HRW and Amnesty say (some) US drone strikes against intl law

[The Good Reverend Roger]

To get past the nannywall, all you need is to turn Javascript off.  Both Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy are amazingly, technically incompetent.

Not as incompetent as me.

I don't know how to turn Javascript off.  I don't even know what it is.   

[Cain]

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[The Good Reverend Roger]

If you're using Firefox, you should have NoScript installed.  It automatically turns Javascript off in your browser, and you can allow sites to run JS if you trust them.

For IE, you go to Tools - Internet Options - Security, click Custom Level.  Scroll down to "Scripting" and under "Active Scripting", choose Disable.  Then restart IE.

Thanks.  I can do the FF thing at home.  I can't change settings on IE on this box.  Hell, I can't even change the fucking CLOCK.

[Cain]

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[The Good Reverend Roger]

I know that feeling - my old work laptop required admin access to install Adobe PDF reader.

Same here.   

NO installs permitted.  NONE.

[Golden Applesauce]

I know that feeling - my old work laptop required admin access to install Adobe PDF reader.

Tangent - but Adobe Acrobat Reader is one of the few pieces of software that IT departments are justified in keeping off of computers. Modern operating systems are secure enough that they're difficult to attack directly, so exploits work against software. That software used to be your web browser, but even those are now secure enough if you keep them up to date (and FF, Chrome, and IE10+ keep themselves up to date, so you have to work to mess that up.)

Now the targets of choice are: 1. Java, 2. Acrobat Reader, and 3. Flash, in that order. All three have the ability to execute arbitrary code against your computer, are widely installed, frequently unpatched, and made by Adobe. Nobody blocks .pdfs on their network, and normal people think of .pdfs as safe, read-only documents, not executables.

There are lots of FOSS .pdf readers out there. They tend not to support all the crazy features of PDF like formulas and executable code, which is a good thing because those give you little benefit for the security hole they are in Acrobat. Chrome also has a perfectly competent pdf reader built in.

[Cain]

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[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

To get past the nannywall, all you need is to turn Javascript off.  Both Foreign Affairs and Foreign Policy are amazingly, technically incompetent.

Oh, thank you! I was just thwarted by that. I'll go finish reading it.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I have the weirdest feeling these days, that the US is just... unravelling.

No, it's more like the USA forgot to put on its make up one day.

Forgot to put on its makeup, started peeping into the neighbor's bedroom windows, took a shit on their lawn, and killed the other neighbor's dog.

We were doing all of that shit long before we were even a nation, the only proof of which I need offer mostly lives in reservations in the Dakotas and Arizona.

We just sorta stopped pretending to be the good guys about the horrible shit we do.

Yeah, but all the other countries does that shit with their natives, too. The US is now not even really bothering to pretend to use table manners with other nations. It's running down the street with its ass hanging out.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I have the weirdest feeling these days, that the US is just... unravelling.

No, it's more like the USA forgot to put on its make up one day.

Forgot to put on its makeup, started peeping into the neighbor's bedroom windows, took a shit on their lawn, and killed the other neighbor's dog.

We were doing all of that shit long before we were even a nation, the only proof of which I need offer mostly lives in reservations in the Dakotas and Arizona.

We just sorta stopped pretending to be the good guys about the horrible shit we do.

Yeah, but all the other countries does that shit with their natives, too. The US is now not even really bothering to pretend to use table manners with other nations. It's running down the street with its ass hanging out.

Allow me to introduce Mr Phillipine-American War and his associate, Mr Central American Intervention.  Mr CAI had a career that spanned a century, and is largely the reason the neighbors hate our stinking guts.  His cousin, Mr Forced Land Sales From Mexico, took him into the family business.

Frankly, I think the only difference now is that the rest of the world finds our behavior uncivilized, whereas before it was just regular business.

I'm not disagreeing except in detail.  America is the drunk guy who took off all his clothes and is trying to fuck the neighbor's dog.  Go home America, you're fucking wasted.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I have the weirdest feeling these days, that the US is just... unravelling.

No, it's more like the USA forgot to put on its make up one day.

Forgot to put on its makeup, started peeping into the neighbor's bedroom windows, took a shit on their lawn, and killed the other neighbor's dog.

We were doing all of that shit long before we were even a nation, the only proof of which I need offer mostly lives in reservations in the Dakotas and Arizona.

We just sorta stopped pretending to be the good guys about the horrible shit we do.

Yeah, but all the other countries does that shit with their natives, too. The US is now not even really bothering to pretend to use table manners with other nations. It's running down the street with its ass hanging out.

