The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

NTP Server Possibly Damaged In Snowstorm

Posted on | February 9, 2010 | 2 Comments

by Smitty (h/t Knowledge is Power)

It looks like part of the recent snowfall fallout has been some apparent damage to the NTP server at USA Today HQ in McLean, VA.
Sure, it’s stupid to speculate about technical details, but I’m trying to hold forth a fig leaf here. Editorial files could have become mangled, as witnessed by John Brennan’s USA Today outing:

Politics should never get in the way of national security. But too many in Washington are now misrepresenting the facts to score political points, instead of coming together to keep us safe.

Wasn’t the GOP doing that to discredit John Kerry? Isn’t that the textbook definition of Swift Boating?
The rest of the article is an attempt to justify the administration’s policies with respect to the underpants bomber, so that portion, at least, is of apparently recent vintage.
At the end, there is another bit that appears to be garbled with something older, emphasis mine:

This administration’s efforts have disrupted dozens of terrorist plots against the homeland and been responsible for killing and capturing hundreds of hard-core terrorists, including senior leaders in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and beyond — far more than in 2008. We need no lectures about the fact that this nation is at war.
Politically motivated criticism and unfounded fear-mongering only serve the goals of al-Qaeda. Terrorists are not 100-feet tall. Nor do they deserve the abject fear they seek to instill. They will, however, be dismantled and destroyed, by our military, our intelligence services and our law enforcement community. And the notion that America’s counterterrorism professionals and America’s system of justice are unable to handle these murderous miscreants is absurd.

Now, when those on the Right pointed out that politically motivated criticism offers succor to the foe, that was jingo-istic. Dissent was the highest form of patriotism. How, Mr. Brennan, do you (and any similar parties on the Left) expect to be taken seriously when you are so demonstrably hypocritical? You really have to put forward an iron-clad case on why “this time it’s different” to avoid sounding like a pack of whining children when arguing in this fashion. Instead of bolstering the case, and supporting the Administration, you have the unintended consequence of making it look very, very stupid.
Confidence remains in the counterterrorism professionals. Confidence is damaged in the system of justice by the unintelligible actions of Eric Holder. Confidence is dwindling in the rest of the Administration, unmentioned here.
Fix that NTP server ‘glitch’. Ponder useful policy. And for heaven’s sake, when you’re losing the rhetorical battle, don’t give the opposition ammunition. Such will be returned, arriving at an uncomfortable velocity.

Unrelated aside: Makes My Brain Itch would like to celebrate 5k posts since last August. Every blog begins with a Freud ProustFirst Post. Congratulations.

Also weighing in was Ace of Spades.

Update: NRO Online had a nice summary of a similar McArdle find.

Category: Terrorism

Comments

2 Responses to “NTP Server Possibly Damaged In Snowstorm”

  1. richard mcenroe
    February 9th, 2010 @ 8:10 pm

    IF critizing this administration actually strengthened Al Qaeda, this administration would encourage it.

  2. richard mcenroe
    February 9th, 2010 @ 3:10 pm

    IF critizing this administration actually strengthened Al Qaeda, this administration would encourage it.