then, when a follow up clip showed that some guy built a robot that determine when a person needed beer refill, and pour beer for that … [Read more...] about If NSA’s Cyber-Snooping Is So Effective, Why Can’t It Do Any Thing Vaguely Useful? Like (Pour Me a Beer or) Fix No-Fly List

Corruption thrives in an atmosphere of low trust.  When people trust their fellow citizens, they are more likely to behave honestly toward them. Corruption is high when generalized trust is low and particularized trust is strong, as Gambetta argues for the Italian Mafia.  Particularized trust makes it easier for people to cheat people who are different from … [Read more...] about What Snowden Affair Teaches About Corruption, Trust, and Government in the World