Allow me to introduce Mr Phillipine-American War and his associate, Mr Central American Intervention.  Mr CAI had a career that spanned a century, and is largely the reason the neighbors hate our stinking guts.  His cousin, Mr Forced Land Sales From Mexico, took him into the family business.

Frankly, I think the only difference now is that the rest of the world finds our behavior uncivilized, whereas before it was just regular business.

I'm not disagreeing except in detail.  America is the drunk guy who took off all his clothes and is trying to fuck the neighbor's dog.  Go home America, you're fucking wasted.

I think I see your point. It's not that America is doing anything different, it's that the whole rest of the world is trying to grow up and America's getting left behind.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I have the weirdest feeling these days, that the US is just... unravelling.

No, it's more like the USA forgot to put on its make up one day.

Forgot to put on its makeup, started peeping into the neighbor's bedroom windows, took a shit on their lawn, and killed the other neighbor's dog.

We were doing all of that shit long before we were even a nation, the only proof of which I need offer mostly lives in reservations in the Dakotas and Arizona.

We just sorta stopped pretending to be the good guys about the horrible shit we do.

Yeah, but all the other countries does that shit with their natives, too. The US is now not even really bothering to pretend to use table manners with other nations. It's running down the street with its ass hanging out.

Allow me to introduce Mr Phillipine-American War and his associate, Mr Central American Intervention.  Mr CAI had a career that spanned a century, and is largely the reason the neighbors hate our stinking guts.  His cousin, Mr Forced Land Sales From Mexico, took him into the family business.

Frankly, I think the only difference now is that the rest of the world finds our behavior uncivilized, whereas before it was just regular business.

I'm not disagreeing except in detail.  America is the drunk guy who took off all his clothes and is trying to fuck the neighbor's dog.  Go home America, you're fucking wasted.

I think I see your point. It's not that America is doing anything different, it's that the whole rest of the world is trying to grow up and America's getting left behind.

That's what I'm saying.

Belgians in the Congo, not so long ago, acting like animals.  Germany, Japan, everyone.

Now it's just the USA and Britain, who seem to be too confused to do anything else other than follow our lead.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I have the weirdest feeling these days, that the US is just... unravelling.

No, it's more like the USA forgot to put on its make up one day.

Forgot to put on its makeup, started peeping into the neighbor's bedroom windows, took a shit on their lawn, and killed the other neighbor's dog.

We were doing all of that shit long before we were even a nation, the only proof of which I need offer mostly lives in reservations in the Dakotas and Arizona.

We just sorta stopped pretending to be the good guys about the horrible shit we do.

Yeah, but all the other countries does that shit with their natives, too. The US is now not even really bothering to pretend to use table manners with other nations. It's running down the street with its ass hanging out.

Allow me to introduce Mr Phillipine-American War and his associate, Mr Central American Intervention.  Mr CAI had a career that spanned a century, and is largely the reason the neighbors hate our stinking guts.  His cousin, Mr Forced Land Sales From Mexico, took him into the family business.

Frankly, I think the only difference now is that the rest of the world finds our behavior uncivilized, whereas before it was just regular business.

I'm not disagreeing except in detail.  America is the drunk guy who took off all his clothes and is trying to fuck the neighbor's dog.  Go home America, you're fucking wasted.

I think I see your point. It's not that America is doing anything different, it's that the whole rest of the world is trying to grow up and America's getting left behind.

That's what I'm saying.

Belgians in the Congo, not so long ago, acting like animals.  Germany, Japan, everyone.

Now it's just the USA and Britain, who seem to be too confused to do anything else other than follow our lead.

Well, it's change it up or fall behind. We seem to have latched desperately onto "KEEP DOING IT! IT'S ONLY NOT WORKING ANYMORE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT DOING IT HARD ENOUGH, DO IT HARDER!" instead of onto progress.

Such a shame. I liked living in a first-world country with groundbreaking science and a decent standard of living.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Well, it's change it up or fall behind. We seem to have latched desperately onto "KEEP DOING IT! IT'S ONLY NOT WORKING ANYMORE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT DOING IT HARD ENOUGH, DO IT HARDER!" instead of onto progress.

Such a shame. I liked living in a first-world country with groundbreaking science and a decent standard of living.

Well, with any luck at all, that bullshit attitude will die with the GOP.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Well, it's change it up or fall behind. We seem to have latched desperately onto "KEEP DOING IT! IT'S ONLY NOT WORKING ANYMORE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT DOING IT HARD ENOUGH, DO IT HARDER!" instead of onto progress.

Such a shame. I liked living in a first-world country with groundbreaking science and a decent standard of living.

Well, with any luck at all, that bullshit attitude will die with the GOP.

The current mindset of our Democrat President is not leaving me feeling terribly hopeful.