Combat! - Page 205 of 406 - A blog by Dan Brooks

Police body cameras in Rialto reduce use of force by 60%

By Dan Brooks in War on Terror August 22, 2013 2 Comments

A fun police dog

According to the Times, the police department of Rialto, California randomly required half of its patrol officers to wear body cameras each week of last year. During that period, officers used force 25 times, as opposed to 61 times during the previous year. Officers wearing cameras accounted for only eight uses of force. Knowing someone is (or will be) watching appears to make interactions between police and civilians less violent. I don’t want to draw any unfounded conclusions, but it’s possible that public scrutiny encourages law enforcement to adhere to its own rules. In unrelated news, a secret federal ruling from 2011 rebuked the NSA for repeatedly misrepresenting its domestic surveillance operations to the FISA courts.

Combat! blog observes animals, isn’t useful

By Dan Brooks in Uncategorized August 21, 2013 0 Comment

A bison in high school, when he had that haircut

My father’s whirlwind tour of western Montana continues today with a trip to the National Bison Range. The best time to view animals is early in the morning, say a bunch of park rangers who have to get up early anyway, so there will be no Combat! blog today. Fortunately, the best time to view the internet is also early in the morning, while the trolls are asleep. While I shoot buffalo from a train, how about you read this article about Japanese boredom rooms sent to me by Ben al-Fowlkes. That tactic would not work on Americans.

Close Readings: Keith Vaz on detaining Glenn Greenwald’s boyfriend

By Dan Brooks in War on Terror August 20, 2013 2 Comments

Keith Vaz, chair of Parialment's Home Affairs Select Committee (artist's conception)

Keith Vaz, chair of Parliament’s Home Affairs Select Committee (artist’s conception)

The good news is that the United States was not involved in any way with the UK’s decision to detain David Miranda, partner of journalist Glenn Greenwald, under Schedule 7 of Britain’s Terrorism Act 2000. Sure, we knew about it in advance, but we didn’t request or encourage it—nor do we condemn it, and we won’t say whether we benefited from it. According to pleasingly-named White House spokesman Josh Earnest, the British detention of the boyfriend of the journalist who reported the Edward Snowden leaks is just a fact the US government calmly absorbed, like a jellyfish encountering a Gummi Bear. Our executive branch’s placidity in the face of what is maybe the most naked abuse of anti-terrorism law in the modern era is a model we all can follow, and so is its use of understatement. Quote from important British person after the jump.

Combat! blog tramps through woods, isn’t useful

By Dan Brooks in Uncategorized August 19, 2013 0 Comment

The woods

There is no Combat! blog today, because I am taking my dad up to Seeley to run him around in the woods. You have to tucker him out or he’ll bark at raccoons all night. While I misidentify wildflowers, how about you read Andrew Sullivan’s bitterly disillusioned blog post about surveillance, abuse and the War on Terror. He’s referring to Glenn Greenwald, principal journalist in the Edward Snowden leaks, whose partner was detained at Heathrow for the legally maximum nine hours. It’s only a lucky coincidence that his name is Miranda. We’ll be back tomorrow with actual content and/or a story about a bear.

Friday links! Birthday edition

By Dan Brooks in Friday Links August 16, 2013 2 Comments

I never thought I would live to see it, but people all over the world can use an electronic network to view pictures of unsuccessful cakes. Today is my birthday. I am 36, which means my opinion is no longer valuable re: movies, popular music or men’s shaving products. I took my brother to the airport at five this morning and drove home with the dim light of the 18-35 year-old demographic growing brighter ahead of me. It was an imperfect analogy, frankly, and I felt the tendrils of despair. Then I remembered that, in the words of MC Lyte or possibly Da Brat, age ain’t nothing but a number. It’s just a number and a social arbiter and a quantifiable reminder of my inexorable progress toward death, but on the plus side, everyone has to do what I say. Today is Friday, so read my arbitrary opinions and marvel at how I made it this far.