markwayne (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} markwayne) wrote,@ 2007-10-30 23:16:00 |
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Marketplace - on our knees for corporate schlock
After hearing this on Marketplace. I wrote this:
Thanks for including Steve Aftergood in your brief report on the "black budget" of the US intelligence industry. Mr. Aftergood has worked for many years to increase accountability of the national security apparatus.
Your report was overall incorrect, however, and confusing. You should correct the following.
First, an incidental correction: the budget was, in fact, "made public" since 1998, in 2005 [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/08/poli
by then deputy director of national intelligence for collection Mary Margaret Graham. Although inadvertent, this incident clearly contradicts your report's language. This is just sloppy reportage.
But worse: the contention that "the idea of publicly releasing how much money America spends on spying was initially suggested by the 9-11 Commission" is ludicrous. That the "initial" suggestion can be traced is itself laughable and without content. This statement's vapidity clearly exhibited by the fact that it contradicts Mr. Henn's previous declamation that, "The last time the U.S. intelligence budget was made public, back in 1998, America was spending a bit more than $26 billion a year on spying." These statements are at best confusing and obviously inconsistent.
Overall the quality of this report is consistent, in my view, with that of Marketplace in general.
Sincerely,
MarkWayne
After hearing this on Marketplace. I wrote this:
Thanks for including Steve Aftergood in your brief report on the "black budget" of the US intelligence industry. Mr. Aftergood has worked for many years to increase accountability of the national security apparatus.
Your report was overall incorrect, however, and confusing. You should correct the following.
First, an incidental correction: the budget was, in fact, "made public" since 1998, in 2005 [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/08/poli
by then deputy director of national intelligence for collection Mary Margaret Graham. Although inadvertent, this incident clearly contradicts your report's language. This is just sloppy reportage.
But worse: the contention that "the idea of publicly releasing how much money America spends on spying was initially suggested by the 9-11 Commission" is ludicrous. That the "initial" suggestion can be traced is itself laughable and without content. This statement's vapidity clearly exhibited by the fact that it contradicts Mr. Henn's previous declamation that, "The last time the U.S. intelligence budget was made public, back in 1998, America was spending a bit more than $26 billion a year on spying." These statements are at best confusing and obviously inconsistent.
Overall the quality of this report is consistent, in my view, with that of Marketplace in general.
Sincerely,
MarkWayne
